RCC and EU partners present first comprehensive study mapping the Western Balkans start-up ecosystem
The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), in partnership with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), has presented a joint study, “The Western Balkans Start-up Ecosystem at a Crossroads,” outlining the key trends, opportunities and challenges facing start-ups across the Western Balkans.
The study was unveiled at the Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation, co-organised by the European Commission, the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the Government of Montenegro.
According to the report, the region’s ICT sector employs about 150,000 people and contributes around 2% to GDP. However, start-ups in the six Western Balkan economies attracted just €29.5 million in funding in 2024 — significantly less than their peers in neighbouring EU member states. The report identifies limited access to private investment, fragmented regulatory frameworks and persistent brain drain as the main barriers to growth.
“The Western Balkans start-up ecosystem is rich in entrepreneurial energy but still lacks the structured support needed for sustainable expansion,” RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanović said at the presentation. “That is why we developed the Regional Innovation for Start-ups Excellence (RISE) concept — a programme aimed at connecting entrepreneurs with mentors, providing targeted skills training, and offering micro-financing to help start-ups survive the early-stage ‘valley of death.’”
Kapetanović added that the RISE initiative would help both new and emerging start-ups transition from concept to market-ready products and called on regional governments to join efforts in building a stronger innovation landscape.
Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, said the report reflects the combined expertise of EIT, RCC and EEN in boosting regional innovation capacity. “We are working together to strengthen innovation ecosystems, reduce disparities and ensure that local innovators fully benefit from Europe’s Single Market for Innovation,” she said.
The cooperation between RCC, EIT and EEN aims to accelerate the Western Balkans’ integration into the EU’s innovation ecosystem through initiatives that enhance skills development, access to finance and cross-border networking, particularly via the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme and the Enterprise Europe Network.
At the Podgorica meeting, Kapetanović joined Ase Gornitzka, President of the COST Association, and Martin Kern, Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. He emphasised that the success of the region’s innovation agenda depends on close cooperation between governments, academia, business and civil society.
“The Western Balkans should not only participate in Europe’s innovation ecosystem but become one of its driving forces,” Kapetanović said.