Pametno selo Knežica

Smart Village Knežica — Innovation hub for organic food in northwestern BiH

Smart Village Knežica (SVK) is a research-innovation cooperative located in the village of Knežica, just 20 kilometers from the border with Croatia. It is the first Living Lab for sustainable rural development in Bosnia and Herzegovina, connecting researchers, farmers, youth, and public institutions around a common goal — smarter, healthier, and environmentally responsible development of local agri-food systems.

Within the project Green&Healthy, SVK operates as one of eight innovation hubs in BiH, with a special focus on developing the organic food ecosystem in the northwestern region.

What we do

SVK today includes several active organizational units:

Agritech Innovation Hub brings together a team of young researchers and students developing prototypes of digital solutions for agriculture — including an intelligent irrigation management system Aquaterrius, an automated trap for pest monitoring Open Pest Trap, and Passivei Solar Greenhouse which combines energy efficiency and organic production.

Experimental Vineyard in Knežica is in the process of ecological certification. Resistant grapevine varieties are being tested with minimal pesticide input, in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture in Banja Luka.

Experimental Fields on about 6 hectares serve as an open space for demonstrating regenerative and organic production, testing climate-resistant varieties, and educating interested farmers, researchers, and youth.

Multimedia Studio, established within the Green&Healthy project, is a platform for the creative promotion of organic nutrition and healthy food — through student films, educational materials, and digital campaigns.

Institutional Basis

SVK has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of RS, actively collaborates with several faculties of the University of Banja Luka, the Chamber of Commerce of RS, and a number of local municipalities. Through several EU projects (Horizon 2020, IPA, Interreg ADRION), SVK has built experience in applying digital and agrotechnical innovations in real production conditions.

Vision

Our goal is for Knežica to become a reference point for organic and regenerative production in BiH — a place where knowledge, technology, and community create models that can serve as examples for the wider regional environment.