Regional Innovation in Action: The SMART Project at the University of Vlora

On March 20, 2025, the SMART City Hub Regional Dissemination Event took place at the Ismail Qemali University of Vlora in Albania. Prof. Dr. Thomas Köhler (CODIP, part of CIDS, TUD Dresden University of Technology) actively participated in an exciting panel discussion on how to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans and beyond.

The event was opened by Prof. Dr. Aurela Saliaj, Rector of the University of Vlora, and the Mayor of Vlora, Ermal Dredha, who both emphasized the importance of strengthening regional innovation ecosystems through international cooperation.

The SMART project supports universities in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro in transforming their role from pure knowledge brokers to active shapers of regional innovation landscapes. The existing gap between the results of higher education and the requirements of the labor market is being addressed in a targeted manner:

✅ Introducing new learning modules around the topic of smart specialization as well as innovative teaching methods, including online teaching, interdisciplinary learning and virtual mobility
✅ Establishment of seven SMART Innovation Centers at the partner universities
✅ Promotion of sustainable cooperation between universities and industry via the SMART Knowledge Exchange Network
✅ Supporting practical placements and (virtual) mobility for students and lecturers

© N. Heidmann

In the panel discussion moderated by Mateja Geder (SMART EU project coordinator, DOBA, Slovenia), experts exchanged ideas and experiences on the following topics

🔎 The role of universities in regional innovation ecosystems
🔎 The influence of digital transformation on regional development
🔎 The quintuple helix model as the key to cooperation between universities, business, politics, civil society and the environment
🔎 Opportunities to intensify cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkans in the field of smart specialization

As TU Dresden, we are proud to be part of this important dialog and to work together on sustainable innovation and knowledge transfer in the region.

A big thank you to all panelists for their inspiring contributions:
- Antonella Contin, POLIMI, Italy
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Köhler, TU Dresden, Germany
- Stefano Sanna, FPM, Italy
- Dragan Gligorić, University of Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Bojana Mališić, University of Donja Gorica, Montenegro
- Ylvije Kraja, University of Shkodra, Albania

We look forward to continuing this cooperation and further advancing the development of sustainable, smart solutions in the Western Balkans - and beyond!