Switzerland is one of the leading foreign investors in Serbia
Between 2010 and the third quarter of 2021, Swiss residents’ investments amounted to 1.7 billion euros (1685.3 million euros). Set on attracting new Swiss investors and promoting business opportunities in the Serbian market, the Swiss–Serbian Chamber of Commerce organized a seminar in cooperation with the Geneva Chamber of Commerce entitled Market Focus Serbia.
The companies operating in the Canton of Geneva were presented with economic trends in Serbia, the experiences of Swiss companies already operating successfully in Serbia, and different benefits available to foreign investors in Serbia. The seminar was opened by H.E. Goran Bradić, Serbian Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation, who welcomed this initiative as an important step in further improving the economic cooperation between the two countries.
The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Swiss–Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services with the aim of further improving Swiss–Serbian economic relations.
After the Memorandum’s signing, Swiss–Serbian Chamber of Commerce President and Sky Express Managing Director Majo Mićović pointed out that the Serbian IT sector remains appealing to many companies from Switzerland. He underlined that Serbia is currently generating around ten percent of its GDP from the ICT sector, now among the top four export sectors along with steel, cars, and agriculture. Mr. Mićović also emphasized that according to the Government’s Commission for Protection of Competition, there were over 2,800 firms in Serbia’s ICT sector in 2021, employing cca 35,000 people.“Following that stream of development, dozens of Swiss-based companies have already established a local presence in Serbia, either outsourcing for their global customers or creating development centres in Serbia. We believe that today’s signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation and the well-organized visit to Geneva will open the door to even more significant investments in Serbia. We exchanged experiences with our hosts and clearly argued for the exceptional opportunities for cooperation between Serbia and the Canton of Geneva, which is one of the wealthiest and most developed economic centres in Europe.”
Mr. Vincent Subilia, Director General of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, said “A thriving economy, Serbia can boast significant business perspectives to Geneva-based companies willing to invest in a diverse and dynamic market. In its role as a business enabler, the Geneva Chamber of Commerce looks forward to cohosting this flagship event and welcoming a high-end delegation led by our partners from the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, in line with the robust economic relationships between our two countries”..”
The speakers included Marjana Davidović, General Manager of Nestle Adriatic South Region, Edin Dacić, President of the Board of Directors of Standard Furniture Serbia doo, Ana Grujović, Executive Director of the Swiss–Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and lawyer Balša Stevanović, TSG Law Office.