EIT Community Hub Bosnia and Herzegovina officially launched in Sarajevo

Today, Sarajevo hosted the official launch of the EIT Community Hub Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

The event, organised by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and Association FabLab, took place at Sarajevo City Hall. The new Hub will serve as the national gateway to the EIT Community, connecting innovators, researchers, universities, startups, companies and public institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina with Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem.  

Expanding access to EIT opportunities 

The EIT Community Hub Bosnia and Herzegovina will provide access to EIT programmes, networks, training opportunities, mentoring support and international partnerships. It will also help strengthen the country’s startup ecosystem, support skills development, foster knowledge and technology transfer, and promote closer collaboration between academia and industry. 

The establishment of the EIT Community Hub in Bosnia and Herzegovina is an important step towards systematically connecting local talents, researchers, companies and institutions with European knowledge, partnerships and support programmes. Our goal is to bring EIT opportunities closer to people and organizations that have the potential to develop innovations from Bosnia and Herzegovina for the European market

Dr. Daria Ler, EIT Community Officer for Bosnia and Herzegovina

This marks an exciting new chapter for Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country that already shows strong talent, creativity and entrepreneurial ambition. We would like to see more startups from Bosnia and Herzegovina grow across Europe and beyond. More universities engage in innovation programmes, and more students and professionals gain entrepreneurial and deep-tech skills 

Ilaria Tagliavini, Head of Operations at the EIT

Building on EIT Regional Innovation Scheme success 

The launch of the EIT Community Hub builds on the success of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme, established in 2014 to strengthen innovation ecosystems in countries with emerging innovation performance. By the end of 2024, these countries had received 40 percent of EIT funding and hosted nearly 60 percent of EIT-supported startups. The Western Balkans have become an increasingly important part of this success story, with participation rates around five times higher than under Horizon Europe overall. Between 2021 and 2024, innovators from Bosnia and Herzegovina attracted €1.3 million in EIT support, 43 ventures were created or supported, and nearly 4 000 people participated in EIT education and training activities. 

Showcasing collaboration and innovation 

The launch event brought together representatives from institutions, academia, industry, the startup ecosystem and international organisations to explore opportunities available through the EIT Community and highlight successful examples of collaboration from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants learned how to engage with EIT programmes, access European networks and benefit from support for innovation, education, entrepreneurship and technology development. 

The launch of the EIT Community Hub Bosnia and Herzegovina marks an important step in strengthening the country’s role within the European innovation landscape and creating new opportunities for local innovators to develop solutions and partnerships with European reach.