Sitemap

Comment

Serbia’s Digital Transformation Paying Dividends

Over the recent past, eGovernment services have contributed significantly to both the development of digitalisation among companies and the development of digital literacy among citizens. It is thus no wonder that the Government of Serbia is constantly raising the bar when it comes to going digital

Consider these headlines popping up with a simple Google search: “Serbia one of 10 world countries to make the greatest progress in public administration digitalisation”, “Serbia at your fingertips – digital transformation for development”, “Corporate legislation in Serbia marching toward digitalisation”, “The future of government: Serbia’s growing bet on digital transformation pays off”, “Digitalisation developments in Serbia” or “IFC Supports Digitalisation Drive to Reduce Burden for Businesses in Serbia”. Each of them – found on the websites of the government of Serbia, the World Bank, IFC, UNDP and specialised law firms – testifies in its own way to the success Serbia has achieved over just the previous few years.

Indeed, some of these efforts only accelerated during the pandemic, but what’s important is that the pace was sustained during both 2021 and 2022. Back in 2021, Forbes published an interview with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, focusing on the digital transformation of the country and her vision for Serbia’s creative and digital future. The opening sentence reads: “We can learn a lot from small countries where big things happen”. In the article, the author mentions Ireland, New Zealand, Estonia, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and Serbia as impressive examples of digital transformation.

The previous period saw a large number of new start-ups “spawned” on the basis of digital solutions… And this trend has today been embraced across the Serbian economy

And really, from her first inaugural speech until today, PM Brnabić has succeeded in making changes that have managed to ensure that, today, “everyone is talking about digitalisation”. Following these changes, several global corporations have begun investing in the tech sector in Serbia. It is quite a difference compared to the Serbia being promoted by the same government just a few years ago as a place with the main advantage of an affordable workforce.

The IT sector continues to raise the bar each year, turning Serbia from a country where exports of raw foodstuffs topped the list of exported goods for years into a country that uses its IT sector to become a knowledge- based economy.

Serbia is undeniably striving to build a digitally-enabled society with a more diverse, value-added economic base. Even agriculture, which for years proved resistant to change and remained a traditional industry, is gradually becoming more digitised.

The previous period saw a large number of new start-ups “spawned” on the basis of digital solutions. This trend has recently been embraced by more traditional companies that have become aware that they will either transform digitally or cease to exist. The digital transformation process is an almost endless one – and this is understood well by the Government of Serbia. This fourth aim publication dedicated to digital transformation itself testifies to the great scope and depth of that change.

CorD Recommends

More...

Comment

New Approaches Reinforce Economic Growth

Announced easing inflation and faster economic growth hints at the possible accelerating of economic activity. This in turn creates room for the Government of...

Comment By Zoran Panović

From Thessaloniki to Athens

A flatbread may well have cost a dinar in Thessaloniki, but – when it comes to EU membership – Thessaloniki is a hundred flatbreads...

Danijela Božanić, climatologist/climate change expert

Why We’re Vulnerable

Serbia is more exposed to climate change than other countries and lacks sufficient capacity to adapt to altered climatic conditions, which is why it...

Vladimir Đurđević, Full professor at the Institute of Meteorology, Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade

Lesson Not Learned

The 2014 floods should have represented a clear call that it is necessary to adequately improve the flood defence system. Given that this obviously...

News

German Unity Day Celebrated in Belgrade

In the Serbian capital last evening, the German Unity Day was commemorated. The German Embassy in Serbia organized this...

EU Sports Equipment Trade Booms: Exports at €7.5 billion, Imports Double to €14.3 billion

The European Union's trade in sports equipment, spanning items from water sports gear to athletic apparel, has witnessed a...

Iceland Crowned World’s Safest Country for 16th Consecutive Year

Iceland has, for the 16th year running, been named the world's safest and most peaceful country according to the...

Hitler’s Childhood Home to Be Repurposed as Police Station

In a move to deter neo-Nazi pilgrimages, the town of Braunau am Inn, where Adolf Hitler was born in...

Slovakia’s Parliamentary Elections: Robert Fico’s Smer Party Secures Victory

The Smer-SSD party, led by former leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico, triumphed in Slovakia's parliamentary elections, securing 24% of...

German Unity Day Celebrated in Belgrade

In the Serbian capital last evening, the German Unity Day was commemorated. The German Embassy in Serbia organized this...

EU Sports Equipment Trade Booms: Exports at €7.5 billion, Imports Double to €14.3 billion

The European Union's trade in sports equipment, spanning items from water sports gear to athletic apparel, has witnessed a...

Iceland Crowned World’s Safest Country for 16th Consecutive Year

Iceland has, for the 16th year running, been named the world's safest and most peaceful country according to the...

Hitler’s Childhood Home to Be Repurposed as Police Station

In a move to deter neo-Nazi pilgrimages, the town of Braunau am Inn, where Adolf Hitler was born in...

Slovakia’s Parliamentary Elections: Robert Fico’s Smer Party Secures Victory

The Smer-SSD party, led by former leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico, triumphed in Slovakia's parliamentary elections, securing 24% of...

German Unity Day Celebrated in Belgrade

In the Serbian capital last evening, the German Unity Day was commemorated. The German Embassy in Serbia organized this...

EU Sports Equipment Trade Booms: Exports at €7.5 billion, Imports Double to €14.3 billion

The European Union's trade in sports equipment, spanning items from water sports gear to athletic apparel, has witnessed a...

Iceland Crowned World’s Safest Country for 16th Consecutive Year

Iceland has, for the 16th year running, been named the world's safest and most peaceful country according to the...

Hitler’s Childhood Home to Be Repurposed as Police Station

In a move to deter neo-Nazi pilgrimages, the town of Braunau am Inn, where Adolf Hitler was born in...

Slovakia’s Parliamentary Elections: Robert Fico’s Smer Party Secures Victory

The Smer-SSD party, led by former leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico, triumphed in Slovakia's parliamentary elections, securing 24% of...