ANTARES: BEST-RANKED PROJECT IN EUROPE

The beginning of the implementation of a seven-year research project Antares of the BioSense Institute in Novi Sad was marked by an opening ceremony held on 2 March 2017 in the amphitheatre of the Central building of the University of Novi Sad.

On behalf of the host, the guests were greeted by Prof. Dr. Vladimir Crnojević, Director of the Institute and Prof. Dr. Dušan Nikolić, Rector of the University of Novi Sad. The ceremony was officially opened by Mr. Igor Mirović, President of the Provincial Government of Vojvodina. The speeches were then presented by Ms. Ana Brnabić, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Mladen Šarčević, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Robert-Jan Smits, Director-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, H.E. Michael Davenport, Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Maarten Wegen, Attaché for Agriculture in the Netherlands Embassy in Belgrade and Prof. Dr. Louise Fresco, President of the Executive Board of Wageningen University and Research.

As part of the ceremony, an Agreement on financing and management of the construction project of the BioSense Institute's building and the purchase of research equipment was signed. In addition, the conceptual design and the model of the building, which will be located in the campus of the University of Novi Sad, were presented.

 

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BioSense Institute was established through the transformation of the center with the same name, formed within the Faculty of Technical Sciences of the University of Novi Sad.

The project Antares of the BioSense Institute won the first place and acquired a budget of 28 million euros in the competition of almost 200 projects across Europe, among which were the projects of the leading European and world scientific and research institutions. One half of the budget is provided by a Horizon 2020 grant from the European Union, while the other half is provided by the Republic of Serbia for the purpose of construction of the future building of the Institute and the purchase of equipment.

The aim of the Antares project is the development of the BioSense institute into the European centre of excellence for advanced technologies in the field of sustainable agriculture and food safety. The project was selected within the Teaming Action call, which is part of the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union dedicated to the formation of new and advancement of the existing centres of excellence in Europe.