UNIVERSITY BUSINESS ACADEMY INNOVATION DAY LEARN. CONNECT. EMPOWER.
The University Business Academy in Novi Sad hosted the InnovaCyBridge Innovation Day, held on 6 and 7 October 2025. This two-day event brought together researchers, entrepreneurs, and members of the academic community to explore how cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and EU funding can drive innovation and support the development of new ideas.
On the first day (6 October), two sessions were held. The first session was intended for university staff—professors, researchers, and doctoral students—while the second gathered startups, entrepreneurs, and innovation ecosystem stakeholders. Participants had the opportunity to learn, in an interactive setting, about tools for effective project proposal writing, EU funding opportunities, and the development of partnerships that transform ideas into tangible projects.
The event opened with Tamara Krstić, Marketing Director of the University Business Academy and member of the project team, who presented the InnovaCyBridge project and introduced the speakers, who are also project partners.
The first lecture was delivered by Michal Zilberberg, CEO of Twinnovation, an EU funding strategy expert with over ten years of experience and former advisor in the European Parliament. She presented a lecture titled “How to Use AI Tools for Project Proposal Development?”. Through this insightful session, participants learned how artificial intelligence can enhance the chances of researchers and entrepreneurs securing EU grant funding.
After a short break, Yalin Gülbahar, Strategic Advisor at Twinnovation and expert in building effective collaborations and identifying sustainable funding pathways for innovative projects, demonstrated through practical examples how to select the right call for their ideas and how to access funding.
The working part of the program concluded with Gonca Kara, Head of Ecosystems and Projects at A8, an expert in strategic partnerships and innovation ecosystem development, who introduced participants to opportunities for establishing and nurturing strategic partnerships and sustainable collaboration.
On the second day, 7 October, working meetings were held between project partners from Twinnovation, A8, and the University Business Academy and various stakeholders, SME representatives, and associations from Novi Sad, focusing on opportunities for joint initiatives. With the strong support of Prof. Aleksandar Ašonja, PhD, Ljiljana Ćumura, and other members of the University Business Academy project team, meetings were held with several organizations and institutions: the Employers’ Association of Vojvodina, the City of Novi Sad Energy Agency, the Educational Centre for Training in Professional and Work Skills, and a meeting with all members of the project team from the Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management and the University Business Academy.
The event was open to the public, and the high level of interest from both academia and the business community confirmed the importance of connecting knowledge, innovation, and financial opportunities at the European level.
