Partner: Switzerland-Serbia 2019

Partner

Switzerland - Serbia

Strong & Efficient

RELATIONS

H.E. Philippe Guex, Ambassador of Switzerland to Serbia ● Majo Mićović, President of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce ● Ursula Läubli, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office, Counsellor, Embassy of Switzerland ● Yana Mikhailova, Market Head – Nestlé South East Market ● Ana Grujović, Director of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce ● Petar Adžić, Professor at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Physics (retired), Chairman of the Serbian National Commission for Cooperation with CERN and Serbia’s scientific delegate in the CERN Council ● Oleg Stefanović, Director, Produkt Bg Engineering ● Stojan Kemera, General Manager of Barry Callebaut Southeast Europe ● Ana Govedarica, General Manager of Roche Serbia ● Slobodanka Vlajčić, CEO, Nevena&Allmecosmetics ● Đorđe Rašić, Zepter Group Board Member ● Aleksandar Milošević, 3AP CEO & Founder

CONTENTS

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DIALOGUE PROMPTS EVERY SUCCESS STORY COMMENT

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NO CHERRY PICKING IN REFORM PROCESS H.E. PHILIPPE GUEX, AMBASSADOR OF SWITZERLAND TO SERBIA

ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME BAD SISTEMS

SMALL BUT RELIABLE PARTNER OLEG STEFANOVIĆ, DIRECTOR, PRODUKT BG INŽENJERING

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THE BEST CHOCOLATE NEEDS PASSION STOJAN KEMERA, GENERAL MANAGER, BARRY CALLEBAUT

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SHARING PERSPECTIVES OF THE DIGITAL WORLD MAJO MIĆOVIĆ, PRESIDENT OF THE SWISS-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

DESIGN: Jasmina Laković j.lakovic@aim.rs

PHOTOS: Zoran Petrović

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ADVANCING POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION

ANA GOVEDARICA, GENERAL MANAGER, ROCHE SERBIA

Mihailo Čučković, m.cuckovic@aim.rs

TRANSLATION & EDITING MRP EDITORIAL Halifax Translation Services

OFFICE MANAGER: Svetlana Petrović s.petrovic@aim.rs

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OUR FIRST 5 YEARS SSCC

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HUGE INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION SWISS CRAFTSMANSHIP

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RIVALRY OF SUPERHEROES WIMBLEDON 2019

“NEW MEDICINE” ARRIVING

COPY EDITOR: Mark Pullen

SALES MANAGERS: Biljana Dević, b.devic@aim.rs Nataša Trifunović, n.trifunovic@aim.rs Vesna Vukajlović, v.vukajlovic@aim.rs

EDITORIAL MANAGER: Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs

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WE CREATE A UNIQUE WORKING CULTURE ALEKSANDAR MILOŠEVIĆ, CEO & FOUNDER, 3AP

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RESPONSIBLE COMPANY FOR A HEALTHIER SERBIA YANA MIKHAILOVA, MARKET HEAD – NESTLÉ SOUTH EAST MARKET

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Miroslava Nešić-Bikić m.bikic@aim.rs

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ANA GRUJOVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE SWISS-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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STEM CELLS TREAT 80 DISEASES BIOTECHNOLOGY AND GENETICS

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CITIZENS NEED TO HAVE THEIR SAY URSULA LÄUBLI, DIRECTOR OF THE SWISS COOPERATION OFFICE, COUNSELLOR, EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND

EUROPEANS RECOGNISE OUR 38 QUALITY EUROPEAN SLOBODANKAVAJČIĆ,CEO SCIENTIFIC ELITE NEVENA&ALLMECOSMETICS SERBIA BECOMES A FULL MEMBER 29 OF CERN WE NEVER GIVE UP ON QUALITY 40 ĐORĐE RAŠIĆ, DRIVING FORCE MEMBER OF THE OF MODERN LIFE BOARD, ZEPTER SWITZERLAND: GROUP DOO SMALL, BUT DIVERSE

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SMALL, SMART & PROSPEROUS SWISS ECONOMY

PUBLISHER: Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs DIRECTOR: Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs a.novcic@cordmagazine.com

FINANCE: Dragana Skrobonja finance@aim.rs

BUSINESS PARTNER FRANCE

GENERAL MANAGER: Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs

Published by: alliance international media Makenzijeva 67,

11111 Belgrade 17, PAK 126909, Serbia Phone: +(381 11) 2450 508 Fascimile:+(381 11) 2450 122 E-mail: office@aim.rs; office@cordmagazine.com www.aim.rs; www.cordmagazine.com No 13; ISSN: 2560-4465 All rights reserved alliance international media 2019 THIS PUBLICATION IS FREE OF CHARGE

The views expressed in this publication are those of the presenter; they do not necessary reflect the view of publications published by alliance international media

COMMENT

Dialogue Prompts Every Success Story Citizen participation is essential for a fully-fledged democracy and efficient market economy. Through bilateral assistance, Switzerland is inspiring Serbia to adhere to this principle and develop into a stable and prosperous society with a European future

D

emocratisation and market economy go hand-in-hand. Although this seems obvious, it is sometimes obscured by the long line of numbers that describe achievements made in the quest for fiscal consolidation, structural reforms,and economic prosperity. Yet the inclusiveness and sustainability of these results depend on the way they were achieved. As Swiss Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Philippe Guex reminds us in his interview for this publication, “citizen participation ensures that reforms suit people’s everyday needs and facilitate their acceptance by the public”. This is indeed the principle on which Switzerland – one of the top four bilateral donors to Serbia – bases its assistance, which amounts to almost €100 million for the 2018-2021 period. This assistance, which is channelled towards public administration reforms and the development of SMEs, is instrumental in strengthening the dialogue between the authorities and citizens.

Through various projects, Switzerland is focused in particular on assistance for local governments to bring to life relevant laws and regulations, to mobilise citizens around issues of common concern, and

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to strengthen cooperation between civil society and local governments.

