April 20 (SeeNews) - Serbia's government plans to invest 65 million euro ($80.2 million) in the development of IT infrastructure in the next three years, prime minister Ana Brnabic has said.
The government aims to transform the country into an innovation-based economy from an economy based on investments, which will increase its competitiveness and will open high-quality jobs, Brnabic said on Thursday during the official opening of an Innovation Laboratory at the Science Technology Park in Belgrade, according to a government press release.
Serbia aims to build science parks in Novi Sad and Nis, as well as agricultural centres and business incubators in Cacak, Bor and Zajecar, Brnabic added.
The Innovation Laboratory, equipped by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of the Swiss Confederation (SECO), multinational company AMD and the Scientific and Technological Park Belgrade, features 3D printers, computers for virtual 3D modelling, as well as equipment for processing of materials.
The 60 companies active at the Science Technology Park in Belgrade exported goods and services worth 29 million euro in the last three years, while the revenue of the park totalled 17 million euro in 2017, the government said.
The Science Technology Park in Belgrade, established by the Serbian government three years ago, is primarily intended for growing high-tech development companies, small businesses and start-ups.
($ = 0.8104 euro)