Čadež: Serbia is Ideal for Opening New Production Facilities, Preparing New Technological Tools for the Economy

Global challenges such as geopolitical tensions, the energy crisis, and market fragmentation will shape the business environment in 2025, said Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), emphasizing that Serbia is an ideal location for opening new production facilities. He also announced that CCIS will introduce modern technological tools this year to support Serbian businesses and enhance their operations.

Čadež told Tanjug that Serbia's opportunity lies in new economic movements, particularly in investments, as companies from Asia and the U.S. seeking to maintain a presence in Europe will need to establish production facilities on the continent. He highlighted Serbia as a prime location for setting up production plants with cutting-edge products from other continents.

"The technological revolution we are experiencing is the most intense in the past 50 years. We are witnessing market fragmentation, and we can expect even more intense competition between the three major players—the U.S., China, and Europe—regarding tariffs and customs restrictions. Each region is implementing new protective measures to safeguard its economy, which will present new challenges in maintaining competitive supply chains and securing market presence," Čadež explained.

He emphasized that these trends present an investment opportunity for Serbia, as companies from Asia and the U.S. will need to produce in Europe to maintain their presence there.

According to Čadež, Serbia and the wider region are ideal locations for this, serving as a hub for new production facilities featuring state-of-the-art products from other continents.

"We are already seeing this trend in the inflow of foreign investments. While EU companies still dominate in the number and volume of investment projects, there has been a significant rise in investments from Japan, South Korea, China, and the U.S. The stagnation of European investments is partly linked to the economic situation in Europe. We will see how things develop in 2025, but I believe we will witness increased investments from regions such as Asia, particularly Japan, China, and Korea, as well as the U.S.," he noted.

He added that this does not mean there will be no investments from Europe. On the contrary, as European companies face increasing competition, particularly in manufacturing, they will also look for opportunities in Serbia.

"In EU countries, energy costs are up to three times higher than in Serbia. We are already seeing production facility closures in key industrial nations such as Germany, with new facilities opening in other parts of the continent. Serbia will be an attractive destination in this regard, just as it was in 2024, which ended with record-high foreign investments," Čadež stated.

Digital Services and Technological Innovations by CCIS

Speaking about CCIS's digital services for Serbian businesses, Čadež emphasized the chamber’s goal to become more modern and technologically advanced, focusing on innovation and a new approach to engaging with its members. This includes existing tools such as the digital assistant, as well as new services currently in development.

"Early this year, we will introduce a digital export catalog that will, for the first time, compile all Serbian exporters in one place, providing details on what they export, which markets they serve, and the certifications they hold. Using new technologies, anyone from anywhere in the world will be able to explore and identify what Serbian companies have to offer," he explained.

CCIS is also working on the introduction of "digital agents"—knowledge databases based on artificial intelligence (AI) platforms developed with CCIS's expert teams. These agents will provide practical knowledge for daily business operations, tailored to specific industries.

"For example, a bakery owner will be able to use such an agent to manage inventory, sales, production planning, ingredients, new recipes, and even expansion into new product lines," Čadež elaborated.

"Today, when people think of AI, they mostly associate it with ChatGPT and similar global platforms. What we are doing is transforming this technology into tools—let's call them agents—that are user-friendly and can be accessed via mobile or computer, regardless of the industry," he added.

CCIS is also launching a B2B marketplace to connect suppliers and buyers within Serbia better and provide opportunities for businesses to expand into international markets.

"The essence of all these initiatives is to reorganize CCIS, focus on project-based teams, and advocate for the interests of businesses," Čadež explained.

Economic Diplomacy and International Presence

CCIS will continue its role in economic diplomacy, connecting Serbian businesses with global leaders, as demonstrated at the Web Summit in Lisbon last November.

"We call this approach innovative economic diplomacy. Serbia has a strong knowledge base and skilled professionals capable of developing new technological solutions. While we may not have the most advanced technological infrastructure, we excel in creating practical applications that benefit traditional industries. This is what we want to promote," Čadež emphasized.

He noted that Serbia was the most prominent country at the Web Summit in Lisbon, the world's largest tech conference, where it had its own Serbian Island and National Pavilion for the first time.

Serbia has now entered a strategic partnership with the Web Summit and will participate in upcoming events in Qatar and Vancouver.

"The same happens with the world's largest technology fair, Gitex Global in Dubai, where we have established a long-term partnership. Over the next five years, we will work together on events in Belgrade and ensure Serbian companies are well-represented at their global events. In addition, we have Berlin coming up. The entire 2025 will be dedicated to positioning Serbia as a destination where new solutions are developed, where technology is well understood, and where it is transformed into real business solutions valuable to major corporations and traditional industries," Čadež emphasized.

Beyond the Web Summit and Gitex Global, CCIS is also collaborating with the Techstars network, which will work with CCIS in Serbia to accelerate the growth of startups and innovative companies across the region.

Serbia’s First Startup Factory: Tesla Venture Studio

Discussing the first startup factory in Serbia, Čadež noted that CCIS refers to it as a "scale-up factory"—a platform for scaling up small innovative companies.

"This applies to both startups and existing companies that need better collaboration with large traditional industries. The goal is to demonstrate that their solutions are not only innovative but also commercially viable," he said.

CCIS is leveraging its Center for Digital Transformation to bridge the gap between innovators, startups, and traditional industry leaders across various sectors such as agribusiness, food production, and finance.

"This is why we are establishing the scale-up factory, with Tesla Venture Studio being just one of the channels for this initiative," Čadež concluded.