Obviously, economic reforms are not the only dimension of Swiss support to Serbia. Switzerland is also backing Serbia in reforms linked to the rule of law, like judicial independence, the fight against corruption or freedom of the media. One example of this assistance is related to a revision of the Law on Referendum and Civic Initiatives, with a view to enhancing citizens’ ownership of such processes.

By all means, all these processes are directly or indirectly connected with much-wanted economic prosperity.

Switzerland draws on its expertise in

It is therefore not surprising that, in deciding where to invest, Swiss businesses devote a lot of attention to discerning where they will be offered predictability, security, transparency and fair competition. In short, the rule of law.

Although it isn’t a member of the European Union, Switzerland adheres to EU principles and strongly links its economic cooperation with the EU market. Consequently, it strongly supports the efforts of Serbia and other Western Balkan countries to join the European Union. What makes the Western Balkan attractive to Swiss investors is stability, an integrated regional approach, and the

In the eyes of foreign investors, Serbia’s progress in EU integration processes means an additional guarantee of the country’s stability and prosperity dialogue between the government and citizens, from its history and everyday practice at all levels of power. Democratic principles and a market economy ensure Switzerland has one of the most stable economies, and that the country is the preferred choice of investors.

ability of the region’s countries to resolve their disputes in a peaceful and democratic fashion. Yet this bonding within the region and with the EU has to come naturally, as a decision of each and every Western Balkan country to embrace and nurture its European future. ■

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INTERVIEW

H.E. PHILIPPE GUEX, AMBASSADOR OF SWITZERLAND TO SERBIA

Politicians and the media too often entertain the notion that the European Union is imposing reforms on Serbia.

Nothing could be more mistaken: reforms are necessary for the sake of Serbia and its people. Beyond enabling sustainable prosperity, reforms aim at preventing Serbia from backsliding towards autocracy and nationalism – two plagues that the Serbian people suffered from too much in the recent past – Philippe Guex

No Cherry Picking In Reform Process I n the belief that the success of a country’s reform process requires not only the support of the citizenry, but also citizens’ active participation, part of the long-term donor support of Switzerland to Serbia is directed towards strengthening dialogue between the government and citizens. Speaking in this interview for this CorD Magazine special edition, Swiss Ambassador H.E. Philippe Guex says that there is concern that space for this dialogue in Serbia is shrinking, despite the fact that the participation of citizens is an essential element of any 10 |

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democratically regulated society. Ambassador Guex announces that Switzerland will continue striving to strengthen links between civil society organisations and local governments in the period ahead, as well as providing expert assistance to the Government of Serbia in strengthening the voice of citizens by amending the Law on Referendum and Civil Initiative.

• Your Excellency, your mandate in Serbia began in 2016. You said at the time that – following diplomatic postings in London,

Paris and Brussels – you wanted to come to Serbia “for economic, social and political challenges”. Have events since then fulfilled your expectations?

- Europe would not be Europe without the Western Balkans. And Serbia is at the very heart of the Western Balkans. The political situation is very much intertwined not only with the ‘90s, but with the entire 20th century, which is very challenging for diplomats. Economically, there is still much to do to bring Serbia to the EU’s average level of economic development. Looking at the success story

SUPPORT

Through our projects, we are contributing to enhanced citizen participation and supporting local governments in bringing to life relevant laws and regulations

of the Eastern European countries, I have no doubt that Serbia will follow that path, as it is getting in shape to join the EU. Therefore, to answer your question: yes, my position in Belgrade is fulfilling the expectations I had when I began three years ago.

• You represent a country that is among the top four bilateral donors to Serbia. For the 2018-2021 period alone, Switzerland will have donated almost €100 million for financing public administration reforms, developing SMEs and strengthening dialogue between the authorities and citizens.

Stakeholders in Serbia will tell you that there’s almost no dialogue between the government and citizens. Does it look that way to you too?

- There is a concern that the space for dialogue between the government and citizens is shrinking. Citizens’ participation, through different means, is essential in a fully-fledged democracy. That is not an easy task, but is worth it. Citizens’ participation ensures that reforms suit people’s everyday needs and eases their acceptance by the public.

Through our projects, we are contributing to enhanced citizen participation and supporting local governments in bringing to life relevant laws and regulations. Our upcoming civil society project seeks to mobilise citizens around issues of common concern and to strengthen cooperation between civil society and local governments. Switzerland is also supporting the Serbian government in revising the Law on Referendum and Civil Initiative, with a view to enhancing citizens’ ownership of such processes.

• You are an ambassador of a non-EU country. Still, you think that Serbia’s approach to the EU means an additional guarantee of the country’s stability in the eyes of foreign investors. Do you think that the pace of reforms in Serbia corresponds with its aspiration to join the EU soon?

DIALOGUE

Normalised and peaceful relations between Serbia and Kosovo will only emerge from an inclusive societal dialogue

- It is up to the Government of Serbia to decide the pace of reforms that will align the country with the EU’s democratic and economic standards. Politicians and the press too often entertain the notion that the European Union is imposing reforms on Serbia. Nothing could be more mistaken.

TASK

It is then the task of the Serbian authorities to make the most favourable conditions and incentives to attract even more investors

the rule of law would create space for more investment from Switzerland?

- It is clear to me that not only economic reforms will boost Swiss-Serbian economic relations, but also any reform linked to the rule of law, like judicial independence, the fight against corruption or ensuring freedom of the media. There is no cherry picking.

Democratisation and market economy go hand-in-hand, at least in the Western world.

• Are Serbia and the Western Balkans viewed in Switzerland today more as a potential investment region or as a possible new source of instability?

