Biography
Biography
Almir Badnjević
Business, Contributions and Affiliations
Almir Badnjević was born in 1986. in Bosanska Krupa, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He received his PhD from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing Zagreb (FER), University of Zagreb in 2015. Since 2008, he is working in two spheres, business and academia. He is one of the founders of the idea of including medical devices with the measuring function into legal metrology framework and the establishment of measurement traceability in medical measurements globally. On that idea, in 2014, he established one of the most equipped laboratories for testing and verification of medical devices in Europe, the Verlab laboratory. The main task of Verlab is to perform annual verification of safety and performances of medical devices in all healthcare institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with the ISO 17020 standard. Based on the experience gained in this field, as one of the editors he wrote a book “Inspection of medical devices – for regulatory purposes” which was published by Springer Nature. Today he is an advisor in more than 20 Ministries of Health in the field of medical devices.
In the period from 2010 to 2014, he worked in the industry of medical devices, metrology, standards and big data processing.
In his academic career, since 2015, he has been working as head of the Department of Genetics and Bioengineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, International Burch University. He established the first Master and PhD program of Bioengineering in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the International Burch University, today he holds Full Professor position in the field of Bioengineering, while at University of Sarajevo he holds Associate Professor position in the field of Healthcare Informatics. Since 2015 he has been working as an expert in practice at the University of Warwick (UK) too. He is the author or co-author of over 150 chapters of the books, books, journal articles and international conference articles. He is included in Top 2% world scientists by Elsevier and Stanford University list.
In 2021, he became a regular member of the International Academy of Sciences and Arts in Bosnia and Herzegovina (IANUBIH) and an Ordinary member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
In 2022, he is named as Editor in Chief of Technology and Health Care Journal published by IOS press and Associate Editor of Springer’s Health and Technology Journal and Springer Nature BioMedical Engineering OnLine Journal.
In 2022. Verlab company established the first research institute in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Verlab Research Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Medical Devices and Artificial Intelligence. In less than one years, this Institute established collaborations with institutions such as CERN, Fraunhofer, Helmholtz and participate in few international projects in the field of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and medical devices.
In 2023, he was appointed director of Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina (IDDEEA), an administrative organisation within the Ministry of Civil Affairs in charge of document identification, storage, personalisation, and transportation, as well as the maintenance of central registers and data exchange between competent authorities in BiH.
Besides the academic and business sectors, he gained professional experience through nongovernment organizations.
In 2014, as one of the founders and elected president, he established Bosnia and Herzegovina Medical and Biological Engineering Society, which is the country representative in IFMBE and EAMBES. In 2021. this Society established LabHub which became EU DIH (European Digital Innovation Hub). Since 2015, this Society, for the first time in the history of country began organizing the International Conference on Medical and Biological Engineering (CMBEBIH), which brings together an average of over 700 participants from about 40 countries every two years.
Since 2016. he was appointed as Board member of the IEEE Technical Committee for Cardiopulmonary Systems, while from 2020. he was appointed as Steering committee member of IEEE Standards. He has a mandate (2018 – 2024) to serve as Board Member of the Clinical Engineering Division of the International Federation of Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE) and mandate (2018 – 2022) to serve as Advisor for Regulatory Affairs and Treasurer of the European Alliance for Medical and Biological Engineering and Science (EAMBES). He served as IEEE standard coordinator for Region 8 (Europe, Middle East, Africa) in the period from 2019 – 2020. Additional he was appointed as Supervisory Board member at Privredna banka Sarajevo dd Sarajevo in the mandate 2019 – 2023. From 2021, he was appointed as IEEE EMBS Distinguished lecturer. He holds senior status at the IEEE organization.
In 2016. his CV was recognized and included in the Marquis Who’s Who in the World. In 2018. his team was awarded with IFMBE the best paper award in the field of clinical engineering, while in 2021 Verlab received IFMBE team award at the global level in the field of clinical engineering. In 2018 he was named “Person of the Year in Bosnia and Herzegovina” by SNL magazine, in 2020 he was named as “IN men of 2020” by Ladies In magazine, while he was named “CD person of 2020” by national Face TV. He is married and he is father of two children.
Author or co-author of over 100 chapters of the books, books, journal articles and international conference articles.
Director of IDDEEA
Agency for Identification Documents, Registers, and Data Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Agency for Identification Documents, Registers, and Data Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina is an administrative organisation within the Ministry of Civil Affairs in charge of document identification, storage, personalisation, and transportation, as well as the maintenance of central registers and data exchange between competent authorities in BiH. It was established in 2008 with the adoption of the Law on the Agency for Identification Documents, Registers, and Data Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Since the beginning, IDDEEA has made significant advancements, especially by launching the issue of electronic ID cards in 2013 and the personalisation (printing) of third-generation biometric passports in 2014, while adhering to its core values of integrity, transparency, and efficiency. In light of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession, the Agency is currently focusing on digital transformation and attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), striving to further enhance its operations and services in compliance with legal requirements, international standards, and the needs of citizens. To accomplish this, the Agency launched the “Digital representation” application, which gives Bosnian and Herzegovinian citizens access to e-signatures, e-services, and personal data.
The principal objective of the Agency is to guarantee the secure and seamless issuing of identification documents and maintenance of vital data records from the central registers, both of which are essential to the administrative and legal framework of institutions at all levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, the Agency aims to promote interoperability and integration among diverse state institutions, encouraging cooperation and improving the efficiency of administrative processes. IDDEEA acknowledges the potential of the digital revolution to increase service trustworthiness, accessibility, and process efficiency. In this regard, the IDDEEA focuses on adjusting to the digital revolution, guaranteeing privacy and data protection in compliance with applicable laws, as well as EU and BiH regulations, and meeting the rising demands of citizens for effective, user-centered service delivery.
Furthermore, alignment with EU standards additionally contributes to the country’s broader objectives towards EU integration and creates avenues for international cooperation. As Bosnia and Herzegovina moves closer to joining the European Union, the Agency for Identification Documents, Registers, and Data Exchange of BiH plays a significant role in ensuring compliance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and EU integration priorities. Some of these priorities include elections aligned with European standards, coordination of EU questions, and enhancement of the institutional framework. At the same time, IDDEEA focuses on SDGs, particularly those related to innovation, infrastructure, and reducing inequalities (SDGs 9, 10, and 17), to create sustainable and inclusive digital society in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These joint efforts not only enhance the operational efficiency of the Agency and the quality of services but are also crucial in aligning the institutional framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the strict requirements and values of the European Union.