Podgorica - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) revealed the winners of 2024 Regional Butterfly Innovation Award at a ceremony RCC organised on the margins of the third Regional Butterfly Innovation Forum, tonight in Podgorica. 

The winners of the third Regional Butterfly Innovation Award are:
•    In category Green Innovation Award: Team Beehold from Serbia is an AI-based assistant for beekeepers, offering real-time insights and predictions about hive health and productivity via remote monitoring; 
•    In category Women Innovation Award: Team Pambuk from Albania offers alternative to single-use plastics with non-woven, eco-friendly, reusable and biodegradable bags helping consumers reduce their environmental footprint;
•    In category Industry Innovation Award: Montenegrin Team 3D Soba turns plastic waste into durable, eco-friendly wood alternatives for benches, tables, and outdoor furniture, reducing deforestation and plastic waste;
•    In category STEM Innovation Award: Team Edufront from North Macedonia provides quality digital education through an online platform that is accessible even to 8-year-olds reducing unemployment in tech and enhancing potential for regional economic development;
•    In category University Innovation Award: KosovanTeam Phora is an AI-driven traffic management solution that optimises traffic flow, reduces accidents, and prioritises public transport while supporting sustainable urban lifestyles;
•    In category Youth Innovation Award: Team PressCoder from Bosnia and Herzegovina solves issues of outdated hydraulic press machines in the metalworking industry by retrofitting machines with advanced technology.

Elda Kalaja, Head of Office of the RCC Secretary General, opened the ceremony by congratulating the winners on their outstanding achievements. "Tonight, we celebrate the visionaries who inspire us with their creativity and determination. The Butterfly Innovation Awards honour not just individual accomplishments but the collective brilliance of our region," she stated. Kalaja highlighted that the winning innovations exemplify the transformative potential of regional talent in addressing pressing challenges and reshaping industries.

Reflecting on the RCC's commitment to fostering innovation, Kalaja stressed the importance of collaboration and addressing systemic barriers. "The RCC remains dedicated to supporting the region's talent and advancing strategic partnerships between academia, industry, and government. Together, we can build a thriving innovation ecosystem that benefits all citizens of the Western Balkans," she noted. The ceremony concluded with the recognition of six exceptional innovations, showcasing the Western Balkans' immense potential to drive sustainable growth and progress.

Similar to the last year, we received 66 team and 21 individual entries, 87 entries in total across six categories. The Industry and Green categories account for two-thirds of all submissions, followed by Women and STEM categories. Women lead the way with 52% of individual entries and make up 45% of all team members. All our applicants demonstrated a keen awareness of pressing local and regional issues. Their innovative solutions, spanning from the revitalisation of traditional industries to the deployment of AI in key sectors, hold the potential to reshape our future. The Butterfly competition underscores the immense potential of our human capital to drive change and progress, despite many obstacles. Our EU judges were impressed by the innovative nature of the majority of submissions.

Winners will receive financial reward of up to €5.000, possibility to promote its product through the Regional Cooperation Council’s network of contacts and press and media attention to promote winners as leading innovation role models.

“The Butterfly Innovation Award symbolizes transformation, growth, and resilience—qualities at the heart of innovation. Tonight’s winners showcase the vision, courage, and dedication needed to drive progress, inspiring far beyond their communities. Success, however, relies on dynamic ecosystems supported by institutions, startups, and global collaboration. Let’s continue building trust, fostering innovation, and shaping a future where our region thrives as a hub of creativity and opportunity,” said Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro for Foreign and European Affairs, Filip Ivanovic.

Preceding the Award Ceremony, the RCC hosted the third Regional Butterfly Innovation Forum, organised yesterday at the Science and Technology Park in Podgorica. The Forum brought together leading experts, policymakers, innovators, and business leaders exploring the latest trends in artificial intelligence, green growth, and innovation-driven competitiveness. With a dynamic agenda featuring flash talks, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, the event showcased the region's potential to drive transformative change through innovation and collective action. More info https://www.rcc.int/news/901/the-third-regional-butterfly-innovation-forum-opens-in-podgorica

Furthermore, the RCC, in cooperation with UNDP, is hosting a side event today in Podgorica, presenting a business self-assessment platform for measuring digital maturity of businesses in the region. Titled Skills4Jobs: Making the Western Balkans’ Businesses More Resilient, this event focuses on the critical need for upskilling and workforce development to drive the region’s green and digital transitions. More info https://www.rcc.int/events/1604/skills4jobs-making-the-western-balkans-businesses-more-resilient

The third Butterfly Innovation Award Ceremony celebrates the region’s most transformative achievements in business and sustainability, bringing together influential leaders from the innovation, research, and policy communities for an inspiring celebration of regional talent and creativity.

The Butterfly Innovation Forum and Award as well as the Skills for Jobs event are part of the Regional Innovation Area of the Common Regional Market Action Plan. The Forum and the Award have been established in 2021 to encourage and promote innovative, scalable, market-based solutions from the Western Balkans, and deepen the understanding of current innovation opportunities, improve the performance of the region’s innovation efforts and assist the development of regional innovation ecosystem. These activities are being financed by the European Union.