Belgrade, Serbia
The Danube region represents one fifth of Europe’s total area and is home to more than 100 million inhabitants. As a consequence, energy developments within the region have a major impact across Europe.
A macro-regional EU strategy for the Danube region (EUSDR) was launched in 2011 to tackle environmental issues and other priority areas such as energy and transport. This initiative has led to several coordinated research and innovation activities being explored.
To further develop coordination activities relating to sustainable energy research and innovation, COST Connect – Sustainable Energy in the Danube Region, was held on the 10 October 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia. Representatives from 15 COST Actions who are working within the Danube region met with key stakeholders and policy makers to encourage greater collaboration and alignment of resources.
Attendees of COST Connect – Sustainable Energy in the Danube Region
COST Connect events are a series of highly interactive workshops that provide open spaces for attendees to grow their ideas and build stronger research networks. This thematic approach encourages networking and dialogue between stakeholders, which reduces duplication of activities.
Above L-R: Viktor Nedović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia meets with Ronald de Bruin, Director of the COST Association.
Viktor Nedović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia stated, “COST is an important networking tool for Serbian researchers. We have been involved in COST since 1971 (via Yugoslavia), and since then our participation has increased steadily over time. We are pleased that this timely event is organised in Belgrade, as sustainable energy is one of the priorities for the Danube Region”.