SME Serbia 2030: SME100 EXPO

Thank you for your interest, registration for MSP100 Expo is now closed.

Serbian SME 2030: SME100 Expo aims to highlight the development potential of the domestic economy embodied in the carefully selected SMEs 100, leading ones in Serbia and small and medium-sized by international standards.  This event is an opportunity to empower and inspire each other, talk and connect, and launch initiatives that will support the development of SMEs and direct their strength towards achieving goals for the whole society.

The focus is on 100 leading companies, carefully selected according to well-defined performance criteria, which will be presented in the exhibition as well as contribute to discussions throughout the conference. The exhibition and the conference will present the contribution that the SME sector can have to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (Agenda 2030) in Serbia, as well as present initiatives proposed by the SME100 to help realize this potential.
The SME100 will exhibit their achievements, including the contribution that they make to sustainable development and their respective communities. The exhibition will also present how the companies were selected, the importance of SMEs for the Serbian economy, the short history of their development and, finally, their potential.
 
The event is organized by CEVES within the Platform „SDGs for All“, supported by the governments of Germany and Switzerland, and implemented by GIZ. The event is also supported by the Embassy of Slovenia in Belgrade.

SME Serbia 2030: SME100 EXPO

DRAFT AGENDA (as of May 31, 2022)

June 1st 2022, Mind Park, Kragujevac

9:30 – 10:00

Registration – Walk through the exhibit

10:00 – 10:20

Greetings and Introduction

  • Nemanja Šormaz, CEVES, director
  • Bratislav Milanović, MIND Park, founder and CEO
  • H.E. Thomas Schieb, Ambassador of Germany
  • H.E. Urs Schmid, Ambassador of Switzerland
  • Marko Čadež, Serbian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, President

10:20 – 11:50

I Plenary panel: How (can) SMEs and society work for each other?

Moderator: Kori Udovički, CEVES, president

  • Presentation – Serbia’s SMEs’ development potential, Kori Udovički, CEVES
  • Discussion – Business and policy experiences, relevant country examples.

Panelists:

  • Frank Ryan, IDA Ireland, Chairman of the Board & frmr CEO Enterprise Ireland (online)

  • Dr. Julian Schenkenhofer, University of Augsburg: Faculty of Business and Economics, Research assistant at the Chair of Management & Organisation (online)

  • Dušan Olaj, Duol, Slovenia, Founder and CEO
  • Goran Novković, Slovenian Business Club, frmr executive director

11:50 – 12:20

Coffee break

12:20 – 14:30

During two sets of parallel round tables representatives of SME100 and guests will discuss specific initiatives in three thematic areas that SMEs identified as important. While the conference will call for more fundamental changes in policies towards SMEs, the focus of the roundtable discussions will be on developing concrete initiatives that can be launched by stakeholders to encourage and show the way toward possible wider change — without major policy changes.

12:20 – 13:20

A First round of parallel round tables participant discussions:

  • Round table 1: Strengthening internal capacities and technological and green transformation
    Discussion will try to answer questions such as: how can SMEs engage in greater cooperation and joint participation in international markets? How can the state support SMEs in meeting export standards and / or faster integration into value chains?
    Moderators: Vidosava Džagić, Assistant Director, Serbian Chamber of Commerce and  Lazar Živković, Research Associate,  Mihajlo Pupin Institute.
  • Round table 2: Increase the availability of skilled human resources
    Discussion will try to answer questions such as: how to work on attracting new and retaining skilled staff in short supply? How can the state and the private sector jointly launch regional centers for learning through work.
    Moderators: Srdjan Verbić, professor, Faculty of FEFA and Olga Svoboda, managing partner, HR technology startup company Talentuno Serbia.
  • Round table 3: Increase and diversify access to finance
    Discussion will try to answer questions such as: how to ensure that Serbian exporters receive credit and guarantee support schemes necessary for success in the global market? How to enable the pooling of capital in savings and loan cooperatives?
    Moderators: Vladimir Jovanović, Head of the Social Banking Department, Erste Bank and Bojan Janković, business development support expert.

13:30 – 14:30

B Second round of (same topic) parallel round tables discussions

  • Round table 1: Strengthening internal capacities and technological and green transformation
    Discussion will try to answer questions such as: how can SMEs engage in greater cooperation and joint participation in international markets? How can the state support SMEs in meeting export standards and / or faster integration into value chains?
    Moderators: Vidosava Džagić, Assistant Director, Serbian Chamber of Commerce and  Lazar Živković, Research Associate,  Mihajlo Pupin Institute.
  • Round table 2: Increase the availability of skilled human resources
    Discussion will try to answer questions such as: how to work on attracting new and retaining skilled staff in short supply? How can the state and the private sector jointly launch regional centers for learning through work.
    Moderators: Srdjan Verbić, professor, Faculty of FEFA and Olga Svoboda, managing partner, HR technology startup company Talentuno Serbia.
  • Round table 3: Increase and diversify access to finance
    Discussion will try to answer questions such as: how to ensure that Serbian exporters receive credit and guarantee support schemes necessary for success in the global market? How to enable the pooling of capital in savings and loan cooperatives?
    Moderators: Vladimir Jovanović, Head of the Social Banking Department, Erste Bank and Bojan Janković, business development support expert.

14:30 – 15:30

Lunch break

15:30 – 16:45

II Plenary panel: How to reach SME500 in 2030: Initiatives launch – Presentation of round tables’ conclusions and discussion

Moderator: Nemanja Šormaz, CEVES, director

Panelists:

  • Marko Čadež, Serbian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, President

  • Katarina Obradović-Jovanović, Assistant Minister, Minister of Economy

  • Miljan Ždrale, Head of Agribusiness for CSEE, EBRD London

  • Radoš Gazdić, Development Agency of Serbia (RAS), director
  • Round table raporteurs 

Closing remarks: Kori Udovički, CEVES president

17:00 – 17:45

Cocktail chat: What can entrepreneurship and film do for each other?

Moderator: Jelena Zorić, journalist, Insider

Guests:

  • Rade Šerbedžija, actor, director, musician

  • Dragan Bjelogrlić, actor, director and produce