- The Western Balkan region is seen in Switzerland as having the potential for investment, as long as it stands together – as a region – and increases regional cooperation. The stability of the region attracts investors more than anything else. As such, each and every step in the direction of a more integrated regional approach is not only welcome, but necessary. On the other

There is a concern that the space for dialogue between the government and citizens is shrinking. Citizens’ participation, through different means, is essential in a fully-fledged democracy. That is not an easy task, but is worth it Reforms are necessary for the sake of Serbia and its people. Beyond enabling sustainable prosperity, reforms aim at preventing Serbia from backsliding towards autocracy and nationalism – two plagues that the Serbian people have suffered from too much in the recent past.

• The latest EC progress report on Serbia reiterates the importance of strengthening the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. You said in another recent interview that progress on

hand, when tension arises between Serbia and Kosovo, I happen to receive phone calls from worried potential Swiss investors seeking assessment updates.

• How do you view the failure of France and Germany’s attempts to unblock the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue?

- Two of the most influential countries of the European Union, France and Germany, are exerting efforts to unblock the situation between Belgrade and Pristina, which is a good and promising sign. We cannot expect AUGUST

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immediate results, as the situation is currently very complex. This opportunity should be grabbed in both Pristina and Belgrade, because a standstill and no-dialogue is not an option.

• Can you comment on the Pristina government’s refusal to abolish tariffs imposed on goods from Serbia?

- This is certainly not a good sign. Switzerland

• Swiss companies have been present in Serbia for decades, and since 2014 there has been a Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce. However, you remarked yourself that there is plenty of room for improvement on economic cooperation. What are the main challenges or obstacles along the way?

- As you pointed out, Swiss companies have been present in Serbia for a long time. The

• How successful were the start-up loans given to Swiss companies through the SECO fund to invest in Serbia?

- The SECO Start-up Fund provides loans to diaspora residents living in Switzerland for investments in their country of origin. The projects must rely on a solid business case and meet recognised environmental and social standards. The SECO Start-up Fund has invested around €6.8 million in Serbia and leveraged an additional €30 million of investment, creating over 750 jobs. The Fund is covering different sectors, like metal processing, IT, furniture manufacturing and paper production. Considering the large Serbian diaspora in Switzerland, it is no wonder that Serbia is one of the countries benefiting the most from this Fund.

• Part of Swiss state aid to Serbia aims to develop SMEs, with priority given to projects that contribute to overcoming inequality.

Can you say something about the effects of that assistance to date?

- The private sector has a fundamental role to play in contributing to inclusive and sus-

has been urging the authorities in Pristina to revoke the 100% tariffs. The CEFTA agreement is the cornerstone of regional economic cooperation, thus any violation of it must be denounced.

• Do you consider that the EU should continue to deal with the Kosovo issue or are you more in favour of the proposal that the dialogue include other interested countries, such as the U.S., Russia and others?

- All constructive actors have to be included in efforts to find a long-standing and comprehensive solution between Belgrade and Pristina, even if it is obvious that the European Union remains in the driving seat. Switzerland takes part in this effort, promoting dialogue and engaging with both parties. I would also argue that not only state actors have to be part of the dialogue, but also non-governmental organisations, civil society actors, artists, experts and academics. Normalised and peaceful relations between Serbia and Kosovo will only emerge from an inclusive societal dialogue.

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All constructive actors have to be included in efforts to find a long-standing and comprehensive solution between Belgrade and Pristina, even if it is obvious that the European Union remains in the driving seat.

Switzerland takes part in this effort, promoting dialogue and engaging with both parties establishment of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce was a consequence of this long-standing presence, and an additional service provided to companies that are present, but also a way to attract additional companies wishing to enter the Serbian market. The potential is there for Serbia to have even more companies. It is then the task of the Serbian authorities to make the most favourable conditions and incentives to attract even more investors. This means having predictability and security – above all from a rule of law perspective – and fair competition, as those are usually the main aspects investors expect.

tainable growth, and ultimately to poverty reduction. This is why one of our fields of cooperation is ‘Economic Development and Employment’. SMEs benefit directly from our programmes. I’ll give you two examples: one upcoming Swiss programme will focus on the manufacturing sector and local SMEs, to deliver goods to multinational companies, and as a result their competitiveness will improve and they will gain access to foreign markets. Another important aspect for SMEs is having access to skilled labour. The Swiss project “From Education to Employment – E2E–” supports Serbian companies in developing and implementing modern

work-based training for young jobseekers.

The purpose is to build skills that are required by the private sector.

• One of many artistic exhibitions was opened at your Belgrade residence in June. It featured works by Serbian artists who were

they live. By doing so they promote values like tolerance, respect, openness, fairness and living together. Those values are precisely at the heart of the ongoing reconciliation process in the region. The contribution of the artists and creators to reconciliation is usually underestimated. The Serbia of

The Swiss project “From Education to Employment – E2E–” supports Serbian companies in developing and implementing modern work-based training for young jobseekers. The purpose is to build skills that are required by the private sector finalists of the “Private Value” competition.

It seems that you see great potential in young artists?

- First, supporting young Serbian artists goes hand-in-hand with Switzerland’s international cooperation with Serbia on youth education.

Second, artists question the society in which

tomorrow belongs to young men and women who are today in their twenties, be they artists, journalists, clerks, nurses, software engineers etc.

• The support of the Swiss embassy to cultural Institutions in Serbia means a

lot to them. What are your plans for the rest of 2019?

- In November, we will feature Serbian painter Dragan Zdravković together with Swiss artist Peter Aeschmann, in a common exhibition at the Swiss Residence.

As usual, this exhibition will be open to the public twice a week over the course of two months. In early 2020, we will launch another open call for young Serbian artists, which will be our third edition. As with the previous ones, a professional jury will select five to six artists. Each of them will receive €500 to produce artworks for the exhibition, while the finalist will receive an additional €2000. On the top of that, we are supporting Swiss artists coming to Serbia within the scope of numerous cultural institutions, like BITEF, Beldocs or the Belgrade Dance Festival. With the Museum of Contemporary Art and the National Museum, Belgrade stands out as the cultural hub of the whole region. ■

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INTERVIEW

MAJO MIĆOVIĆ, PRESIDENT OF THE SWISS-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Sharing Perspectives Of The Digital World Although Switzerland is an important donor to Serbia in economic terms, it seems that those investments have yet to yield results when it comes to the two countries' mutual trade exchange. With its activities, the SSCC strives to bring together businesspeople from the two countries and enable them to utilize the evident potential for cooperation

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he ICT sector and agro-tech, or digital agriculture, represent sectors with exceptional potential when it comes to establishing business bonds between Swiss and Serbian companies, says Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce President Majo Mićović, who also runs a successful IT company.

