The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) said on June 13 it is launching a regional IT hub jointly with North Macedonia that should stimulate innovations in Western Balkans.

The hub, located in North Macedonia’s capital Skopje, will provide support for innovations to local entrepreneurs, innovators and learners.

“By connecting regional actors, innovators, and partners to Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem, the new EIT Community RIS Hub - the first of its kind, will strengthen cooperation among leading business, education and research organisations while increasing the region’s competitiveness and sustainable economic growth,” EIT said in a statement.

The hub is part of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) programme designed to stimulate innovations across Europe.

The hub will provide innovators with a centralised source of information on all services and opportunities provided by the EIT’s community. It is the first regional hub opened by the EIT, which plans to open more in the next three years in Europe.

“We are delighted to open the EIT Community’s first joint hub in North Macedonia. Because of the region's talent pool and economic strengths, particularly in smart agriculture, and information and communications technologies, the Western Balkans is an important region for the EIT Community. We aim to increase access to EIT opportunities through the new hub and to strengthen the innovation capacity of North Macedonia. We anticipate many success stories to be born here and scale towards the European market,” North Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Economic Affairs Fatimir Bytyqi, said as quoted in the statement.