The conference “Sustainable City as a Service, with Focus on Transport and Mobility – Inspired by Experiences from Finland” brought together policymakers, innovators, and researchers from Montenegro and the Nordic countries to discuss new approaches to sustainable urban development. The event was organised under the initiative “Nordic Green and Smart Cities – Building Partnerships in the Western Balkans”, supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers and implemented by the Nordic Embassies and the Nordic Business Alliance.
The opening remarks were delivered by Niklas Lindqvist, Ambassador of Finland; Tatjana Ćalasan, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation of Montenegro; and Valentina Radulović, Executive Director of the Science and Technology Park Montenegro.
Keynote speakers Kati Borgers (City of Espoo) and Jussi Karmala (Forum Virium Helsinki) shared inspiring Finnish experiences in public-private collaboration and smart mobility, demonstrating how data-driven innovation can support the transition toward sustainable urban living.
The CROSS-REIS project was represented by Prof. Mijat Jocović, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro, who participated in the institutional panel “Building Partnerships between Montenegro and the Nordics.”Alongside representatives from the Science and Technology Park Montenegro, the Montenegro Innovation Fund, and Tehnopolis, Prof. Jocović highlighted the importance of international cooperation in advancing regenerative urban transitions and the role of the CROSS-REIS project in fostering research excellence, innovation ecosystems, and collaboration across Europe.
Later sessions explored smart data, transport, and mobility solutions, featuring Finnish and regional companies such as ABB, Candela, ScanwAi, MoDrone, and Cloud Cities. Two parallel workshops encouraged participants to imagine future mobility solutions and discuss ecosystem interoperability—from cities to start-ups.
The conference concluded with remarks from Ambassadors Niklas Lindqvist (Finland) and Charlotte Sammelin (Sweden), reaffirming the Nordic commitment to sustainability partnerships in the Western Balkans.
Participation in this event further strengthened the visibility of CROSS-REIS and its mission to connect regenerative economy research with real-world innovation and cross-sector collaboration for sustainable urban futures.