In this interview with SSCC President Mićović, we discussed the Chamber’s role in bilateral economic relations between Serbia and Switzerland and new areas for cooperation and development in a, currently, fairly modest bilateral trade exchanges between the two countries.

“Despite being a young chamber, the SSCC is – with the active work of both the

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management board and members – gaining more and more credibility among the business audience in both Serbia and Switzerland. Annual conferences are attended to the maximum, and resound greatly among the business and political communities.

Cooperation – both with the Embassy and its development bodies, and with Swiss development support organisations – is clearly strengthening,” says Mićović, whilst noting that Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) has confirmed that its cooperation with the SSCC is in the top three among all Swiss bilateral chambers worldwide.

“The reports of our Chamber are among the most read on the S-GE website. Last year’s Conference of the Chamber on dual

education was among the most attractive reviews of the dual education system in Serbia for the media. Although the trend of political cooperation between the two countries isn’t currently at the level of their possibilities, primarily thanks to the Kosovo issue, the Chamber is striving to ensure its activities continue to bring the businesspeople of the two countries closer together,” adds the SSCC president.

• What do results to date tell you about the existing potential for the further development of economic relations between Switzerland and Serbia?

- It is obvious that the total bilateral exchange of 450 million euros is far from the capaci-

ties and needs of the two countries. There are many reasons why economic relations are insufficiently developed: mutual unfamiliarity and a lack of market connections, major differences in the level of economic development of the two countries, the long-standing political instability of the Balkan region, the two countries’ social and cultural orientation towards different geopolitical spheres and so on. Unfortunately, although Switzerland is an important donor in an economic sense, those investments don’t seem to impact on strengthening the exchange of goods between the two countries to a great extent. Countries like Germany, Italy, China and Russia obviously more easily find business interests for their companies than Switzerland does. When it comes to attempts by Serbian companies to find a place for themselves on the Swiss market, we can only say that they are sporadic, and I sincerely admire our people from Serbia who invest their capacities to prove themselves on the Swiss market. It is interesting that Serbia’s direct investments in Switzerland in 2018 were just below 100 million euros, which ranks these investments in third place, behind Serbia’s investments in Slovenia and Bosnia.

ary of a 1 billion dollars in exports. Serbian ICT companies have clearly recognised the trends and succeed in overcoming the classic outsource concept, which is still just a basic concept of cooperation with foreign capital. Our ICT companies achieve successful cooperation with world vendors in the field of the distribution and implementation of the most complex ICT solutions. Likewise, there are ever more innovative approaches to the development

According to the assessment of Switzerland Global Enterprise, its cooperation with the SSCC is in the top three among all Swiss bilateral chambers worldwide • ICT is among the sectors in Serbia that are increasingly attracting the attention of foreign investors. How much room exists in this area for cooperation between Swiss and Serbian companies?

- Thanks to the appropriate policy of the Serbian Government, the general trend towards digital transformation, and the natural talents of Serbian students in the fields of mathematics, technology and digital trends generally, Serbia has established itself in Europe and around the world as a desirable ICT outsource destination. This process has also led to the exceptional success of Serbia’s IT industry, which last year passed the magical bound-

of ICT solutions, particularly in the areas of digital agriculture, healthcare and digital entertainment.

I’m familiar with the fact that Swiss ICT companies are increasingly approaching the Serbian ICT milieu, recognising what’s already been done by major global businesses, like Microsoft, NCR and many others. That said, we must stress that Serbian ICT capacities, in terms of skilled labour, have already been largely utilised with the arrival of world leaders in ICT. Areas with more capacity still, I believe those are primarily ICT security, which is one of the most prominent ICT trends worldwide, then the development of business applications,

digital entertainment, such as the gaming industry, and agro-tech applications. As an example, company Sky Express d.o.o, which was established by Swiss capital, proves that cooperation with Switzerland is certainly possible: for nine years already, Sky Express and Zurich-based OPEN Systems – an MSSP world leader – have been cooperating in providing the secure internet communications for Serbia’s most important state bodies.

• Is this also the right sector for networking the highly professional Serbian diaspora in Switzerland with companies in Serbia?

- Of the approximately five million Serbs living and working worldwide, over 200,000 of them are resident in Switzerland. It is known that the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland is among the country’s largest and most influential emigrant communities.

They send home to their families around 400 million euros a year, of the total of 3.2 billion euros that arrives in Serbia in this way every year. So, less than five per cent of the world’s Serbian diaspora sends more than 12 per cent of total remittances to Serbia, which testifies sufficiently to the structure of the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland. Unfortunately, the importance that our countrymen have in Switzerland is not adequately exploited in relations between the two countries. Improvements are possible on two fronts: one is the extraordinary financial potential of our peoAUGUST

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Croatian, Slovenian, Italian, French, German and Swedish chambers - a good practise of close contacts, exchanges of ideas and confirmation of mutual connectivity and conditionality towards the development of the Serbian market.

ple in Switzerland, which is insufficiently conducted in terms of direct investments in the Serbian economy, and secondly, there is the potential in professional capacities of our experts, who have been considered in Switzerland for years as excellent and acknowledged personnel, whether in the field of science, in medical and tourism services, in ICT and classical industries.

With the exception of the ICT sector, as your question suggests, I see another sector with extraordinary potential and that’s agro-tech, i.e. digital agriculture.

• How relevant is the issue of the availability of high-quality workers among your members? Has the transferring to Serbia of Swiss experiences in dual education yielded results as yet?

