For the Japanese Business Alliance in Serbia (JBAS), 2019 was all about our members – activities in 2019 were shaped under the slogan “member to member”. The focus was on members getting to know each other better, in order to explore potential cooperation opportunities and create synergies among them. This led to the further growth and strengthening of our business association
29TH JANUARY 2019
JBAS member NST Law office, in cooperation with JBAS and CANSEE, organised a Data Protection Seminar.
The goal of the seminar was to raise awareness about this important topic, as well as to provide more information about what is brought by the new Serbian Law on Personal Data Protection.
20TH FEBRUARY 2019
At the V JBAS regular General Assembly session, held at the Belgrade premises of JBAS founding member JTI, seven new members of the JBAS Board of Directors (BoD) were elected: Dirk Bantel (Panasonic), Igor Brankov (Mazda), Goran Pekez (JTI) and Naoki Tsukada (Mitsubishi Corporation) were all re-elected, while Ljubica Hadžistević (NES Communications), Robert Lukić (Toyota) and Suzana Radović (Fujitsu) were elected as new members of the JBAS BoD.
28TH FEBRUARY 2019
JBAS participated in the Japan-EU trade relations conference that was held in Belgrade, at which JBAS President Goran Pekez provided expectations and thoughts on what Serbia can expect from the EU – Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force as of 1st February 2019.
11TH MARCH 2019
The newly elected members of the JBAS BoD unanimously proposed and re-elected Goran Pekez, JTI Corporate Affairs and Communications Director in charge of the Adriatic region, as the president of the Japanese Business Alliance in Serbia.
2ND APRIL 2019
In cooperation with Foundation Ana and Vlade Divac and the National Employment Service (NES), JBAS supported the organisation of a presentation about the Active Employment Measures Programme for Employers. Member companies had an opportunity to learn more about available programmes that provide various benefits and support to potential employers, but also to receive information about the current situation on Serbia’s labour market.
3RD APRIL 2019
JBAS BoD member and President of the JBAS Hi-tech group, Suzana Radovic (Fujitsu), represented JBAS at Serbian Digital Week, organised within the scope of the 2nd Western Balkan Digital Summit, by participating in the panel “Global Business in the Digital Era” and sharing views on challenges and opportunities in the digital era.
8TH APRIL 2019
Representatives of JBAS members, together with H.E. Junichi Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan, visited JBAS member Yazaki Srbija in the City of Šabac. Our hosts on this occasion were Munenori Yamada, Chairman of Yazaki Europe Limited, and Ahmed Bedewy, General Manager of Yazaki Srbija. During the visit, members had an opportunity to learn more about Yazaki, the company’s culture – with a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility – and its activities in Serbia, as the first Japanese greenfield investment in the country, but also to find out more about the company’s plans and further initiatives.
23RD APRIL 2019
JBAS members, together with H.E. Ambassador Maruyama, visited the City of Novi Sad and JBAS member company Ninamedia. During the visit, a meeting was organised with Novi Sad Mayor Miloš Vučević and his team, with the aim of presenting our business association and learning more about the current initiatives and plans of the City, as well as discussing potential closer cooperation, followed by a visit to JBAS member Ninamedia at the NIMMA HUB.
15TH MAY 2019
JBAS participated in a seminar dedicated to the presentation of the Western Balkan region in Dusseldorf, Germany, which was co-organised by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) – Dusseldorf and Vienna offices, and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Dusseldorf. The aim of the seminar was to present the business environment and opportunities in Western Balkan countries to Japanese business circles in Germany. JBAS, as the only Japanese business association in the Western Balkan region, was represented by JBAS Executive Director Danijela Čabarkapa, who provided detailed information about our association and activities, as well as the Japanese business community in Serbia.
23RD MAY 2019
JBAS participated for the second time in the organisation of an international International networking cocktail that was this time co-organised by thirteen bilateral business associations in Serbia. The reception brought together more than 300 participants, including members of the associations and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
24TH – 26TH MAY 2019
JBAS, together with its member companies Division Visual Solutions – DVS, Epson, NES Communications and Raiffeisen Bank, participated in the 10th Mikser Festival in Belgrade, where we had the chance to promote Japanese solutions for supporting sustainable development, which was the main topic of the festival.
4TH JUNE 2019
A seminar on incentives for investments and new employment was held in Novi Sad, organised by Vojvodina and Serbian Development Agencies, JBAS, the Commercial section of the Austrian Embassy, the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the Slovenian Business Club. The seminar provided more detailed information about incentives available at the regional and national level, rules related to the usage of available incentives, experiences of companies that have already utilised these incentives, as well as the current business environment.
