Novi Sad, 20 November - In the presence of representatives of institutions, entrepreneurs and associations, VII Regional Business Forum was opened today in Novi Sad, which had been traditionally organised by the AP Vojvodina Assembly and the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vojvodina, Vojvodina Development Agency and the European Network of Entrepreneurship.
The focus of this year’s Forum, which operates in the synergy of provincial institutions, was on the sectors of agricultural and food industry, metal processing industry, information and communication technologies. The AP Vojvodina Assembly, in co-operation with AER, organises this Forum annually. The first one was held in 2018 on the initiative of the Vice-President of the AP Vojvodina Assembly Damir Zobenica.
Speaking at the opening of the Forum, the President of the AP Vojvodina Assembly, Bálint Juhász, noted that the institutions and innovations are the connecting elements of all topics of this year’s Forum, and that the key of growth is in the triangle of knowledge, which consists of education, research and innovation.
Juhász pointed out that the society’s development should be based on two pillars: economy of knowledge and economy based on the practical application of knowledge and technology, in order to stimulate economic benefits and new jobs. He also presented the economic and infrastructural activities in the AP Vojvodina.
“In Vojvodina, 104 industrial zones have been built across 42 local self - government units. The third of these industrial zones is completely equipped in terms of infrastructure, gas supply, water and sewage systems, optic cables while more than half, 54%, is partially equipped. Out of 15 free zones in the Republic of Serbia, 4 have been established in the territory of the AP Vojvodina, while out of 46 registered clusters about 20 of them are active in Vojvodina”, said Juhász.
He also spoke about the achievements of our province in the field of synergy between IT and agriculture, referring to Science and Technology Park in Novi Sad and Biosense Institute as good examples that go beyond European standards.
Ms Maja Gojković, president of the Provincial Government, expressed great pleasure for the organisation of the Forum, emphasising that the fact it was being held for the seventh time, was the proof of strong links between provincial institutions, as well as between the AP Vojvodina and Assembly of European Regions. Ms Gojković underlined that the priority of the Provincial Government was fast-paced economic development and investments in economy, adding that the Government was to continue the provision of incentive measures to help individuals and companies conquer global challenges in the economic sector.
When talking about the global economy, Mr Vladimir Gak, president of the Chamber of Commerce, emphasised the ongoing crisis reflected in the closing of companies and jobs, adding that the data available to the Chamber of Commerce of Vojvodina, indicated economic growth in Serbia. Hence, a FDI direct inflow had been recorded the previous year, amounting to 4.6 billion EUR, while in the first eight months of the current year the amount was 3.2 billion EUR.
Mr Albert Castellanos, president of the Assembly of European Regions, thanked all the Forum participants, as well as organisers, adding that the Regional Business Forum had been the most significant event in the field of economic development, organised with the AER support. He emphasised that it was necessary to recognise the importance of regional and local stakeholders, in both political and economic sense, as they were most familiar with economic prospects and demands.
During the continuation of the Forum, representatives of the Shandong Province (PR China), Federal State Hesse (FR Germany), Primorje – Gorski Kotar County (Republic of Croatia) and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (Republic of Serbia) presented their experience and the examples of good practice. Afterwards, B2B meetings will be held via an online platform, which will be available to all registered company representatives until 6 December.
The Forum participants include eminent companies from the region, as well as regional chambers of commerce, regional development agencies and other institutions which provide support to development of small and medium-sized enterprises and enhancement of the economic climate for business and new investments.