Results of the SME HUB Initiative Presented
At the second annual SME HUB Conference, held under the slogan “Trust That Drives Growth, Knowledge That Shapes Tomorrow,” the results were presented of an initiative that connects small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Serbia with large domestic and multinational companies, with the aim of strengthening their competitiveness and long-term sustainability
Richard Kohli, Head of the Swiss Cooperation Office of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), emphasized that Switzerland and Serbia enjoy an excellent and growing economic partnership. “Around 600 Swiss companies are currently operating in Serbia, employing more than 20,000 people in various sectors – manufacturing, IT, pharmaceuticals, and finance. Since 2010, Swiss companies have invested about 2.5 billion euros, making Switzerland one of the top five foreign investors. SME HUB is a great example of how local empowerment and partnerships contribute to shared growth,” said Kohli.
SME HUB is the result of a public-private partnership between the Government of Switzerland and the domestic company SME HUB. The project is valued at 6.2 million Swiss francs and supports local companies in modernizing, improving their business operations, and connecting with large systems. Since the initiative’s launch in 2023, 23 Serbian companies have undergone a transformation process worth more than 1.5 million Swiss francs in total.
In addition, 24 cooperation agreements have been signed with large domestic and multinational companies – including the Swiss company Sika – as well as 5 agreements with business associations and agencies, among them the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce.
SME HUB Director Aleksandar Goračinov highlighted that an increasing number of companies are ready to engage in the process of change and build sustainable growth systems. “Compared to last year, the number of interested companies has more than doubled. This shows how determined businesses are to improve their operations and become part of global supply chains. So far, 12 companies have completed the transformation process, and 50% of them have created 25 new jobs. Companies are now using as much as 70% of the implemented tools and methods, which has led to new business deals worth a total of 1.1 million Swiss francs,” Goračinov said.
In the companies that have joined the SME HUB initiative, almost 50% of employees are women, while more than 430 workers belong to vulnerable groups.
Goračinov emphasized that SME HUB exists to provide small and medium-sized enterprises with support to strengthen and become more competitive in the markets where they operate. “Despite the challenges, our SMEs have demonstrated remarkable resilience and readiness to embrace change. Their willingness to learn, adapt, and build systems that enable growth – that is what inspires us,” he stated.
As examples of successful transformation, the company Jugotex was presented. With SME HUB’s support, it modernized its operations and expanded cooperation with large systems, placing its products on both domestic and international markets.
Nikola Ristić, a representative of Jugotex, said that after three decades of operations, they realized that the growth they had achieved had outgrown their existing organizational system.
“With the support of SME HUB and its team of consultants, we managed to improve processes – from procurement, production, and quality control to inventory management and interdepartmental communication. These steps have enabled us to achieve greater efficiency and reliability in deliveries, which further strengthened our cooperation with the Elixir company, increased collaboration, and opened negotiations for new products across their group. Additionally, new opportunities have emerged for potential cooperation with other clients,” said Ristić, adding that change is never easy, but it is necessary for a company to remain competitive.
The SME HUB initiative continues to build bridges of trust between small and large companies, creating a sustainable system of cooperation that contributes to the development of the domestic economy and opens new markets for Serbian enterprises. In the coming year, 17 new companies are expected to join the program, along with an expansion of the partner network.