The fourth international conference AI_4_LIFE: Biotech Future Forum was held on October 27–28 in Belgrade. The event was organized by the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Serbia, in cooperation with the Ministry of Science, the Office for IT and eGovernment, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the UNDP, with the support of the BIO4 Campus.
This year’s forum brought together over 1,000 participants from more than 20 countries and 60 international speakers – representatives of government, academia, research institutions, and industry.
The conference was opened by Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr. Đuro Macut; Kelly Omundsen, Director for Digital Inclusion and Member of the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum; Dr. Mihailo Jovanović, Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment; and Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator of the UNDP.
“Previous forums have shown that through collaboration between the government, science, and industry, we can build a strong biotechnological ecosystem. Serbia is accelerating its development, strengthening partnerships, and becoming recognized as a biotechnology nation. Digital health is high on our agenda, with the new Law on Electronic Health Records and the National Genetic Data Registry,” said Prof. Dr. Macut.
The central theme of this year’s forum was modeling – from disease simulations to the transformation of healthcare systems through artificial intelligence. Discussions focused on the development of new drugs, therapies, medical devices, and investment models in biotechnology and the bioeconomy.
“The fourth Biotech Future Forum proves that Serbia can lead digital transformation in the region. Our priorities are artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and ICT infrastructure. Startup companies are already using AI in diagnostics and agricultural genomics, while the government is defining new regulatory frameworks for healthcare digitalization,” emphasized Dr. Mihailo Jovanović.
Visitors had the opportunity to meet domestic MedTech startups. Leaders of Neuroblast, ComData, and ClaviusHealth presented innovative AI-based solutions.
“The Forum demonstrates how much can be achieved when science, policy, and industry work together. The Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution has successfully built a bridge between national ambitions and global cooperation,” stated Kelly Omundsen.
For the first time, a Nobel Prize laureate, Prof. Dr. Robert Huber, was among the speakers. Other notable participants included Dr. Craig Venter, a pioneer in genomic research; Dr. Eva-Maria Hempe and Joan Hackett from NVIDIA and IQVIA; as well as renowned Serbian experts Dr. Ognjen Milićević and Nenad Grmuša.
The program featured seven plenary lectures, two main panels, seven parallel sessions, two panel discussions, and a bioeconomy workshop organized in cooperation with the World Economic Forum.
The conference was closed by Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, Academician Bela Balint, who emphasized the importance of maintaining continuity in the development of biotechnology and healthcare digitalization in Serbia.