- Dual education is still in its commencement, and it would be hard to see some significant immediate results in terms of increasing the capacity of skilled work force. I’m convinced that such results will soon actually be visible, as I consider dual education to be a significant corrective aspect of the classical Serbian education policy. Generally, the trend of acquiring skilled work force is also showing issues in Serbia: it is becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable personnel, especially in branches like ICT, medicine and the hightech and hotel industries.

• You have also used a survey to gauge the level of satisfaction among CCSS members in the Chamber and its work. What kind of feedback did you receive from members?

- The generally satisfactory trend continued in the last report, with a somewhat lower level compared to the previous year. Factors of satisfaction with work and investment in Serbia remained the same, thus Serbia is an ideal “near-shore” destination; our qualified personnel are educated and modern young people, the currency is stable and the Serbian Government’s new economic and financial measures certainly contribute positively to this trend. When it comes to shortcomings, they are primarily considered – as with other Chambers – as being in the legal system, a lack of transparency, still relatively high corruption, an incomplete tax system and administrative inefficiency.

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• What other important fields of cooperation or business exist that require special attention and have clear development prospects?

- The Fund that I’m a member of – Evolution Equity Partners from Zurich – conducted analysis of the success of direct investments for the countries of Southeast Europe, so we also have some analyses for Serbia. They clearly indicate that Serbia is a very adequate sapce for investments in the fields of ICT, digital entertainment, agro-tech, transport, tourism services and the processing industry (wood and metal). The Fund’s members are particularly interested in digital entertainment (primarily innovative video gaming) and

Serbia is an ideal “near-shore” destination for Swiss companies, with qualified personnel and a stable currency and macroeconomic policy, but a lack of transparency, corruption and an incomplete tax system remain the greatest obstacles • Networking with other business associations has been among the priorities of the CCSS since its very inception. How does that cooperation look today, and what are the key motives for networking?

- Connecting with other Chambers is certainly of particular importance to our members, because that gives them the opportunity to learn or present their own solutions through exchange of contacts, presentations and familiarisation with different representatives of economies from around the world. Moreover, a positive atmosphere of collegiality is created, common business interests are identified, and the atmosphere of business ethics and professionalism is expanding. Our Chamber realised the first such step in multi-chamber cooperation at the 2019 Kopaonik Business Forum, where we established - with representatives of the

agro-tech. To illustrate: with the development of the internet, the demand for digital entertainment has become a planetary passion; there are no market borders, and products like video games, advertising content for films and quiz orientations are very profitable..

Agro-tech, which has become a buzz-word, is actually the digitalisation of agriculture, the introduction of ICT technologies to agriculture. We are in negotiations with several important Swiss start-up firms on the opening of their branches in Serbia. I would like to stress that our goal isn’t only to introduce Swiss technologies – rather we’re also resolved in supporting young Serbian agro-tech start-ups, which I can endorse as being innovative, technically assertive and imaginative.. I’m confident that their products will soon be heading to the other direction, to Switzerland. ■

BAD SISTEMS BUSINESS

Encourage People To Stay Ahead Of The Game

B

AD SISTEMS is an emerging, innovative company based in Niš, southern Serbia. We concentrate on the digital transformation of internal processes and procedures of our customers.

We strive to improve their digital customer experience and inspire them to think outside the box. The ultimate goal is to render their daily business operations as convenient as possible.

Based on our proven experience of quickly understanding needs and identifying significant gaps in business operations, which will subsequently be addressed and improved will lead to a positive and sustainable business outcome.

Digitisation is a vital challenge today.Thus, it is very important to master the relevant processes for all parties involved. For this reason BAD SISTEMS has developed various software solutions that are used by our customers.

To cite just two examples: KANBANSI assists companies manage teams and their activities and more items, while REMASI is a solution for efficient and intuitive resource and project planning.

Agile methodologies represent the backbone of the teamwork culture and are an essential step demonstrating good results.

The golden rule is and has always been to

listen to the customers - they provide the best possible feedback.

The Agile Method is characterized by a strong commitment between the team and the customer.

The customers is constantly involved throughout the entire project, which provides a great opportunity for our team to fully understand the customer’s vision. ■

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INTERVIEW

URSULA LÄUBLI, DIRECTOR OF THE SWISS COOPERATION OFFICE, COUNSELLOR, EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND

Enhanced citizen participation, along with transparency, accountability, and efficient and effective processes, represents a precondition for successful SwissSerbian cooperation.

Through our engagement with more than 40 communicates throughout Serbia, we have shown how good governance principles positively change the everyday lives of citizens

Citizens Need To Have Their Say

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he Swiss Cooperation Office has been supporting the implementation of public finance management reforms at national and local levels in Serbia for several years already.

“These reforms are crucial for the EU accession process, such as our support to the Ministry of Finance for implementing Public Internal Financial Control, to the National Bank and the Statistics Office for improving the government’s financial statistics and reporting, but also important from the revenue point of view,” says Ursula Läubli, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office and Counsellor at the Embassy of Switzerland. “With our support to the Public Debt Administration, Switzerland contributed to reducing vulnerability to financial shocks through strengthened debt management and improved staff capacity.

We are particularly satisfied with the excellent results of this support that contributed to significantly reducing public debt, from a peak exceeding 70 per cent of GDP in 2015 to around 55 per cent of GDP in 2018, as well as an improvement of Serbia’s credit rating.”

• To what extent were these policies successfully transferred to the local level?

- When it comes to the implementation of 18 |

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Public Internal Financial Control at the local level, Switzerland is assisting over 40 Serbian municipalities in introducing the Financial Management and Control system, the Internal Audit function, and oversight of 30 local enterprises. Official results (PEFA assessment) show that improvements at the local level are already evident in the areas we support. This confirms that we can make a difference in Serbia, as the only donor providing long-term support in public finance management to the subnational level.

• Understanding and work on good governance principles are important in cooperation with Serbia. Are the results of good governance visible in Swiss projects?

