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Tamara Milovanović, general director of PMI for Southeast Europe - Who gives wings to domestic innovators

Source: eKapija

Wednesday, 19.11.2025.

23:04

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Tamara Milovanović (Photo: Stefan Jovanović)

The Global Week of Entrepreneurship raises again the topic of the necessity of a close encounter between two seemingly different worlds - small entrepreneurs and large corporations. Startups bring speed and creativity, while corporations provide resources, technology and access to global networks. When they work together, ideas move more quickly from the lab to practice, and digital transformation becomes a reality.

Philip Morris International, which has been investing in the improvement of the local community since its arrival in Serbia in 2003, has recognized that supporting innovation is key to the long-term development and competitiveness of the domestic economy. It is precisely for this reason that StarTech was launched - a platform that shows how partnership can speed up the path from idea to market and open the door to the world for innovators across Serbia. Tamara Milovanović, PMI`s general director for Southeast Europe, talks about the scope of the program and the key challenges of digitalization for eKapija.

How can large companies contribute to digital transformation in practice?

- The transfer of knowledge, technology and funds from large companies to startups and entrepreneurs with big ideas - it`s a pattern... that`s easy to set up, but much harder to implement in the right way. Because only ad hoc subsidization of innovations is not enough - it is necessary to establish a sustainable cooperation mechanism and avoid the effect of "innovation theater" - programs that actually serve branding and PR, not innovation for the sake of general benefit.

I believe that the way Philip Morris applies this form in Serbia is "for textbooks". It`s not exactly a textbook, but the recently published Research on cooperation between corporations and startups in the Western Balkans, prepared by the ICT Hub with the support of the EBRD, confirms my claim and highlights us as an example to follow. And it all started with internal transformation - for two decades we have been changing from a traditional company to a company where science and innovation are the basis of every business move. In this way, we gained expertise, and then secured funds, had a strong will and a great commitment to transfer that approach to the domestic ecosystem as well. That`s how StarTech was born, a program that supports the development of innovation and startup ecosystem in Serbia through financial support (grants) and improvement of the business environment. From there, PMInnovia was later born, as an "open innovation" program, which enables domestic startups and scientific teams to develop innovative solutions for the needs of the Philip Morris company. Thanks to this project, "homegrown intelligence" is already participating in the continuous improvement of our products based on technologically advanced, less harmful forms of nicotine delivery, thereby contributing to a faster transition to a world without tobacco smoke.

You started StarTech five years ago with NALED and the Serbian Government. What was the vision that launched the whole project?

- Startech may be formally called a project, but I see it more as a strategic initiative that connects knowledge, innovation and business into one sustainable system. It is not just a grant scheme, but a long-term platform that changes the way the entire innovation ecosystem works. Today, after five years, StarTech remains the largest program of its kind in the country, entirely funded by a private company. We have positioned ourselves as a partner to innovators, but also to institutions - a program that supports product development and improves the conditions in which innovators work. Our goal in the years to come remains the same: to create an environment where a good idea can become a globally marketable product much faster than before. We are proud to hold the title of "first" or "biggest" in this type of cooperation at this moment, but our goal is not to be the only one. The more companies that follow the same path, the deeper the transformation will be and the more tangible the progress.

What results of StarTech would you single out as the greatest - what has changed the domestic innovation ecosystem the most?

- The news was announced these days that the autonomous AgAR tractor produced in Serbia achieved significant success at the fair in Hanover, where it entered the finals for the Robot Tractor of the Year Award. It is one of 100 projects supported by StarTech so far. In December, we will also announce a new generation of grantees. Through the program, all of them receive financial mentoring support, access to a network of partners and promotion. All of this has led to some small teams becoming serious companies that export worldwide. Today, solutions such as agricultural robots, advanced medical devices or digital platforms are changing their industries for the better and creating new jobs throughout Serbia. As much as 45% of the grantees are already present in foreign markets - in as many as 27 countries, not counting our country. Of course, the region and the EU predominate, but there are also Australia, Japan, the USA, China, Korea, Egypt, Malta...

Grants are the most visible, but not the only, part of the Startech program. Together with the Government of Serbia and NALED, we have improved the innovative business environment - from regulating the status of freelancers and technology transfer, to developing the Register of subjects of the innovation system. We actively participate in Government working groups, prepare a startup ecosystem development strategy 2026 - 2030, and even connect academia and business through the Science Caravan, promoting industrial doctorates and a portal for connecting science and business. StarTech has become a pillar of innovation development, as confirmed by the European Commission`s award for promoting entrepreneurship.

What is the key obstacle to digital transformation in Serbia today - and where lies our greatest development potential?

- There are plenty of ideas, technologies developed by domestic innovators exist, but the path to wider application in the economy is not yet fast enough. That`s to be expected – we`re still struggling with a legacy where innovation and science are seen as theory rather than tools for growth.

It is precisely through this struggle that we reach our greatest potential - effective application. Serbia has an exceptionally strong engineering staff and an increasingly mature innovation scene, which is confirmed by international indices. On the Global Innovation Index, we are 54th among 139 countries, and among middle-income countries we are in the top 10. The European Innovation Scoreboard records progress in cloud technologies, the development of IT experts and the cooperation of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises. These are the areas in which we can make the fastest progress. With better digital skills, stronger intellectual property protection and a greater focus on applied research, we can significantly accelerate the digital transformation of the entire economy.

How do you see the current startup scene in Serbia - and what do domestic teams need the most in order to take their product to the global market?

- The startup scene in Serbia today is more diverse, ambitious and regionally distributed than ever. Ideas arise everywhere - from Belgrade to Niš. Through the Pop-Up Export Hub initiative, which is also part of StarTech, we are already helping teams from the south of the country to enter international markets, because the talent exists, but the path to global visibility requires additional support. Domestic startups need more stable industrial partners in order to develop solutions in a real environment, a predictable regulatory framework that facilitates growth, investment and technology transfer, mentors and a support network - connecting them to the global market and investors.

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