This outlook was prepared and published by wbc-inco.net platform for Coordination of Research Policies with the Western Balkans Countries. The report include following (good !) news about R&D in Serbia:

• Serbia doubled its public investment in R&D in 2011, reaching 0,65% of GDP (highest relative increase in R&D expenditures in the world in 2011).
• The National research project cycle 2011-2014 has started. 780 out of 878 projects were accepted for financing (89%); There is a total of 11,615 researchers on the accepted projects (increase of 30%); 1,714 young researchers (under 30) will for the first time participate in projects; 1,024 researchers from abroad will  be partners on projects; 47% of the researchers are women which represents one of the best gender balances in the world. A third of the nation’s scientific capacity will  for the first time be engaged in large interdisciplinary projects (interdisciplinary projects 28%, technological development 28%, basic research 44%). The best young researchers will for the first time have the opportunity to lead their own projects (25 young researchers applied, and 24 got the financial support from the Ministry in the next four years - this model of support is used by the European Research council (ERC) and these young researchers are a starting base for receiving ERC funding in the future. Within the public call for projects, researchers asked for a total of 136 million EUR worth of equipment (a total of 5,558 requests). A database of the requested equipment was prepared and researchers were given a chance to correct their requests. An expert committee examined the database and rationalized the purchasing of equipment based on the following criteria: the team score within the public call, the project total ranking, the size of the team,  the defense of the request in front of the committee, rational usage of equipment for the entire scientific community.
• In 2010 Serbian researchers  published over 3,500 scientific papers in relevant international journals. Serbia was declared the global “rising science star” by Thomson Reuters since February 2010 as the country with the highest growth in citations in 11 out of 22 scientific disciplines.
• Innovation projects activities supported by the Law on innovation activities and financed through the national budget in the amount of 119.792.351 RSD - submitted 61 reports of financed innovation projects whose implementation was completed in April 2011. New Public Call for the implementation of innovative activities is expected in June 2011.

A full report can be downloaded from: http://wbc-inco.net/attach/MicrosoftWord-ProgressreportSerbiaMay2011.pdf