ABOUT THE PROJECT
Local EURAXESS Startup Hub
The University of Kragujevac, with the support of the Innovation Community of Šumadija and Western Serbia, which includes mentors, renowned companies, potential investors, and external stakeholders in the startup ecosystem, invites researchers (in research and teaching positions) to become part of the Local Startup Hub. This allows their research to gain visibility on both the national and international levels, contributing to their career development and enabling participation in the mobility schemes of the EURAXESS Startup Hub.
Additionally, researchers are encouraged to apply for mentorship training, through which they can develop their scientific ideas in line with the promotion of scientific entrepreneurship, gaining the opportunity to compete for the most innovative ideas and valuable cash prizes.
The Local EURAXESS Startup Hub was developed to advance scientific ideas (scientific entrepreneurship) and further commercialize them by connecting science and industry.
The purpose of the Local EURAXESS Startup Hub is exclusively to network with:
- the University of Kragujevac,
- members of the Innovation Community of Šumadija and Western Serbia,
- the Innovation Incubator of the University of Kragujevac,
- researchers from the University of Kragujevac,
- other domestic and international researchers,
- various domestic and international companies,
- appearances on the EURAXESS Startup Hub and Local Startup Hub platforms,
- international visibility,
- opportunities for finding high-quality and necessary professional staff, various projects, potential investors, and funding, as well as connecting science with industry.
Ambassador of the Local EURAXESS Startup Hub Program
The Ambassador Program is implemented through the identification of ambassadors within the Local EURAXESS Startup Hub, who assist in creating online content for PhD holders and postdoctoral researchers interested in launching their ventures. These ambassadors are willing to serve as points of contact and respond to questions on an individual basis.
The program will provide opportunities for researchers and companies (both domestic and international) to network through the Local EURAXESS Startup Hub, with the goal of writing doctoral dissertations or conducting research funded by specific companies, aimed at establishing startups upon completion of the research.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF INNOVATION IMPLEMENTATION IN THE AGRICULTURE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
Abstract
Adoption of innovations in agriculture is an important driver of productivity growth and sustainable development. Today in the world apply different approaches to the development of modern agriculture, which include innovation and technology, acceptable in socio-economic and environmental terms (integral, organic, circular, green and bio-economy). The main goal of this doctoral dissertation is to determine which approaches of the development of agriculture are the most successful in the world and what are the possibilities of their application for the sustainable development of the Republic of Serbia. In accordance with the defined goal of the doctoral dissertation, the basic research hypotheses have been formulated, which are aimed at considering the development of multifunctional agriculture in the Republic of Serbia, through comparison with other countries in the Western Balkans. Also, explored are agricultural technologies that lead to increased productivity in agriculture, then the quality and competitiveness of the most important agricultural products of the Republic of Serbia and their impact on exports, as well as the importance of the entire agri-food sector for export, economic and sustainable development of Republic of Serbia and innovative countries in the world. The importance of introducing innovation in the agricultural sector for economic and sustainable development of the Republic of Serbia and innovative countries was examined and the innovation of the agricultural sector of the Republic of Serbia was compared with agriculturally innovative countries. Empirical research proved the set hypotheses and drew conclusions accordingly. The conducted research has theoretical and practical implications, which can be used for further research and enrichment of literature in the subject area. It can also serve the creators of the agricultural policy of the Republic of Serbia, in terms of introducing the most promising approaches for the future development of agriculture in order to achieve sustainable development of the Republic of Serbia.
Link to DISSERTATION
GEOECOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF TOURIST VALORIZATION VITICULTURAL AREAS IN SERBIA
Abstract
It has been accomplished tourist evaluation of viticultural regions and specified viticultural areas of Serbia in this doctoral dissertation. It was used integrated models of geoecological evaluation – Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographical Information System (GIS) for valorization of tourist’s potentials, as important tool in spatial analysis and its characteristics. Tourist valorization has been carried out through comparison criteria in several phases: evaluation, standardization and classification, determination of weight consistency sub-criteria and obtaining the overall rating and mapping a standardized measure of weight using the GIS technique. The evaluation included analising geoecological determinants of viticultural regions of Serbia. Based on that, has been determinated several criteria (relief, climate, hydrological, pedological elements). In addition to these, on second part of thesis, it has been segregated socio-economic criteria (accessibility, attractiveness and recognition, aesthetic value, general and tourist infrastructure). These criteria, were applied on rating 40 vineyards in specified viticultural areas of Serbia, where are produced grapes and wines. It indicates that they have the conditions for the development of wine tourism. Survey research was pointed to existence/non-existence tourist facilities and suprastructure in wineries in specified viticultural areas of Serbia. The research results have shown that most wineries have possibilities for testing and salling wines, but accommodation and nutrition are lacking. The obtained results indicate the existence of several vineyards in certain wine-growing areas of Serbia with a potential for the formation of a wine tourism product. Geo-ecological elements significantly influence the development of tourism, while socio-economic, in certain winegrowing areas of Serbia, indicate the existence of tourist attractions, general infrastructure that is appropriate. Tourisminfrastructure exists to a lesser extent, which also leads to an inadequate tourist experience. However, tourist attractions in certain winegrowing areas are generally insufficiently identifiable in the wider, national or international tourism market. The possibilities of forming a wine tourist product were considered and what elements were missing in order to be complete. For now, wine tourism is complementary to other forms of tourism, such as rural, cultural and excursion tourism.
