In May 2025, at the ministerial conference in Kotor, supported by the British Council, a mandate to explore closer collaboration between Plymouth and Montenegro was established. A structured opportunity-mapping phase led to the creation of a Plymouth - Montenegro Collaboration Matrix, identifying shared priorities in sustainable tourism and youth opportunity, marine innovation and the blue economy, and cultural and creative-tech development. Since then, significant progress in Plymouth’s creative and marine sectors, including major cluster development and marine park delivery, has strengthened the basis for a focused, place-based exchange built around live initiatives.
While there is a strong alignment and goodwill, a gap remains between opportunity mapping and practical implementation. Key academic, civic, cultural and policy partners have yet to be convened to build trust and agree realistic next steps. This project responds with a focused, reciprocal exchange, a timely “curtain-raiser” within Embassy and British Council timelines, designed to bridge exploratory dialogue and structured collaboration in the context of Montenegro’s EU accession pathway.
The project will deliver a time-bound, reciprocal exchange between senior stakeholders in Plymouth and Montenegro, designed to move from dialogue to practical next steps. Through curated meetings, site visits and facilitated discussion, partners will build trusted relationships, validate shared priorities and agree one or two realistic pathways for future co-designed activity. By bridging the gap between opportunity mapping and implementation, the exchange will lay the groundwork for meaningful collaboration in 2026–27.
Participants of the Montenegro delegation to Plymouth:
- Valentina Radulović - Executive Director Science and Technology Park of Montenegro (MSc Valentina Radulović is the CEO of the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, where she leads the development of the country’s national innovation ecosystem and strengthens collaboration between academia, industry and government. With over 21 years of experience in ICT, including 17 years at Crnogorski Telekom (Deutsche Telekom), she has held senior leadership roles up to Chief Technology and Information Officer, managing large teams and delivering complex digital transformation and infrastructure programmes. She holds a degree in Mathematics and an MSc in Information Systems. In her current role, she focuses on building innovation capacity through applied programmes, international partnerships, and testbed-based collaboration supporting research commercialisation, technology transfer, startup growth, and skills development. Alongside her institutional leadership, she is also an entrepreneur and startup co-founder. Valentina is an active mentor, advocate for women in STEM, and a frequent speaker at international events.
- Prof. Dr Senka Šekularac-Ivošević - Associate Professor, Vice Dean for the International Cooperation, University of Montenegro (Dr. Senka Šekularac-Ivošević is an Associate Professor at the University of Montenegro, specializing in maritime marketing and management with over 20 years of experience. She has contributed to marketing strategy development and crew resource management, supporting modern practices in the maritime sector. Furthermore, her advocacy for human rights at sea reflects her commitment to maintaining ethical and wellbeing standards in maritime business. She serves as Vice Dean for International Cooperation and Head of the Department of Maritime Management and Logistics at the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor. Senka coordinates the IMO Model Course on Leadership and Teamwork and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Maritime Sciences (2025). Her expertise is bolstered by advanced training in seaport management in Japan (2006). An advocate for international collaboration, she has delivered lectures and workshops across Europe, the UK, the USA, Japan, and India. In 2023, she joined the Association of Women in Logistics and has been recognized as a Women Maritime Speaker (2025). As a founding member of the Montenegrin WISTA association, she is dedicated to empowering women and promoting inclusivity in the maritime sector.
- Mr Denis Vukašinović - President, Boka Navy Kotor (Denis Vukašinović was educated in the maritime field, completing secondary Marine Engineering School and graduating from the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Kotor. In 2023, he obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Plymouth in partnership with MLA and is currently a PhD student in Maritime Sciences at the Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Montenegro. He has also published several papers presented at national and international scientific conferences. His professional career spans over 26 years in the maritime sector. He sailed on dry cargo vessels and tankers, advancing from cadet to Chief Engineer, and worked in shipbuilding as a superintendent, supervising newbuild projects and vessel construction at Daewoo-Mangalia, Oshima, and Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyards. He has extensive experience in maritime management, including as Fleet Technical Manager, and has served at the Administration for Maritime Safety and Port Management of Montenegro and, currently, at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs/Harbor Master Office Kotor as an examiner for six seafarer maritime qualification exams.
- Prof. dr Špiro Ivošević - Full time Professor, Head of the Maritime Robotics Center (Špiro Ivošević graduated in Mechanisation and Transport Systems from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica in 1994, earned a Master’s degree in 2004, and completed his PhD at the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Kotor in 2012 with a thesis on structural degradation of ship hulls. He has served as Vice Dean for International Cooperation and Quality Assurance (2013–2017) and as Dean of the Faculty of Maritime Studies (2017–2023). He is Editor of the Journal of the Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor and the Kotor International Maritime Conference, a member of the editorial board of Brodogradnja (Shipbuilding), a visiting professor in Dubrovnik, and a member of the Senate of the University of Montenegro. He has published over 50 international journal papers (more than 30 indexed in Web of Science) and more than 120 conference papers, and has participated in over 30 international and national projects, including Interreg, IPA, Erasmus, Tempus, Adrion and Eureka programmes.)
- Dr Bojana Femić Radosavović - UM Academy, visiting professor University of Montenegro