In April 2024, the European Commission approved a grant of 20 million euros for the pioneering European Union project called “Genome of Europe,” with the Republic of Serbia among its members. The project is co-financed through the Digital Europe program and aims to establish a unique database of genetic data from 100,000 European citizens. The goal is to encourage revolutionary medical research results, further the progress of personalized healthcare, and improve public health. Alongside Serbia, the project includes 28 European countries, with 26 being member states of the European Union.

The ambitious project is scheduled to commence in the last quarter of 2024. Participating institutions from Serbia include the Office for Information Technology and eGovernment, the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution of Serbia, and the Institute for Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering (IMGGE), with support from the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation of Serbia.

The “Genome of Europe” project aligns with the European initiative “1+ Million Genomes” and supports its goals by enabling the establishment of a single database of genetic data from the European population. By 2028, the project aims to compile data from the entire genomes of 100,000 European citizens, making it the EU’s most comprehensive venture in this area to date.

It’s noteworthy that this is the first project within the Digital Europe program in which the Office for IT and eGovernment and C4IR Serbia participate. The first step was made in 2023 through the signing of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Serbia on Serbia’s participation in Digital Europe, by the Minister of Information and Telecommunications, Dr. Mihailo Jovanović. Under this Agreement, which extends until 2027, both legal (such as corporations, organizations, etc.) and natural individuals, headquartered in Serbia, have the opportunity to apply for EU projects and stand on equal footing with entities from full EU member countries regarding the allocation of EU funds for digitization.

For more information about the “Genome of Europe” project and other European initiatives, visit the following link: here.