DAR Sandbox has created an opportunity for innovators, companies, researchers, and institutions to develop and test new solutions in a real-world environment, bringing knowledge and technology together in one place and creating opportunities for concrete collaboration.
An important part of the event was the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the Science Technology Park Belgrade and the Office for IT and eGovernment. The agreement provides a foundation for further connecting institutions, the technology sector, and the innovation ecosystem, as well as for joint efforts to develop and implement new digital solutions.
Dr Mihailo Jovanović, Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, emphasised that the Office brings infrastructure, resources, and experience in developing a digital government to the partnership, while the Science Technology Park Belgrade contributes a strong network of innovators, entrepreneurs, and start-up companies.
“DAR Sandbox is a place where start-ups, researchers, and companies can develop, test, and validate new AI-based solutions without the need for large initial investments in their own capacities. This space represents a window into the world of AI, an environment where infrastructure, data, knowledge, and real-world challenges come together. I am confident that, with the support of the National AI Platform, the State Data Centre, the Science Technology Park Belgrade, and our partners, DAR Sandbox will become one of the places where the next generation of Serbian AI solutions will emerge. I would like to point out that over the past decade, Serbia has made significant progress in developing digital infrastructure and infrastructure for the development and application of artificial intelligence, including the establishment of the State Data Centre in Kragujevac in 2019 and the launch of the National AI Platform and the first national supercomputer in 2021. Today, the supercomputer is used by 50 public institutions from the academic community, including universities, faculties, and research institutes, as well as by 48 domestic start-up companies through science and technology parks,” Jovanović said, adding that Serbia will have three latest-generation supercomputers by the end of the year.
“DAR Sandbox is not merely a space for developing and testing artificial intelligence. It is a place where national AI infrastructure, data, and research expertise are brought together with start-ups and the business sector, enabling the creation of new AI solutions, domestic intellectual property, and companies that are competitive in international markets. Public-sector, academic, and business partnerships are the model we want to build,” said Prof. Dr Marija Milić, Director of the Science Technology Park Belgrade.
She added that the ambition is for DAR Sandbox to be more than just a training facility, but rather a national hub where real-world public-sector challenges are addressed through the expertise of domestic engineers and researchers.
“The conditions and access rules are defined by the DAR Sandbox programme, while cooperation with the Office for IT and eGovernment and the State Data Centre enables controlled access to infrastructure and data. We measure results by the number of solutions that emerge from the Sandbox as products, rather than by the number of training sessions held. Training is a means; the goal is domestic solutions and growing companies,” emphasised Prof. Dr Milić.
The event also featured a panel discussion entitled “From Collaboration to Innovation: AI in the Service of Development and Competitiveness,” moderated by Prof. Dr Marija Milić, Director of the Science Technology Park Belgrade. The panel participants included Dr Mihailo Jovanović, Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment; Dr Marija Gnjatović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation; Dr Vladimir Udovičić, Director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence; Danilo Savić, Director of Data Cloud Technology; Ivan Kadić, CEO of the start-up Reputeo; and Srđan Mladenović, AI Manager at ComTrade Group.