7TH JUNE 2019
JBAS member Toyota Serbia organised the Toyota off-road experience for members of the JBAS Board of Directors and representatives of the Embassy of Japan in Serbia, showcasing the possibilities that Toyota’s vehicles provide in an off-road environment in the Fruška Gora National Park. The event was followed by a regular exchange of information about our work and plans with H.E. Ambassador Maruyama and representatives of the Embassy of Japan, as well as the defining of future activities aimed at further enhancing cooperation between Serbia and Japan.
22ND AUGUST 2019
A lecture and workshop about Japanese graphic art, Ukiyo-e (images of the floating world), created using a woodblock printing technique, organised by the Embassy of Japan with the support of JBAS member Epson and JBAS, took place at the Embassy of Japan in Belgrade. The technique was demonstrated by Ukiyo-e artisans, who travelled to Belgrade from Japan for this occasion.
12TH SEPTEMBER 2019
In order to mark the upcoming autumn working season, JBAS organised a sushi workshop for JBAS members and friends at JBAS member Go Sushi’s new restaurant in Belgrade.
23RD AND 24TH SEPTEMBER 2019
JBAS member Kaizen Institute Serbia and JBAS co-organised the third consecutive KAIZEN™ Congress. The first day of the congress gathered more than 200 participants, who had an opportunity to hear and learn more about experiences related to the implementation of kaizen in Serbia. JBAS President Goran Pekez and JBAS Executive Director Danijela Čabarkapa moderated two panel debates during the first day of the congress, with the participation of JBAS member companies Epson, Mitsubishi Corporation, NTT Data, Panasonic, Takeda and Toyota. The second day of the congress saw the organising of Gemba Walks, among others at the factory of JBAS member Panasonic in Svilajnac, where participants had an opportunity to receive first-hand information and learn more about the implementation of kaizen.
9TH AND 10TH OCTOBER 2019 JBAS
members took part in the conference “Innovation – My revolution”, organised with the goal of motivating young people to be more proactive. JBAS members Mazda, NTT Data and Toyota presented the technological innovations of their companies in the automotive industry at the Rectorate of the University of Novi Sad, while Division Visual Solutions – DVS, Gecić Law and Kaizen Institute Serbia presented KAIZEN™ and how it can increase the efficiency of business activities at the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade.
17TH OCTOBER 2019
JBAS member Olaf&McAteer, supported by JBAS, held a seminar with the topic ‘Public Relations – Do we need it, and why we do?’ for its fellow JBAS members. The importance of PR was presented through relevant case studies showcasing the role of PR in the fields of crisis management, public affairs, employer branding, event management, social media channels and many more.
30TH OCTOBER 2019
JBAS co-organised a Speed Business Meeting event together with the American Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian- Serbian Business Association, the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the Slovenian Business Club, bringing together more than fifty members and partners from five international business associations in Serbia in one place, with the goal of exploring potential cooperation opportunities.
19TH NOVEMBER 2019
JBAS members Crowe RS and Gecić Law, in cooperation with JBAS, organised a seminar for JBAS members on the topic ‘Novelties in the labour regulations – legal and tax aspects’. The seminar provided participants with more detailed information about what proposed amendments to the Law on Personal Income Tax, as well as the Draft Law on Agency Employment, will bring and how the proposed changes can influence their business.
29TH NOVEMBER 2019
JBAS and the Embassy of Japan jointly organised a business lunch with Innovations and Technological Development Minister Nenad Popović. Minister Popović used the opportunity to inform participants in greater detail about the activities, goals and upcoming plans of the Ministry, as well as about the innovation environment in Serbia. The JBAS Hi-tech group was represented by president of the group Ivan Popović (NTT Data) and JBAS BoD member Ljubica Hadžistević (NES Communications). In this way, it was once again demonstrated how JBAS can support the further improvement of innovative climate in Serbia by transferring Japanese business community knowhow and experience from both Japan and other countries where the solutions of our Hi-tech group members are being successfully implemented.
12TH DECEMBER 2019
JBAS members gathered for our end of year reception at the premises of the latest JBAS member, Hilton Belgrade. The cocktail reception provided a great opportunity for the Japanese business community in Serbia to gather, but also to summarise achievements in 2019 and share enthusiasm and expectations for the coming year.