Čadež: Serbian Software Has Become Our Number One Export – Regional Integration and Access to the EU Single Market Are Key for Further Growth

Serbia has undergone a major shift in the structure of its economy and exports over the past several years, most clearly reflected in the rapid growth of the technology sector. Today, our biggest export product is software – last year alone, Serbia exported more than 5.1 billion euros in software services. “This represents a fundamental change in Serbia’s positioning on the global economic map,” stated Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.

Speaking on the panel “Building the Foundations: Infrastructure, Connectivity and Business Environment” at the international BELTALKS (Belgrade Economic Talks) forum, Čadež noted that when software exports per capita are compared with Austria, Serbia achieves better results.

Commenting on the investment climate, Čadež emphasized that fiscal stability is a result of responsible cost management, as confirmed by IMF assessments and projections, as well as Serbia’s investment rating. These are, he said, the most important factors for investors.

He pointed out that Serbia is entering a period of major advancement, with investments in EXPO 2027. “It is a major event, and what we have done over the past year is to turn EXPO into a hub for new large-scale events. This will be followed by events such as GITEX, the world’s largest tech fair. We will be the only host of GITEX in Central and Eastern Europe,” said Čadež. Such fairs and events significantly enhance global visibility and the country’s international positioning.

He stressed the urgent need for the entire Western Balkans to be included in the EU single market. “We advocate establishing a regulatory body at the level of the Western Balkans that would implement common rules and accelerate economic integration, while also opening a direct line of communication with the European Union on step-by-step accession to the single market, with a clear roadmap,” he said.

“I see no reason why the Western Balkans should not view itself as part of the European economic area. We see ourselves as part of European values,” Čadež concluded.

He highlighted the importance of supporting regional cooperation and noted that placing political focus on integration has delivered concrete results in just one year – border waiting times across the region have been shortened, and company costs have been reduced by up to 70 percent. Trade with Albania and North Macedonia has grown by around 70 percent and 50 percent, respectively, over the past four years, proving that when concrete steps are taken, results follow quickly.

The panel also featured Eva Libman, Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber; Lev Ratnovski, IMF Resident Representative for Serbia; Pierre Grangeon, Head of the Regional Economic Service for the Western Balkans at the French Embassy in Belgrade; and Vuk Velebit, President of the Pupin Initiative.

BELTALKS, a two-day conference organized by GLOBSEC, together with the embassies of the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Friends of Europe, was held at the Hyatt Hotel. It focused on enhancing cooperation and competitiveness across Europe, aiming to improve policy alignment and competitiveness while offering new opportunities for alignment with the EU Growth Plan and the Net-Zero Industry Act.

This year’s BELTALKS gathered more than 150 international participants, including senior EU officials, government representatives, business leaders, and experts from the EU and candidate countries.