Dr Saša Lazović is a Research Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade, with more than ten years of experience in managing research and innovation institutions. He is the founder of the Innovation Center of the Institute of Physics Belgrade and the Laboratory for Biomimetics.
From 2018 to 2022, he served as Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, where he was directly responsible for the preparation and adoption of key laws and strategic documents, including the Law on Innovation Activity, the Startup Ecosystem Development Strategy, as well as the establishment of new institutions such as the Science Fund and the Institute for Artificial Intelligence. During this period, the institutional capacity of the technological development sector was significantly expanded.
He holds a PhD in physics from the University of Belgrade and completed further training in Slovenia, Greece, and South Korea. He has also undergone specialized programs in technology transfer and intellectual property, including those organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Center for International Intellectual Property Studies in Strasbourg.
He is the author of more than 30 scientific papers, with over 1,200 citations and an h-index of 20, and holds one commercialized patent. He has served as a member of the Advisory Panel and an outstanding reviewer for the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, and has been involved in national activities within international organizations such as CERN and UNESCO. He is an evaluator of international projects and Vice-Chair of the Physics Panel within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the European Research Executive Agency.
He is the co-author of the publication Science and Innovation in Serbia (2024), which provides recommendations for strengthening the national research and innovation ecosystem.
He has served as Director of the Innovation Fund since July 2025.