The second EU4Innovation Steering Committee Meeting was held on January 24 at the premises of the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation (MoECI). Representatives from the EU Delegation to Albania, the German and Swedish Embassies in Tirana, MoECI, Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Business Climate, Ministry of Education and Sports, GIZ in Albania and EU4Innovation, were present and active during this meeting.
Deputy Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation, Sokol Duma acknowledged our commitment in improving the innovation sector in Albania, by unlocking potential in entrepreneurship and innovation. “Over the past two years, we have seen significant progress, successful projects that fostered the start-up ecosystem, including the Challenge Fund.”
Mr. Hubert Perr, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Albania showed appreciation for the ongoing cooperation between the EU and the government of Albania for aspects like digitalization, innovation, investment and more… “The goal is to transform the start-up ecosystem and foster B2B collaboration between EU and Albanian companies.”
Dr. Iven Schad, Head of German Development Cooperation, expresses appreciation for the broad, intersectional, and interinstitutional partnership that has been established. He highlights the value of the B2B matchmaking between European and Albanian enterprises. “This collaboration is essential for driving growth and strengthening cross-border connections.”
Erik Illes, Deputy Head of Mission, at the Embassy of Sweden emphasizes that the Team Europe partnership is something to be proud of. He highlights the importance of maintaining focus on long-term and strategic objectives. “While there are issues to address, such as attracting investors, some important initiatives are already being taken this year to tackle these challenges.”
After a presentation from the EU4Innovation with regard to achievements and progress during the second year of implementation, the discussion was opened with the participants of the Steering Committee. Some of the topics that were discussed were related to Artificial Intelligence, European Innovation Scoreboard, Strategy for Computing, Business Angel Network.
A warm thank you to the European Union in Albania and the project’s partner ministries for their thorough support! Looking forward to the upcoming year.
