H.E. Niklas Lindqvist, ambassador of Finland to Serbia

Economic growth must be environmentally friendly, with green transition providing a chance to attract investment, create jobs and boost local businesses – and this is already recognised by many in Serbia ~ H.E. Niklas Lindqvist

Technological advances and increased productivity are critical topics across Europe, particularly among the Nordic countries, which are pioneers in these areas. Finnish ambassador H.E. Niklas Lindqvist believes that demand for sustainable products and solutions will experience strong growth in the coming years and that the Serbian manufacturing industry can benefit from this by improving its efficiency, implementing environmental standards, emphasising sustainability etc. “This will help them stay competitive at the European and global levels,” explains Lindqvist.

“In Finland, digitalisation is a dominant feature of sustainable manufacturing and we constantly rank among the most digitally advanced countries in the EU,” notes the ambassador. “New technologies, including automation, robotics, electric vehicles, renewable energy, biotechnologies and artificial intelligence, have immense potential to foster growth, prosperity and environmental sustainability.”

He believes that companies in Serbia have already realised the urgent need to adapt to new EU standards in order to remain competitive on the EU market. “These standards include carbon- pricing policies, sustainable and responsible corporate conduct, human rights, prevention of environmental violations etc. It is important to note that adherence to these standards applies to companies both inside and outside the EU,” says Lindqvist.

How do you support Serbia’s transition to a market economy through bilateral relations and within the Nordic alliance?

— I always mention that it is essential to create economic growth in an environmentally friendly fashion and that the green transition should be seen as an opportunity to attract new investments, create jobs and strengthen the local market and businesses. It is encouraging to see that many local companies have realised this in Serbia.

The Nordic embassies have implemented numerous joint projects in Serbia promoting such topics as innovation, public procurement, digitalisation, corporate social responsibility, circular economy and green transition. Throughout 2025, the Embassy of Finland, together with the other Nordic embassies in Belgrade and the Nordic Business Alliance, will organise a series of events around the theme of Smart Cities. We will share Nordic knowhow and build partnerships with Serbian institutions and companies. We also want to raise awareness among local decision-makers and businesses about the need to work together to achieve a healthier environment for all citizens while developing a sustainable economy.

Education and innovation are the cornerstones of the remarkable achievements of Finnish society. From your perspective, what are the most important skills for the 21st century; and how can we incorporate them into our education system?

— Finland has one of the highest-ranking education systems in the world and it is truly one of the cornerstones of Finnish society. We particularly pride ourselves on an education system that offers equal educational opportunities for all. The Finnish education system is built on the belief that a nation can only fulfil its human and economic potential if every citizen has the opportunity to achieve their own personal potential. By prioritising equity, play-based learning, teacher professionalism and student wellbeing, Finland has created an educational framework that fosters happiness, resilience and success among its citizens.

Serbia must achieve significantly higher economic growth than the EU average if it is to catch up in the long run. Despite being challenging, this is essential to keep pace with the more advanced EU economies

Our strengths lie in excellent, relatively equal learning outcomes, a high education level, a healthy work-life balance, and the flexibility of the education system that makes it possible to adapt swiftly to new technologies. In the Finnish education system, digital and artificial intelligence skills, media literacy and multi literacy, environmental education, respect for other people and interaction skills are as important as more traditional subjects, such as mathematics, arts and crafts.

It is important to understand that our education system didn’t develop overnight. It has taken decades and many reforms to get to where we are now. We have developed education in a systematic way and in broad cooperation with all stakeholders, while there is strong collaboration between Finnish universities, research institutes, industries, the government and other stakeholders.

We are seeing a growing number of start-ups in Serbia, with a significant portion focusing on agri-tech and other green solutions. Do you see potential for collaboration with their Finnish counterparts and Finnish companies generally?

— Finnish companies and institutions see the global transition towards a circular and carbon- neutral economy as an opportunity to solve global challenges. It is almost a requirement for all Finnish start-up solutions to include a green component. Our companies are increasingly developing green solutions in cooperation with their counterparts from other markets. This means that there is definitely potential for increased cooperation between start-ups from Serbia and Finland. We see this potential in every sector, but particularly in the green transition.

It is important to promote cooperation among start-ups and institutions involved in innovation ecosystems. In cooperation with the EBRD and other local institutions, the Finnish Embassy is sending representatives of Serbian start-ups, as well as other startups from the region, to the Slush conference in Helsinki, which takes place from 20th to 21st November. The Slush conference is one of the largest events that brings together Europe’s start-up and innovation community. At Slush, Serbian start-ups will have an opportunity to present themselves to a large number of investors and media, and to connect with relevant counterparts.

We last year also had a delegation from Serbia visiting the World Circular Economy Forum in Helsinki. This delegation also included Serbian start-ups that focus on innovative solutions and circular economy principles.