Serbia and Israel’s Leadership in Shaping the Future of Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence

03/06/2025

New Report Showcases Serbia and Israel’s Leadership in Shaping the Future of Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence.

A new joint report released today by C4IR Serbia and Office for IT and eGovernment in partnership with C4IR Israel at the Israel Innovation Authority – both independent centres within the World Economic Forum’s C4IR Network. The report provides an in-depth look at how two innovation-driven nations Serbia and Israel are advancing national frameworks in the fields of bioeconomy and bioconvergence.

Titled “Pathways to Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence: Perspectives from Serbia and Israel”, the report highlights national strategies, cross-sector initiatives, and innovation ecosystems that are advancing the responsible integration of biological, digital, and engineering technologies to address challenges in healthcare, agriculture, climate, and sustainable industry

The report demonstrates how both countries have advanced national priorities through public-private collaboration, policy innovation, and international partnerships. It also sets a practical roadmap for other governments, institutions, and stakeholders seeking to accelerate their own bioeconomy and bioconvergence efforts

Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority:
“Disruption doesn’t happen by chance – it is the result of deliberate choices. In Israel, we’ve made a national commitment to lead where we already have relative advantage and can bring added value to the global market. Bioconvergence is not just a scientific evolution – it’s our strategic bet on the future. By merging biology, engineering, AI and other technological disciplines, we are redefining innovation and building technologies that will shape global industries for decades to come.”

Jelena Bojović, Director of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Serbia:
“While Israel has strategically advanced bioconvergence, Serbia is shaping its own path by building a bioeconomy grounded in scientific excellence, digital infrastructure, and biodiversity. Through initiatives like the BIO4 Campus and international collaboration, we are creating conditions for transformative innovation. That’s why this joint report matters – it offers a roadmap that others can draw from, showcasing two distinct yet complementary approaches to unlocking the potential of the bioeconomy”

Key Highlights:

Serbia:

  • Serbia is positioning itself as a European hub for biotechnology, bioinformatics, and biodiversity through the €600 million BIO4 Campus. Designed to integrate academia, research, and industry, it will host 300+ labs, support over 5,000 students and scientists, and serve as a central node for Southeast Europe’s bioeconomy.
  • Serbia is leveraging its strong ICT sector – contributing over €4.2 billion in exports and employing 109,500 professionals in 2024- to integrate AI into biotech applications, from personalized medicine to agricultural innovation.
  • The National Data Center, National AI Platform, and the upcoming Innovation District in Kragujevac are infrastructure investments that underpin Serbia’s interdisciplinary bioeconomy strategy.
  • Serbia co-hosts the Biotech Future Forum with over 3,000 global participants over the years and is a co-leader of the World Economic Forum’s Bioeconomy Initiative.
  • Serbia has enacted pioneering legislation, such as the Law on Health Documentation and the Bylaw on the Secondary Use of Genetic Data, ensuring GDPR-aligned data usage for research and commercialization.
  • With Masters 4.0 in Bioinformatics, AI programs in schools, Serbia is investing in a new generation of bioeconomy professionals.
  • Serbia is home to over 800 start-ups (as of 2024), with a growing number focused on AI and biotech, supported by venture capital, innovation funds, and science parks.

Israel:

  • Israel has positioned bioconvergence – the fusion of biology with engineering and computational sciences – as a national strategic priority, leveraging its deep-tech industries and cross-sector R&D.
  • According to McKinsey, up to 60% of the global economy’s physical inputs could be biologically produced within 20 years, potentially generating $4 trillion in annual economic impact.
  • Bioconvergence is defined as a national strategic program in Israel due to the country’s unique strengths in biology, engineering, and computational sciences, and its potential to lead globally in the integration of these disciplines.
  • Israel’s national bioconvergence program is a strategic initiative that creates unique competitive advantages in areas where these disciplines intersect.
  • The Israeli government launched the National Bioconvergence Program in 2022, led by the Israel Innovation Authority and supported by a consortium of government and public-sector partners (TELEM).
  • The Israeli government invested approximately NIS 435 million (about $133 million USD) in the initial phase of the National Bioconvergence Program, launched and approved in 2022. This program is expected to reach a total investment of NIS 2 billion (about $610 million USD) over 10 years, combining public and private-sector funding.
  • The number of bioconvergence companies in Israel has grown from 40 companies in 2015 to over 160 companies today, reflecting an average annual growth rate of approximately 14.9% over the past decade.
  • Israeli bioconvergence companies hold a strong competitive advantage thanks to their multidisciplinary capabilities to develop breakthrough solutions across sectors. These companies operate in a wide range of fields, including healthcare (51.5%), food technology (22.1%), agriculture (12.9%), industrial biotech, environmental sustainability, and even bio-based construction. Their cross-disciplinary approach, combined with strong academic roots, supportive regulation, and global partnerships, enables them to rapidly translate scientific innovation into real-world impact.
  • In Israel 1,000 professionals have already trained in bio-convergence-related programs

A Roadmap for Global Stakeholders

This joint report is more than a comparative study – it offers a blueprint for governments, investors, and research institutions seeking to develop national strategies, design enabling regulatory frameworks, and support transformative innovations that can drive both economic and societal progress.

Key insights from the report include:

  • Public-private alignment is critical: Both countries demonstrate how top-down strategic planning combined with grassroots entrepreneurship can fuel innovation
  • Shared R&D infrastructure and global regulatory cooperation are vital for scaling emerging technologies responsibly.
  • Smaller countries can be agile leaders in shaping the global discourse through targeted investment, talent development, and international alliances.
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration among academia, industry, and government is essential for translating research into practical applications
  • Strategic human capital development creates a workforce capable of navigating multiple disciplines.
  • Progressive regulatory frameworks balance innovation with safety and ethics considerations

The report calls on global stakeholders to leverage these insights to co-create a more inclusive, sustainable, and innovation-driven bioeconomy. Both Serbia and Israel demonstrate that with strategic vision and targeted investments in ICT and life sciences, countries of any size can become influential players in the global bioeconomy landscape.

Read the full report titled: Pathways to Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence: Perspectives from Serbia and Israel – May 2025