The Science and Technology Park of Montenegro is embarking on the implementation of the European SSUPPORT project, taking another important step in strengthening the country’s innovation and educational capacities. The project brings together a strong consortium of nine countries from the Danube region, connecting Montenegro with four EU member states and four non-EU countries, with the aim of facilitating a valuable exchange of good practices and erasing borders in the flow of knowledge.

The main focus of the initiative is aimed at modernizing vocational education and systematically improving cooperation between academic institutions and the business sector. The project offers a concrete response to one of the region’s most pressing challenges: fragmented vocational education systems that often face limited innovation infrastructure, skills mismatches, and unequal opportunities for lifelong learning. The key objective is to overcome these barriers and align knowledge with labor market needs to proactively respond to rapid technological changes, especially in rural and other vulnerable areas.

Relying on overarching European documents such as the European Skills Agenda, the Council Recommendation on Vocational Education and Training (VET), the Osnabrück Declaration, and the Smart Specialisation Strategy, the project strengthens Centers of Vocational Excellence as ecosystems of great importance for the further alignment of labor supply and demand. In this way, educational centers are empowered to become true drivers of innovation and inclusion, facilitating the transition to green and digital models of work.

Through its participation in this project, the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro once again confirms its strategic commitment to international networking and the advancement of Montenegro’s innovation ecosystem.