- As already highlighted in the interview with our Ambassador, enhanced citizen participation – as well as transparency, accountability, efficient

and effective processes – is a precondition for successful Swiss-Serbian cooperation. We see tangible results, for example, in our support to local authorities in applying good governance principles that impact on the everyday life of citizens. Together with the EU, which financed the reconstruction of green markets, we have provided a set of rules that the local authorities adopted. They envisage how traders can bid for points of sale so that everyone has fair rights, specifying funding sources for maintenance costs, as well as an improved management structure for sustainable green markets based on citizens’ needs and priorities. Another example is our project supporting local governments in raising property tax, which simultaneously supports the dialogue between local governments and their citizens on how tax revenue should be used: for schools, nurseries, local roads and communal infrastructure.

• In your opinion, to what extent does the introduction of dual education help address the looming shortage of high-quality workers and make Serbia more competitive in creating new jobs?

- The introduction of dual education is, of course, only one piece in the puzzle. The Serbian Government requested Swiss expertise and the advice of ETH Zürich on the introduction of dual education to Serbia. We are happy to provide such support, in close cooperation with our Serbian partners. Switzerland suggested a gradual introduction of dual education and backs up this process with evidence and research. An innovative element is indeed, to be accompanied by a real cost-benefit analysis for the companies and close follow up on how teachers, parents and students perceive this major reform. In any case, such a new scheme needs to remain flexible, as economies are changing fast and students need knowledge for their entire working life – and not only for a specific job.

Through our programme “From Education to Employment”, we support non-formal education matching young unemployed people with companies offering both training and jobs. You can have a look at these offers on the project website.

tected natural areas, such as Zasavica and Obedska bara [nature parks], to unlock their economic potential. In Šumadija, more than 50 rural women developed their own businesses. More importantly, we nurtured their entrepreneurial spirit and encouraged them to use new technologies. You may see their offer of rural accommodation and products on www.selo.rs. Moreover, as part of our support to the Association of Šumadija Winemakers, the Royal winery in Oplenac was

We are particularly satisfied with the excellent results of our support contributing to significantly reducing public debt, from a peak exceeding 70% of GDP in 2015 to around 55% in 2018

• What would you highlight as the major achievements of the recently completed project to support rural and regional development?

- Switzerland works at different levels when addressing a certain issue. We have worked closely with the Ministry of Agriculture on releasing 175 million euros of EU funding for rural development, while at the local level we have encouraged cooperation between the private and public sectors and civil society organisations. With Swiss support, the installing of a cycle path was completed in Srem. The aim was to further promote ecotourism by linking urban, rural and pro-

reconstructed. Built in 1931, this space now serves for promotions, wine tastings and the reception of tourists. I can definitely recommend spending some time there.

• To what extent has the government succeeded in including the UN’s SDGs in its policies?

- Serbia has just prepared its first Voluntary National Report on the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030, which was due to be presented at the UN High Level Forum in New York in July. This is an important step towards the development of a national SDG framework, which is a challeng-

ing process. We hope that it will allow for a society-wide and evidence-based dialogue on developmental priorities in Serbia, and we believe that the process of European integration will underpin it. Switzerland will, together with Germany, support such a broad dialogue with civil society. Additionally, this project will also support the Serbian Government on efforts to better coordinate and finance the implementation of Agenda 2030.

• How do these efforts translate at the level of the work of the National Assembly?

- We can say that, in the future, the National Assembly’s monitoring of how the Government of Serbia implements Agenda 2030 and the SDGs may gain even more importance. Serbian parliamentarians have been aware of Agenda 2030 since the early stages, and they joined the leaders in promoting the SDGs in Serbia. They have formed a cross-party caucus on SDGs, which actively advocates for Agenda 2030 within the National Assembly. In December last year, the SDG caucus lobbied for funding in the 2019 national budget to be earmarked for the work of the inter-ministerial council that will deal with localisation of the SDGs. Two Swiss-supported projects (parliamentary and SDG support) will work hand-in-hand on the promotion and implementation of SDG related issues. ■ AUGUST

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YANA MIKHAILOVA, MARKET HEAD – NESTLÉ SOUTH EAST MARKET

Responsible Company For A Healthier Serbia Year after year, Nestlé shows its commitment to business operations in Serbia and its contribution to the development of local communities. Since 2011, when operations were launched at the Surčin factory, the company has invested more than 15 million euros in equipment procurement, increasing capacities and product development

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nabling healthier and happier lives for people and their families is definitely our main goal. As the leader in the food & beverages industry, with the best experts from the fields of nutrition and food safety, Nestlé constantly offers the best choices for healthy and balanced nutrition.

• Nestlé’s vision is to improve our lives with science-based nutrition and healthy solutions. Tell us more about your “Good food, good life” mission.

- Achieving balanced nutrition continues to be a growing global challenge. This is a burning topic nowadays, especially given 20 |

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the knowledge that obesity has nearly tripled worldwide since 1975. Food has a major impact on our lives and that’s why it is our job – as the world’s largest food and beverage company, with over a billion units sold each day – to produce safe, high quality and tasty food. We are not only producing, but rather we also believe that an understanding of how to eat well is very important, and so we see it as our responsibility to educate people on how to have a good balance in their nutrition.

Good habits start in childhood, so in Serbia we developed the ‘Zdravo Rastimo’ [Nestlé for Healthier Kids] programme, the primary goal of which is to educate primary school pupils on the importance of proper nutrition and physical activity. This is a good example of how our company, in coopera-

tion with public authorities, has created an enduring value for the society, and this is something in which Nestlé invests all over the world. Since the beginning of the initiative in the Adriatic region, eight year ago, almost 70,000 schoolchildren have participated. Globally, through the Nestlé for Healthier Kids initiative, we have committed to helping fifty million children live a healthier life by 2030.

• Nestlé, as a multinational company based in Switzerland, has a sustainable development programme focused on individuals, families and local communities, but also the entire planet. Tell us more about this.

