The World Bank Serbia Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer Project (P145231)

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1 Public Disclosure Authorized EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA Serbia Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice Recipient Executed Activities Technical Assistance Loan FY 2015 Seq No: 1 ARCHIVED on 30-Oct-2015 ISR20707 Implementing Agencies: Public Disclosure Authorized Key Dates Key Project Dates Board Approval date:01-apr-2014 Planned Mid Term Review Date:18-Jul-2016 Original Closing Date:31-Jan-2018 Project Development Objectives Effectiveness Date:01-Jul-2015 Actual Mid-Term Review Date:-- Revised Closing Date:31-Jan-2018 Public Disclosure Authorized Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) This EU IPA funded project will complement ongoing activities in Serbia and the Western Balkans region aimed at developing a knowledge economy. The work will focus on building elements of the national innovation system that can facilitate reorientation of the public research sector to the needs of the Serbian economy and facilitate Serbia's competitive positioning in the European research community. This project will have three main activities: i) Design and establishment of technology transfer practices; ii) Design and implementation of a grant scheme for collaborative R&D; and iii) Development of an R&D and Innovation Strategy, and Infrastructure Roadmap. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No PHRPDODEL Public Disclosure Authorized Components Name Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO -- Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) -- Satisfactory 10/30/2015 Page 1 of 7

2 Implementation Status and Key Decisions The Serbia Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer Project (SRITTP) was approved on April 1, The Administration Agreement with the EU Delegation in Serbia was signed on December 23, The project became effective on May 27, 2015 with the signing of the Grant and Project Agreements with the representative of the Government of Serbia and the Innovation Fund, respectively. A launch event, focusing on the preparation of the Serbian Strategy for Research and Innovation, took place on February 2, 2015 at the auspicious seat of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Belgrade. The Bank team has provided implementation support for key activities that will contribute to the reorientation of public research sector to the needs of the Serbian economy. These include: (i) overseeing the hiring of 3 key staff for the Technology Transfer Facility (TTF) at the Innovation Fund and design of its key service line and operating procedures under Component 1; (ii) conducting 6 stakeholder consultation sessions in partnership with the Innovation Fund (IF) to design details of the Collaborative R&D Grant Scheme under Component 2; and (iii) deliver multiple thematic policy notes, present findings on the attitudes of Serbian researchers and the enterprise sector towards innovation and research sector reform based on surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews of these communitues, and conduct high level strategic planning discussions with the core ministerial team and key stakeholders to advance preparation of the R&D&I Strategy by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (MoESTD) under Component 3. The Bank team provided No Objection to the Project Operations Manual prepared by the Innovation Fund, thus satisfying a dated covenant requirement in the legal agreements with the Recipient. Component 1 - Establishment of a Technology Transfer Facility: The Bank team met with the Innovation Fund (IF) management and staff, discussed the current state of affairs and the readiness of the Innovation Fund to establish the Technology Transfer Facility (TTF) activity under Component 1 of SRITTP. The team advanced discussions with the Innovation Fund on the establishment of the centralized TTF to be housed at IF. The work focused on undertaking an in-depth analysis of the Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) recent activities, capabilities and their operational procedures as well as reviewing intellectual property regulations related to public research commercialization. Operational areas discussed included procedures to identify and assess commercialization projects; modalities for TTF engagement with TTOs during project identification, triage, development, and deal negotiation stages; mechanisms for engaging with both technical and market or business expertise in the project assessment and management process; and revenue sharing by TTF with the TTOs and partner institutions. Component 2 - Technical Assistance for the Design of a Collaborative R&D Grant Scheme Meetings with researchers and industry were used to raise awareness of the opportunity for financing collaborative applied research. The Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry offered to facilitate discussions with leading industry representatives and it was agreed that the IF will coordinate with the Chamber to organize focus groups to consult the design of the grant scheme. The Bank team advanced discussions with the IF to develop design details for the Collaborative Grant Scheme. Specific next steps for the Collaborative R&D Grant Scheme involve finalizing grant manuals for the Grant Scheme to be in line with EU requirements and good practice, including the project budget framework, application forms and logical framework as well as organizing matchinmaking sessions between potential industry and academia partners to facilitate the establishment of consortia. Planning is ongoing to support the launch of the Collaborative Grant Scheme, including planning for the announcement of a Call for Proposals, Awardees, and contract signing between the IF and the lead industry partner in the consortia. Component 3 - Technical Assistance for Designing the Research and Innovation Strategy Two surveys were completed with the Industrial sector survey contacting some 700 companies, and research sector survey contacting some 750 research team leaders in STI area. Thirteen face-to-face interviews were conducted with leading scientific teams in Belgrade and Novi Sad with multiple industrial and academic focus groups organized in Belgrade. The team presented preliminary results and analysis from the two surveys conducted as well as findings from the face-to-face interviews with research leaders and Focus Groups to MoESTD's core team. The Bank has reviewed and provided comments to the first draft of the Strategy shared on September 11, 2015 and during a high level public event in September in Belgrade. MoESTD is currently working on a revised version of the draft Strategy, which is meant to focus on promoting excellence and relevance in the research community and updating the financing mechanisms and incentives for researchers to achieve these objectives. The Strategy Draft is to be presented to a wider audience by mid-november, with its adoption by the Government expected before the end of the year. 10/30/2015 Page 2 of 7

3 Results Project Development Objective Indicators Number of technologies transferred by TTOs (Number, Custom) Value Date 22-Dec May Jan-2018 Collaborative R&D grant scheme designed (Text, Custom) Value No scheme designed -- Scheme design consulted scheme designed Inputs disseminated for an R&D&I Strategy and action plan (Text, Custom) Value No strategy exists -- Draft Strategy exists Inputs disseminated to stakeholders Inputs disseminated for an R&D Infrastructure Roadmap and action plan (Text, Custom) Value No roadmap exists -- No roadmap exists Inputs 10/30/2015 Page 3 of 7

4 disseminated to stakeholders Overall Comments Intermediate Results Indicators Component One: Number of technology transfer service lines deployed (Number, Custom) Value Number of Service transactions initiated at TTOs (Number, Custom) Value Number of technology transfer transactions conducted by TTOs (Number, Custom) Value /30/2015 Page 4 of 7

5 Number of TTOs and innovation support organizations engaged in preparation of TT pipeline (Number, Custom) Value Component two: Case studies compiled (Text, Custom) Value n/a Case studies compiled Date Jan-2018 Public consultations on design held (Number, Custom) Value Annual Independent Evaluation (Number, Custom) Value Date 31-Dec Jan /30/2015 Page 5 of 7

6 Component Three: Innovation and R&D data collected (Text, Custom) Value n/a Data collected, analyzed and shared with stakeholders Date Jan-2018 Stakeholder consultations held (Number, Custom) Value Dissemination of R&D and Innovation Strategy and Infrastructure Roadmap (Text, Custom) Value n/a Disseminated to stakeholders Overall Comments Data on Financial Performance Disbursements (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed Disbursed P TF Effective USD % Key Dates (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Orig. Closing Date Rev. Closing Date 10/30/2015 Page 6 of 7

7 P TF Effective 27-May May Jul Jan Jan-2018 Cumulative Disbursements Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Project(s) There are no related projects. 10/30/2015 Page 7 of 7