Link to DISSERTATION
TOPIC OF POSTDOC RESEARCH – GEOGRAPHY OF TOURISM, TOURISM AND TERRITORIAL PLANNING (PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT OF TOURIST DESTINATIONS), (GEO)SPATIAL ANALYSIS, APPLIED CARTOGRAPHY: REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS), AGRICULTURAL GEOGRAPHY (GEOGRAPHY OF WINE AND VITICULTURE), WINE TOURISM
Abstract
Research in the field of wine tourism based on the application of open data and advanced geospatial methods within the context of the smart tourism destination concept. The analysis utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing, which enable objective and spatial assessment of the tourism potential of vineyard areas. The methodological framework includes the collection and processing of data from various open sources, which are grouped into physical-geographical and socio-economic criteria. These data are standardized, weighted, and visualized into thematic maps, which identify areas with high potential for wine tourism development. Special attention in the research is devoted to the integration of wine tourism with other forms such as rural, eco, and cultural tourism, thus promoting economic development of rural communities in accordance with the principles of sustainability and digital transformation. Such approaches form the basis for the planning and management of smart tourism destinations in wine-growing regions.
University of Malaga, Spain
ECOLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF Teucrium montanum L. (Lamiaceae) ON HABITATS WITH CALCAREOUS AND SERPENTINE GEOLOGICAL SUBSTRATES
Abstract
The chemical composition and physical structure of the geological substrate and soil influence the distribution of plant species and their differentiation as a set of ecological factors. Serpentinite soils are characterized by high content of heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Ni) and low content of essential elements (Ca, K, N, P), while the opposite is for calcareous soils. Based on the above, the content of 20 elements in the soil and plant material of the species Teucrium montanum (Lamiaceae), originating from different habitats, as well as the content of total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were studied. In addition, the quantitative composition of each phenolic compound in methanolic extracts of the plant material was determined by the UHPLC/DAD/(−)HESI−MS2 method. In the samples of essential oils, the qualitative composition and percentage of relative representation of volatile compounds were investigated by GCxGC/MS analysis. Using the method of geometric morphometrics, the patterns of morphological variation were studied from the point of view of the presence of species differences depending on the type of substrate. Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that the type of substrate in the studied habitats has a significant influence on the ecophysiological and morpho-anatomical characteristics, where some of them are potentially important for the adaptive response of the species Teucrium montanum to specific edaphic conditions. Regulation of the intensity of biosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites is one of the adaptive mechanisms that also influences the differentiation of edaphic ecotypes.
Link to DISSERTATION
POSTDOC RESEARCH TOPIC: INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF BURNT MEADOWS AND PASTURES ON SECONDARY METABOLISM IN PLANTS
Introduction
The adverse effect of climate change is manifested to the greatest extent by increasing the frequency and intensity of fires. In 2024, the Balkans experienced serious adverse impacts in terms of forest, meadow and pastureland destroyed by fires. Pastures and meadows represent the largest ecosystem in the world with a size of 40.5% of the land area. Besides being a source of grass fodder, meadows and pastures have the potential to absorb and store carbon no less than forests. The occurrence of fires significantly affects physiological processes in plants, particularly the synthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolites play a key role in ecological interactions, influencing plant survival, competitiveness, and defense against abiotic and biotic stressors. This research provides detailed insights into the various mechanisms of synthesis and the presence of compounds in the secondary metabolism of plants grown in burnt habitats, analyzing how is affected the differentiation of chemotypic variations and the quantitative and qualitative composition of secondary metabolites. Furthermore, identifying components of secondary metabolism specific to such soil types indicates their potential significance in plant adaptation, i.e., their adaptive response to specific edaphic conditions, laying the groundwork for a better understanding of plant ecology in extreme conditions.
Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria
EURAXESS Startup Hub
Support for Scientific Entrepreneurs
The EURAXESS Startup Hub is a networked programme of support to sci entrepreneurs, setup by the research and funding organizations from 12 countries, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Estonia, Israel, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Switzerland, Moldova, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia and Serbia, with participation of tens of external stakeholders, the prominent actors in national startup ecosystems of the above countries.
LOCAL EURAXESS Startup Hub
Training for creating accounts and opportunities on the EURAXESS platform
Date: February 20, 2025
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Platforms: Microsoft Teams
The training will be conducted for all participants with a registered scientific idea within the mentoring program of the Local EURAXESS Startup Hub.
The aim of the training is for the participants of the mentoring program to create an EU and EURAXESS login account, as well as to register on the platform itself as EURAXESS members. In addition to researcher registration, support will be provided for filling out a user account and researcher profile in the form of research experience, as well as job preferences.
After creating and filling out the EURAXESS researcher profile, the training will be focused on searching for jobs and contacts in service centers. Also, the possibility of finding researchers from different fields of research, as well as connecting with them, will be shown. In addition, considering the development of scientific ideas submitted to the mentorship program, special emphasis will be placed on creating profiles for searching researchers and organizations in the form of support for the establishment and development of startup entrepreneurship, as well as the possibility of connecting with them. At the end, the opportunities of business financing through the EURAXESS platform will be presented, with the help of the created EURAXESS profile.
JOIN THE
Local EURAXESS Startup Hub
Please download the application form, fill it out, and submit it to us via email euraxess.startup@uni.kg.ac.rs
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme within the framework of the ERA TALENT Project funded under grant agreement No 101103476