- Switzerland is the number one country when it comes to innovation, according to

the index of the World Intellectual Property Organisation. I would say that this is not only about production, but also about all additional assets that a company can contribute to society. Besides nutrition, our vision extends much further. The drive to employ workers under the age of 30 is

Europe by 2020. Diversity and inclusivity are also integral to Nestlé’s culture, and since 2011 we have increased the number of women in leadership positions to 43 per cent. Last but not least, we have set commitments and objectives to use and manage resources sustainably by operat-

Nestlé cherishes one whole life cycle: from healthy people, through a good life, to a healthy environment a very important initiative launched by Nestlé, with which we are helping young people to secure their first job and simultaneously recruiting future leaders.

Within this initiative, the special ‘Alliance for YOUth’ project has been launched, and our company committed itself to providing 230,000 job opportunities and professional work placement practises in

ing more efficiently, responding to climate change, reducing food loss and waste, and caring for water. Our ambition is to strive for our operations to have zero environmental impact.

• Nestlé is among the most responsible companies socially. Tell us more about this.

- The power of food and its impact on our health is crucial. Being a leader in the food industry, therefore, carries with in an obligation to explain to consumers how nutrition impacts on the body and what is meant by the comprehensive information on ingredients contained on the packaging of our products. Besides that, we also produce in sustainable way – for example, we strive to reach a level of zero waste disposal by 2020. We’ve already reduced factory waste in Surčin by 80 per cent since the acquisition, and have so far invested 1.2 million euros in renovating and developing the factory alone, in order to accomplish our goals of reducing the environmental impact.

We’ve saved 50,000 cubic metres of water and reduced the amount of electricity consumed at this plant by 19.5%, while the use of paper was reduced by 61 tonnes in just one year and the use of plastic was also reduced by six tonnes ■

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BUSINESS

OLEG STEFANOVIĆ, DIRECTOR, PRODUKT BG ENGINEERING

Small But Reliable Partner

Thanks to its partnership with Swiss company Mageba, Produkt BG Engineering became the first and leading company in Serbia that's specialised in the production and distribution of all types of bearings and expansion joints for bridges, but also the only domestic manufacturer certified according to the highest standards

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he transfer of knowhow and technology is the key to success. Produkt BG Engineering’s engineers and employees have access to the latest technologies in their field of expertise. Moreover, they also have an opportunity to utilise solutions and experiences emerging out of the planet’s most demanding projects • It was four years ago that you became a partner of Swiss company Mageba. Did that bring you access to new markets and how important is this partnership for Serbia’s development?

- Yes, it was in mid-2015 that we signed contracts on the licensed production of bearings and expansion joints for bridges, as well as a contract on the distribution of other products from the Mageba product range. As this company is a global leader in this area of production, this partnership is an important step in the development of our company, but simultaneously represents acknowledgement of our own quality and knowhow.

Mageba’s products are included in more than 20,000 bridges worldwide. This was the first company to construct modular expansion joints and it has significant patents in many segments. Considering that it is a Swiss company, the levels of quality that it sets for us are often higher than those of the EU. Compliance with these standards is controlled quarterly by the German Institute from Stuttgart. It took more than a year for us to bring our processes up to Mageba standards.

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With the support of Mageba, we have also passed many certification processes, enabling us to sell our products on demanding markets, primarily those of the EU. Of all Mageba products that are today ordered in the region, 80% are produced at our plant in Serbia. And in this way we don’t only raise our own quality and productivity, but also “propel” our suppliers and subcontractors.

• During the establishing of this strategic partnership, you expressed hope that you would also significantly increase your volume of sales, which then totalled around a million euros. Have you managed to realise those plans? What has changed since then?

- In the year that the contract with Mageba was signed, our turnover totalled around a

• Has establishing licensed production led to shortened deadlines and reduced costs in bridge-building production?

- This isn’t a partnership on representation or trade, but rather is related to production.

Through better organisation and the optimisation of work processes, we immediately gained more efficient production, which led us to the optimal use of materials, energy and work. As the end result, we today produce more in the same period of time, deliver to our customers under shorter deadlines and can certainly achieve competitive prices.

• What would you single out as the most important advantage gained by your company as a result of this partnership?

- Things change rapidly on the market today, and that’s why it’s important that we have

Last year we had significant orders from Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Finland etc. We expect our exports to EU countries to grow even more million euros. As of the next year, we started growing at a rate of more than 35% annually, so this year we expect a turnover exceeding three million euros. This is extremely fast growth for such a small enterprise. Such growth was only possible with an appropriate investment in capacities and personnel. We built a new production facility, procured new machines, hired more people and invested in their training.

continuity in the profession. And that’s also why this partnership with Mageba is so significant, because it’s a process and not a one-off job.

Our employees constantly undergo training programmes and we constantly monitor all advancements, while Mageba performs direct checks of the quality of our work processes several times a year, providing us with suggestions and proposals for additional improvements to the organisation of production. ■

STOJAN KEMERA, GENERAL MANAGER, BARRY CALLEBAUT SOUTHEAST EUROPE BUSINESS

The Best Chocolate Needs Passion Thanks to its experience and tradition, but also the latest technologies, the Barry Callebaut Group sells its products in 140 countries worldwide. Its products serve the entire food industry – from industrial food manufacturers to chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants and caterers

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his world-renowned, Zurich-based company is now building a modern chocolate factory in Novi Sad, along with an Innovation Centre for Research & Development, in which it will invest around 50 million euros over the next five years. Serbia will then become a regional centre for supplying chocolate to the region of Southeast Europe.

ago, while the Barry Callebaut Group today serves the entire food industry – from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers. The two global brands catering to the specific needs of these gourmet customers are Callebaut and Cacao Barry. It is thus clear that expansion

The new Novi Sad factory will feature both an “Application lab” and a “Chocolate Academy” • Your company, Barry Callebaut, is a leading producer of high-quality chocolate and cacao products worldwide. How do you achieve the position of number one?

