Innovations move the society towards progress, ease people’s lives and help in overcoming obstacles and challenges. Being aware of the enormous significance of the new technological discoveries, President Gjorge Ivanov met few of the members of the Union of Innovators and Authors of Technological Advancements of Macedonia (SPATUM), who have presented their achievements and results. The main goal of the Union is to promote innovators’ activities, creative work and technological culture in companies, educational institutions, organizations and to the citizens of Republic of Macedonia.

President Ivanov acknowledged the restless initiative of Macedonia’s innovators, accentuating their convincing contribution for reviving and accelerating country’s economy. He expressed his full support for their innovations and congratulated them for all of the successes achieved so far. 

“Macedonian innovators are among the most prominent ambassadors of our country in the world, and the awards and acknowledgements received on international level undoubtedly support this claim. Their work shows that the idea and the creativity are the greatest capital of one society and a major drive of development. Therefore they need the support of us all,” said President Ivanov.

Every year SPATUM organizes the traditional International Exhibition of Innovations, Technological Improvements, New Products and Work of the Youth – MAKINOVA. This event enables citizens to be introduced with the new technological discoveries, but also to present their problems for which Macedonian innovators promise that an adequate solution will be found.

“The Union has taken over the task to contribute to the economical and the technological development of our country. We have the support of the President and the Government to continue our work. If the innovator is satisfied and succeeds to generate income, that would have positive effects on all of us,” said Kolja Asenov, Secretary of SPATUM.

Since the establishment of the Union in 1957 onwards, there are 11,300 registered innovations. In 1996 SPATUM becomes regular member of the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations – IFIA with headquarters in Geneva, and since 2002 is a regular member of the Federation’s Executive Committee. In its analysis on the activities of the member countries conducted in 2003, out of 108 associations IFIA ranked SPATUM on the 13th place for innovation applicable in the economy.

According to the State Office for Industrial Property’s data, there are 50 innovators in Republic of Macedonia who actively submit their patents and who have received acknowledgements for their innovations within and out of Republic of Macedonia.