The EIT Community Hub Bosnia and Herzegovina was officially launched on 11 June 2026 at the Sarajevo City Hall (Vijećnica), marking the establishment of the first national access and coordination point of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The event was organized by EIT and Association FabLab.
With the launch of the EIT Community Hub, Bosnia and Herzegovina has gained a new platform for connecting local innovators, researchers, universities, startups, companies and public institutions with Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem. EIT connects education, research and business through its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), operating in the fields of digital technologies, energy, climate change, health, food, raw materials, urban mobility, water, and culture and creative industries.
The EIT Community Hub Bosnia and Herzegovina now serves as a local entry point for access to EIT programmes, networks, training opportunities, mentoring support, innovation initiatives and international cooperation opportunities. Its work will focus on strengthening the local startup ecosystem, developing new skills, transferring knowledge and technologies, connecting academia and industry, and further integrating Bosnia and Herzegovina into European innovation flows.
“The establishment of the EIT Community Hub in Bosnia and Herzegovina is an important step towards systematically connecting local talents, researchers, companies and institutions with European knowledge, partnerships and support programmes. Our goal is to bring EIT opportunities closer to people and organizations that have the potential to develop innovations from Bosnia and Herzegovina for the European market,”
— Dr. Daria Ler, EIT Community Officer for Bosnia and Herzegovina
“This marks an exciting new chapter for Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country that already shows strong talent, creativity and entrepreneurial ambition. We would like to see more startups from Bosnia and Herzegovina grow across Europe and beyond, more universities engage in innovation programmes, and more students and professionals gain entrepreneurial and deep-tech skills,”
— Ilaria Tagliavini, Head of Operations at the EIT
The launch of the new Hub builds on the results of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme, established in 2014 to strengthen innovation ecosystems in countries with emerging innovation performance. By the end of 2024, these countries had received 40% of EIT funding and hosted nearly 60% of EIT-supported startups.
The Western Balkans have become an increasingly important part of this story, with participation rates around five times higher than under Horizon Europe overall. Between 2021 and 2024, innovators from Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- attracted €1.3 million in EIT support
- 43 ventures were created or supported
- nearly 4,000 people participated in EIT education and training activities
The official launch event in Sarajevo brought together representatives of institutions, academia, industry, the startup ecosystem and international organizations. The programme included the introduction of the EIT Community Hub Bosnia and Herzegovina, a presentation of opportunities offered by the EIT Community, discussions with key ecosystem stakeholders, and showcases of successful examples of cooperation from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants had the opportunity to learn how they can join EIT programmes, access European knowledge and partnership networks, and use the support available through the EIT Community in the fields of innovation, education, entrepreneurship and the development of new technologies.
