Vesović: Strong Potential for Cooperation with Switzerland in Innovation and Industry

Switzerland is the sixth-largest investor in Serbia and the fourth-largest export market for the domestic IT industry, with significant potential for further deepening cooperation in mechanical engineering, railways, artificial intelligence, robotics, construction, and the pharmaceutical industry, said Mihailo Vesović, Deputy President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), at a meeting with a business delegation from the Swiss Confederation at the Palace of Serbia today.

The Swiss business delegation is visiting Belgrade as part of the two-day official visit of the President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin, who was hosted by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Serbia and Switzerland.

“On the occasion of the visit of the Swiss President, we have a business delegation led by one of the most experienced teams representing their leading business associations, primarily in mechanical engineering, railways, pharmaceuticals, aviation, and the construction materials industry,” Vesović stated.

He emphasized that Swiss companies are interested in advancing innovation, technological, and scientific cooperation with Serbia, which boasts high-quality universities and skilled engineers.

“Switzerland is the sixth-largest investor in Serbia, and all prerequisites are in place for cooperation to reach an even higher level,” Vesović pointed out, adding that trade between the two countries exceeds one billion euros. He also noted that Switzerland is the fourth-largest export market for Serbia’s IT industry, following Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Christoph Mäder, President of Economiesuisse, the largest umbrella organization of the Swiss economy, highlighted the importance of strengthening ties through direct business engagement.

“The Swiss economy is largely composed of small and medium-sized enterprises. Many of them are export-oriented. Although relatively small, these companies are highly active within their niche markets,” Mäder said, stressing that the visit of the Swiss delegation presents an excellent opportunity to unlock cooperation potential between the two economies.

The meeting between Serbian and Swiss companies was also attended by the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Aleksandra Sofronijević, and the Minister of Internal and External Trade, Jagoda Lazarević. The potential of EXPO 2027 and the GITEX exhibition was also presented, alongside B2B meetings between Serbian and Swiss companies.