Within the Work package 1, IBISS scientific excellence will be enhanced by developing a Sustainable Scientific Strategy, Joint research agenda and Networking strategy in collaboration with STRIMHealth partners and stakeholders. The endpoint is the establishment of the Metabolic Disease Research Unit (MDRU) and the Bioinformatics hub, to achieve and sustain the STRIMHealth vision of research and treatment of metabolic diseases in Serbia based on translational studies with applicable results and tools for metabolic health improvements. 

In order to achieve this, the scientific development path for the next 5 years will focus on four strategic axes: 
1) Preclinical research of metabolic diseases
2) Multi-omics approach
3) Systems biology coupled with AI approach
4) Fostering multi-disciplinary partnerships for innovative translational research

To ensure Sustainable Scientific Strategy implementation, MDRU and the Bioinformatics hub will be conceptualized as regional excellence, networking, knowledge transfer and dissemination centers. To that end, the transfer of best practices from leading EU partners during STRIMHealth represents a good starting point, which should lead to the reinforcement of human capacity and increased networking activities.

Knowledge transfer on innovative research methods will be achieved through training on translational studies, omics methods and bioinformatics by experts from partner institutions who will support the above definedned four strategic research axes.