[01] Institute
The Montenegrin Institute for Advanced Innovation (MIAI) is an independent, non-profit, philanthropic institute based in Podgorica, Montenegro, operating worldwide.
Building systems together with the communities and institutions, educating people who will operate them and generating evidence-based durable standards.
Mission
Our mission is to serve as a reliable development and implementation partner for projects of public and societal interest, connecting biotechnology, cryptography, and artificial intelligence with relevant initiatives.
Through technology transfer and education, we build the capacity to apply these technologies responsibly and at scale, then translate practical experience into policy, guidelines, and durable institutional frameworks.
Vision
Our vision is to be recognized as a center for advanced and responsible innovation, where technology is systematically applied in the interest of sustainable development and public well-being, where cooperation among the country, academia, and civil society builds a strong innovation ecosystem.
[01.1] Focus
Tech that takes root
I
Technology
Transfer
Working systems are provided with the knowledge to use them. MIAI transfers tech and know-how to local teams, institutions, engineers and universities - building the capability to maintain and develop them in Montenegro and beyond.
II
Educational
Enrichment
Every program is also a learning program. MIAI equips institutions, professionals and citizens with the knowledge to understand new technology, use it responsibly and act on the evidence it produces.
III
Community
Capacity
Innovations only take root when the people and institutions around them can carry them forward. By combining technology transfer and education, MIAI helps build that local capacity — so new systems can be adopted, maintained and developed.
[02] Events
UNGA event
On 24 September 2026, MIAI and Air Club co-organised a UN High-Level Side Event, "Healthy Indoor Air in Schools: Every Breath Shapes Learning," on the margins of the 81st UN General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York.
It followed the inaugural 2025 side event, co-sponsored by Montenegro and France, which drew more than 300 attendees and 22 speakers and launched the Global Pledge for Healthy Indoor Air - now signed by 274 countries and institutions from over 40 countries.
This year's edition turned to schools, bringing together government and education leaders, academics and experts to share policy, research and real-world examples of healthier learning environments for children. Montenegro returned as lead co-sponsor, with Vojislav Šimun, Minister of Health as a keynote speaker, and the event showcased aira, Montenegro's own national indoor air quality program, alongside a ceremonial signing marking new additions to the Global Pledge.
01 / 03
[03] Domains
Pillars that reinforce the public well-being
Responsible path to public good
Each pillar has its own objectives, programmes and partnerships, while all follow the same pathway: responsible technology development, education and real-world implementation, translated into evidence-based policies. What is proven in one domain strengthens the others, creating a connected innovation ecosystem.
Biotechnology
Cryptography & Innovative Solutions
AI & IoT Infrastructure
[04] One operating model
Six stages, applied
across all domains
Cycle of Unity
- Community Engagement
- Technology Development
- Education & Capacity
- Measurement & Evidence
- Sustainable Scaling
- Policy Integration
[05.1] The model in practice
Aira is our flagship program, a national endeavor with a 2026–2032 horizon, built on a school and household measurement network.
Launched in Pljevlja, one of the most polluted municipalities in Europe, with pilot schools operating and open-source monitoring technology transferring from AirGradient to local teams. An international network of scientific, policy and institutional partners is engaged, from WHO and UNDP to the Ethereum Foundation.
I
II
III
Pilot
Comparative monitoring in pilot schools: in Pljevlja, Tivat, and Žabljak
Phase I
Monitors functioning in every classroom in Pljevlja's schools
Phase II
Air cleaners installed where data shows the necessity
Phase III
Every school in Montenegro covered
[06] Results
Expectations and results
The expectation is a durable structure built in order, carried by the communities that use it and, in time, a regional role: a partner and resource centre for the Western Balkans.
Working systems serving citizens and institutions — monitoring networks, verifiable registries, data platforms delivered in the form each project requires.
[07] Team
Marina Mijušković
Executive Director of MIAI
Ivona Mićović
Head of Legal
Matija Đurović
Technical Coordinator
Anika Brnović
Education Coordinator
Blake Margason
Institutional Coordinator
Vitalik Buterin
Miloš Tomić
Marina Mijušković
- UNDP
- Brown University
- AirGradient
- University of Montenegro
- University of Donja Gorica
- Ethereum Foundation
- University of Colorado
- Queensland University of Technology
- AirClub
