Belgrade, May 14th, 2025 – Organized by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, with the support of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Returning Point, a dedicated session of the Business Council for Diaspora was held under the title Business Diaspora and Green Innovation. The event brought together members of the business diaspora and representatives from Serbia’s public, private, and civil sectors to strengthen cooperation and explore new business and investment opportunities between Serbia and its diaspora.
During the three-hour online session, participants explored key challenges and opportunities arising from the green transformation of the economy and the development of a science-based innovation and startup ecosystem, through two thematic panels.
Opening remarks were delivered by Đorđe Andrić, Head of the Center for Investment Support and Public-Private Partnerships at SCC, Đorđe Milićević, Minister without portfolio responsible for relations with the diaspora, and Jovana Stamenković, Implementation Manager at GIZ. They highlighted the strategic importance of engaging the diaspora in Serbia’s development processes.
The first panel, titled Green Transition and Sustainable Development and moderated by Uroš Živković, Program Director at Returning Point, gathered experts from Serbia and abroad: Nebojša Vranješ, Advisor at the Circular Economy Center of SCC, Cveta Majtanović, Director of Sustainable Development at Italian firm INNOVANDO, and Nemanja Trbović, founder of NJUPPA. The panel discussed how the diaspora’s knowledge and experience can contribute to circular economy models, sustainable business practices, and the adoption of green technologies in Serbia.
The second panel focused on the development of a science-driven startup ecosystem. Led by Stefan Jakovljević, Senior Advisor at the Center for Investment Support and PPPs at SCC, the panel featured Marija Janjušević (representing Innovation Factory and the CCIS Center for Digital Transformation), Jovan Paunović (Founder of Treesury), and Marija Pavlović (Strategic Innovation Advisor at BIO4 Campus). The discussion centered on the potential of scientific achievements and collaboration with the diaspora to boost Serbia’s innovation capacity.
Special attention was drawn to the presentation of public calls for scaling green investments by Anđela Vila from UNDP, emphasizing the available support for domestic and diaspora partners in launching sustainable projects.
The event reaffirmed that the business diaspora plays a crucial role in the future of Serbia’s economy, especially in the shift toward sustainable and innovation-led growth. Through concrete initiatives, expert connections, and knowledge sharing, space was created for deeper long-term cooperation aligned with global development trends.
