Serbia and the Development Bank of the Council of Europe (CEB) signed a framework agreement on a loan of 200 million euros for the construction of the BIO4 campus, as can be seen from the Law on Confirmation of the Agreement, which was adopted by the Government and sent to the Assembly for ratification. The BIO4 campus will be located in Kumodraz, across the street from the “Torlak” Institute and near the Faculty of Pharmacy.
The planned works on the construction of the campus include the construction of seven buildings and the provision of specialized scientific equipment.
The loan should cover half of the costs for the construction of the BIO4 campus, as the estimated total costs of the project amount to 398.3 million euros.
In fact, as explained in the explanation of the law, the total estimated costs amount to 413.5 million euros, of which 398.3 million euros are eligible costs, since the “Vivarium” component of 15.2 million euros is not eligible for financing by the CEB in this phase.
The loan agreement was signed on September 15th in Paris and on September 22nd in Belgrade.
The amount will be paid in at least two tranches, with the amount of the first tranche not exceeding 25 percent of the loan amount.
The interest rate will be determined for each tranche separately. The term of the loan is up to 20 years, including up to a five-year grace period. Access fee and fee for undrawn loan funds are not paid.
The total construction area of the campus will be 15.5 hectares, of which 34,400 square meters of underground garage and 7,200 square meters of above-ground parking and roads. The area related to landscaping, including green buildings and roofs, will amount to about 31,800 square meters.
The works include the construction and equipping of the BIO4 campus, as a comprehensive research and development complex dedicated to biosciences. As stated in the explanation, BIO4 stands for biomedicine, bioinformatics, biotechnology and biodiversity.
The BIO4 campus project consists of eight components:
- Faculty of Biology (22,800 square meters, 24.3 meters high)
- Faculty of Pharmacy (35,700 square meters, 32 meters high)
- Institute complex – first unit (29,800 square meters, 22.3 meters and 30.3 meters high)
- Institute complex – second unit (19,500 square meters, 30.3 meters high)
- Vivarium (5,500 square meters, 10.3 height)
- Science and Technology Park and Idea Center (25,800 square meters, 24.3 meters and 30.3 meters high)
- Central meeting place for BIO4 campus users – “Minglarium” (20,900 square meters, 35.5 and 43.5 meters high)
- Specialized equipment
The construction of the BIO4 campus should achieve several goals. One of the goals is to achieve affordable health care, thanks to the application of innovative technologies and procedures in diagnosis and treatment. It is also estimated that there will be a long-term development of healthcare in Serbia because modern diagnostic tests will be performed locally.
It is also stated that the BIO4 campus will open up opportunities for more high-quality and specialized professional jobs in the country.
The BIO4 campus will host a number of institutes of the University of Belgrade, which should enable internships and specializations for students, graduates and young experts. The immediate proximity of the companies and the use of common rooms and equipment should also contribute to this.
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