In order to strengthen cooperation between academia and the energy sector, the Montenegrin Transmission System Operator (CGES) has donated €10,000 for the development of the Laboratory of Energy Converters at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Montenegro.
The official signing of the donation agreement took place on 7 July 2025 in Podgorica. The agreement was signed by the President of the CGES Board of Directors, Aleksandar Mijušković and the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Professor Budimir Lutovac, in the presence of Ivan Asanović, Executive Director of CGES, the Rector of the University of Montenegro, Professor Vladimir Božović, and Professor Martin Čalasan, founder of the aforementioned laboratory.
The donated funds will be used to modernise the laboratory space, procure state-of-the-art equipment, and enhance teaching and research activities in the field of power converters, particularly those relating to the integration of renewable energy sources and smart energy systems. This laboratory plays an important role in educating the next generation of engineers, who will face the challenges of the energy transition and the development of sustainable infrastructure.
The Chairman of the CGES Board of Directors, Aleksandar Mijušković, emphasised that this donation further strengthens the long-standing and successful cooperation with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, stressing that the donation represents an investment in knowledge, innovation, and future experts in the energy sector. He added that CGES, as a leader in the sector, is proud of the contribution it makes to education through placements, expert visits and joint projects with the ETF, and stressed that this is precisely the kind of cooperation that exemplifies the symbiosis between the energy sector and academia. "Investing in education, for us, means investing in a secure, sustainable and modern energy future. Our goal is to jointly build the workforce that will transform the energy sector of the region," concluded Mijušković.
The Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Professor Budimir Lutovac, expressed his deep gratitude to CGES for its consistent and long-standing support for the faculty, emphasising that the donation is of strategic importance and represents further proof of CGES's commitment to the development of knowledge and scientific research capacities in Montenegro. He emphasised that thanks to this support, students and academic staff will have the opportunity to work in modern laboratory conditions, using the technologies that are at the heart of today's energy systems. "We believe that cooperation between academia and industry must be the cornerstone of the development of a modern society, and examples like this show that Montenegro is moving in the right direction," said Dean Lutovac.
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering will continue to build laboratory capacity and strengthen ties with industry, creating an environment where knowledge is applied in practice, and students acquire the competencies needed for the energy sector of the future.
