Mission of the Institute for Plant Protection and Environment

Research activity of the Institute for Plant Protection and Environment will continue to focus on inter - and multidisciplinary approach with the aim to be competitive for the areas defined as priorities in the national strategy for scientific and technological development, smart specialization, strategy for agriculture and other strategies and policies of public interest. Potentials exploitation will be directed towards the research which will contribute to expand knowledge and create innovations in the area of food for the future – high technology food production. One of the priorities will be ecology and environment protection but with prior building of capacities for research, knowledge and technology transfer.

In order to diversify the topics and fields of research, as well as to participate in knowledge transfer and education of young researchers, Institute will maintain the established collaboration with universities and other RDIs in the country and abroad and stimulate the expansion to new partners. Researchers’ activities will be oriented towards intensifying the connection with international laboratories, research groups and private sector to create opportunities to build a consortium and jointly apply for different funds. Institute will support building or improving the capacities and infrastructure in order to facilitate the formation of the center of excellence within the organizational units in which the researchers are acknowledged and have developed international scientific collaboration.

Institute will continue with the initiative to join the University of Belgrade, in order to become a strategic partner in education and research, but also for the Institute to get the access to the funds which would be invested in infrastructure and research. Current engagement of several researchers form the Institute as lecturers for PhD students of the Faculty of Biology and practical training of the course Molecular systematics held in the Department of Plant Pests, could extrapolate and involve the whole Institute to facilitate the students and organize classes, practical training, workshops. Institute will continue to support creativity and innovativeness to increase the quality of research. It will in great deal depend on engagement of perspective young researchers via projects or scholarships, investments in equipment and infrastructure, continual education of researchers in order to secure the position of leader institute for plant health and later for environment protection.

Sources for capital investments Institute will try to find through national projects funded by the Science Fund and Innovation Fund, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and Ministry of Environment Protection, as well as through international projects and donations. Collaboration with private sector on innovations and knowledge transfer and applying for the projects by the Innovation Fund could result in shared intellectual property or patents which could bring the profit necessary for capital investments. Institute has a defined program of hiring young researchers and PhD students via models recognized within the law of science and research, e.g. scholarships, project engagement etc. Young researchers will have beforehand defined research areas of public interest which will address the actual problems of great importance for economy and society.