Welcome
Who we are
Deep Tech Balkans is a non-profit association founded in 2022 in Novi Sad, Serbia, working across the Balkans and Eastern Europe. We are sharpening our focus on the human side of the technological transition — on how people learn, stay well, and remain employable as artificial intelligence, immersive media and automation reshape education and the world of work. We translate frontier technology into practical, inclusive solutions for learners, educators, workers, founders and the organisations that support them. Building on our origins supporting startups and R&D performers across the region, we also help deep tech founders turn frontier research into sustainable, responsible ventures. We are a focused team of 12+ experts in our joint field.
Our mission
To put human potential at the centre of the deep tech transition — by making immersive, personalised learning accessible to everyone; by safeguarding cognitive capacity, creativity and wellbeing in increasingly automated environments; by equipping skills-ecosystem actors with the foresight they need to prepare people for the jobs of tomorrow; and by helping founders and R&D performers turn frontier technology into sustainable, responsible ventures.
Our vision
A Balkans and Eastern European region where every learner, worker and citizen — regardless of age, ability or neurocognitive profile — can thrive alongside intelligent technology rather than be displaced by it. A region that adopts deep tech not only to be more productive, but to remain more human: curious, creative, critical and well — and that creates as well as adopts, where its own founders build globally competitive, responsible deep tech ventures from regional talent.
Prof Petar Vrgovic, President, DeepTechBalkans
01 / IMMERSIVE & PERSONALISED LEARNING
We bring gaming technology and AR/XR into formal and non-formal education to make learning learner-centric, engaging and tailored to the individual. We help schools, universities, training providers and community organisations design experiences that adapt to each learner’s pace, level and interests.
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Game-based and gamified learning design for classrooms, workplaces and lifelong learning.
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Augmented, virtual and extended reality (AR/VR/XR) experiences for skills practice, simulation and exploration.
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Personalised, adaptive learning pathways built around the individual learner rather than a single curriculum.
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Capacity building for educators and trainers on designing and delivering immersive, learner-centred content.
02 / COGNITIVE WELLBEING IN THE AGE OF AI
03 / DEEPTECH LABOUR MARKET FORESIGHT
04 / DEEPTECH STARTUP & VENTURE SUPPORT
As AI and automation take on more of our thinking, we help people stay sharp, creative and well. We design programmes that protect human cognitive capacity, critical thinking and emotional wellbeing in high-tech learning and working environments — for diverse age groups, from youth to older adults, and with particular attention to neurodivergent people and people with disabilities.
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Training and resources to strengthen focus, memory, critical thinking and creativity alongside everyday AI use.
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Emotional wellbeing and digital-balance programmes for learners and employees in automation-heavy settings.
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Inclusive, accessible approaches designed for neurodivergent people and people with disabilities.
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Intergenerational programmes spanning youth and older adults, helping each group stay engaged and confident with technology.
We help the skills ecosystem see what’s coming. Through technology foresight and labour-market intelligence, we support training providers, employers and policy actors in anticipating emerging technological trends and the skill shifts they trigger — so workforces can be upskilled before disruption, not after.
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Foresight on emerging deep tech trends and their impact on occupations and required skills.
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Intelligence and tools for skills-ecosystem providers (training centres, agencies, clusters) to keep offerings current.
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Practical upskilling and reskilling roadmaps that employers can use to prepare their employees.
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Briefings and advisory support to connect regional talent with fast-moving technological demand.
We help deep tech founders and R&D performers turn frontier technology into sustainable, responsible and investable business models — free of charge. Building on our roots as a startup- and R&D-support initiative, we curate international deep tech solutions for regional needs and connect founders to the learning, infrastructure and community they need to grow.
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Free training and certification on deep tech business-model development, curated from EIT and other publicly-funded, open-access learning hubs.
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Facilitated access to university and R&D parks, laboratories and big-data and AI test-beds across the Balkans and beyond for trialling and piloting deep tech solutions.
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A growing deep tech community — startups, trained learners, technology providers, labs, large industry and public actors — for networking, partnerships and growth.
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Hands-on guidance towards sustainable, responsible and investment-ready ventures, from idea validation to market and funding readiness.
OUR OFFER
ABOUT US
OUR STORY
Deep Tech Balkans is a non-profit association founded in 2022 in Novi Sad, Serbia, working across the Balkans and Eastern Europe. We are sharpening our focus on the human side of the technological transition — on how people learn, stay well, and remain employable as artificial intelligence, immersive media and automation reshape education and the world of work. We translate frontier technology into practical, inclusive solutions for learners, educators, workers, founders and the organisations that support them. Building on our origins supporting startups and R&D performers across the region, we also help deep tech founders turn frontier research into sustainable, responsible ventures.
HOW WE WORK
We remain a not-for-profit, partnership-driven organisation. We work through European cooperation projects and a network of universities, R&D centres, startups, employers and community organisations across the region — keeping our core services free of charge, open and accessible to the stakeholders who need them most.
HOW WE STRENGTHEN CONSORTIA
Our four pillars translate directly into the components that Erasmus+, EIT and Horizon Europe consortia most often need a dedicated partner to deliver — immersive education, human-centred and inclusive technology, forward-looking skills intelligence, and deep tech entrepreneurship and exploitation. As a Western Balkans organisation with an active deep tech community of startups, labs and R&D platforms, we improve consortium geographic balance, strengthen exploitation and routes to market, and reach into widening countries
PARTNERS
USE CASES & TESTIMONIALS
EIT Manufacturing East
Service provided: AI-driven manufacturing foresight analysis in Serbia and labour market analysis for developing centres of vocational excellence.
Customer: EIT Manufacturing East GMBH (Serbia Office)
WELDNET Project
Service provided: AI/AR Skills ecosystem design; Industrial education augmentation system design; Learner wellbeing training and institutional change.
Customer: WELDNET Project (Erasmus+ COVE ID 101193814)
BLUEVISION Project
Service provided: AI/AR/XR framework development for the maritime tech education package; trainer & learner wellbeing training during AI/AR/XR exposure in education.
Customer: BLUEVISION Project (Erasmus+ ID 101244912)
