Laboratory equipment of 4.5 million dinars was delivered to the Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr Josif Pančić” on Wednesday, November 13th. The project ‘’POLARIST’’ is implemented by RDA Zlatiobor, NVO Multimedia and Institute “Dr Josif Pančić”
The apparatus for extracting active substances from medicinal herbs and a set of laboratory equipment was purchased, which is necessary for a six-member team of scientific workers of the Institute for fieldwork and research in the rural, hilly and mountainous areas of the border municipalities of Prijepolje and Bijelo Polje.
On that occasion, the Institute organized a ceremony commissioning the equipment, which was attended by representatives of partner organizations and representatives of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for European Integration of the Republic of Serbia.
Dr Nebojsa Menkovic, Director of the Sector for Science at the Institute, emphasized the importance of this equipment for scientific work and research of medicinal plants, which represents a huge potential of Serbia and Montenegro. In a wider context, modern laboratory equipment will have put in for the finalization of the product through multiple levels of medicinal herbs processing. This will give various opportunities in the field of sustainable use of natural resources for the citizens of Prijepolje and Bijelo Polje who are collecting herbs.
Slavko Lukic, Director of the Regional Development Agency Zlatibor, pointed out that this border area with excellent natural features and potentials for active tourism should be used to put the medicinal plants in the function of tourism development through creating paths of health and other facilities that attract nature lovers, but also the entrepreneurship and economic development of the region.
