Smart City Centre: Smart Move for Novi Pazar City

Thanks to the support of the European Union, the second phase of construction of the Smart City Centre is now completed. With 321,344 Euros in EU funding, secured through the EU PRO Plus programme, and a co-funding of 86,741 Euros from the City of Novi Pazar, the facility is fully built and equipped to welcome a new generation of business and technology leaders.

The Centre is designed to host 180 workstations, support up to 20 startup companies and 50 existing businesses, and provide continuous training opportunities. Its role goes beyond infrastructure—it is set to become a cornerstone of local innovations and digital development, not only in Novi Pazar, but across Sjenica, Tutin, Raška and beyond.

The first phase of the project, worth 820,000 Euros, was completed with national and local support—483,000 Euros from the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation and 337,000 Euros from the City of Novi Pazar that recognised the importance of the project.

Now, with construction completed and a clear vision in place, the Centre is poised to deliver exactly what Novi Pazar’s young people and entrepreneurs need: space, structure, and support.

"With more than 1,000 square metres of modern, equipped space, young, educated people will be able to develop their innovative businesses and contribute to the community’s economic growth," said Šemsudin Plojović, Coordinator of the Regional Innovation Start-Up Centre.

The Centre will also serve as a training ground, and as Plojović underlines the space is intended for IT professionals, forward-thinking startups, and young entrepreneurs. Cooperation with the Science and Technology Park Niš is already under way, aimed at strengthening internal capacities and developing Novi Pazar into a recognised IT and innovation destination.

With this support in place, the Smart City Centre is not just a construction site—it’s a statement of intent. That Novi Pazar is ready to grow, to compete, and to lead in the digital economy.

This project is one of 20 economic infrastructure projects in the regions of Šumadija and Western Serbia and Southern and Eastern Serbia that the EU supports through the EU PRO Plus programme with more than five million Euros. The projects aim to improve local competitiveness by improving business conditions and attracting new investments. The works include the construction or reconstruction and infrastructural equipping of industrial zones, tourist zones, as well as the preparation of technical documentation for the purpose of developing economic infrastructure.