- There is more then one answer to that question. On one side, it is through a continuous commitment to the sustainable sourcing of high-quality cocoa beans and other ingredients, as well as through dedication to new technologies and a proactive approach based on scientific innovations, but also the craftsmanship and passion of our people to make the best possible chocolate. We are also committed to sustainable growth. Our founders started producing chocolate more than a century

is one of main strategic pillars of Barry Callebaut, whether we are talking about expansion through new market segments or geographical expansion.

• You are set to open your own factory in Novi Sad in 2021, with 50 million euros to be invested over the course of the next five years. It is planned for this to become a regional centre to supply the entire region of Southeast Europe.

- The factory will serve as a regional hub for Barry Callebaut to tap into the rapidly growing chocolate markets of Southeast Europe, while also capturing new outsourcing opportunities in the broader region.

Increased customer proximity will allow us to serve our current and new customers with a wide range of chocolate, compound and filling products.

• Your headquarters are in Zurich and your products reach customers in 140 countries, while you employ around 11,500 workers in more than 30 countries. How significant will the new Novi Sad factory be in the context of your global operations?

- Through this geographical expansion, we are settling in the region and covering the missing part of our supply network. This enables us to be closer to our customers in the broader region and to deliver our high-quality chocolate products to them.

The facility in Novi Sad will feature an “Application lab” that will enable us to create custom-made recipes and solutions for our customers, as well as a “Chocolate Academy” – as an education centre where we will host dedicated courses for artisans, innovation sessions for industrial and semi-industrial customers and partners, workshops on new trends, tasting sessions and similar. In short, this local facility will help us serve our customers with a full package – ideas, solutions and products, while it will also increase our overall production capacity – not only in Southeast Europe, but on a broader scale. ■ AUGUST

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INTERVIEW

ANA GRUJOVIĆ, DIRECTOR OF THE SWISS-SERBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Advancing Potential For Cooperation The Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to further strengthening economic ties between Switzerland and Serbia. The Chamber has been recognised for its contribution to development of the dual education system in Serbia, and as the first choice for Swiss companies interested in the Serbian market

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lthough economic activity between Switzerland and Serbia is still below its potential, businesspeople in the two countries are increasingly finding new opportunities for cooperation. We spoke with Ana Grujović, Director of the SSCC, about the attractiveness of the Serbian market to Swiss companies today, as well as the range of information that the SSCC can provide to both them and its members who are already present on the market.

• What does the number of enquiries from potential investors tell you about the sectors in Serbia that are the most attractive when it comes to enticing new investments?

- When considering a new market, foreign investors - including those from Switzerland - are looking for stable and predictable business 24 |

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environments. Currently, Swiss companies are showing interest in the Serbian ICT sector, agri-tech, and tourism, among others.

The SSCC’s report on the ICT sector in Serbia, published on the official website of our institutional partner Switzerland Global Enterprise S-GE, was among the most read “Global Opportunity Reports”, which shows that this is an interesting topic for Swiss companies. Moreover, the fifth consecutive “SSCC Business Climate Survey in Serbia, 2019” showed that most survey respondents assessed the current business climate in Serbia as being satisfactory. For example, in 2018, Nestle Adriatic invested in new equipment and expanded the capacity of its Surčin plant with two new production lines.

• How do potential Swiss investors perceive the potentials and risks of investing in Serbia? What kind of questions do they ask you?

- Most of the questions we receive from Swiss companies are related to market access conditions, customs administration procedures and local legislation. The results of the aforementioned business climate survey

also showed that the majority of surveyed companies expect changes in the following business environment areas: public institution efficiency and administrative procedures, the fight against corruption, and ensuring legal security and stability.

• How many members does the SSCC have today and what is their structure? Which economic areas do new members of the Chamber come from?

- The Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce numbers approximately 70 members. The membership structure is very diversified, both in terms of members’ company size and business activity. Most SSCC members are SMEs. Regarding our new members, I am happy to inform you that companies such as Gebruder Weiss (transport and logistics) and SF1 Group (exclusive distributor of Nespresso coffee) joined the SSCC this year.

• Which of the Chamber’s services are the most sought-after among existing CCSS members?

- There are many services in which interest is

shown by SSCC members. Firstly, networking events are very attractive for our members, as they provide new business opportunities.

We this year organised the International Networking Cocktail Reception in cooperation with 12 other bilateral business associations! This event, held in May 2019, had approximately 300 participants! Also, the SSCC’s internal events, such as the Members’

Marko Čadež and Dr Grujić. On this occasion, Dr Ursula Renold, Head of Division for Comparative Education System Research at the Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich, and the only international honorary member of the Serbian Government Commission for dual education, presented to the public the Swiss VET model, Swiss expertise and knowhow.

Furthermore, the SSCC has been recognised

system this year as well. However, we will focus more on the private sector’s role in dual education: companies’ benefits from the system, operational aspects, administrative procedures etc. At the same time, companies are expected to support the development of new educational profiles in accordance with market needs. We strive to provide an opportunity for companies to acquaint themselves with the perspectives of dual education and some of the good practise examples of dual education.

• For the first time since its formation, the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce has established cooperation with the regional chamber from neighbouring Bulgaria: the Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce.

What further plans do you have when it comes to developing regional cooperation?

- Yes, for the first time since its creation, the SSCC has established cooperation with a Swiss bilateral chamber of commerce from the region. We were very happy to welcome members of the Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce in April 2019, in order to exchange practises and lessons learnt, but also to provide even more networking opportuni-

Reunion, are also very popular, as they allow us to build a stronger and better connected SSCC business community. In January 2019, we were honoured to attend the Swiss Cheese Fondue Soiree at the Swiss Ambassadorial Residence in Belgrade, which was hosted by H.E. Ambassador Guex, who is Switzerland’s ambassador to both the Republic of Serbia and to Montenegro. Finally, the SSCC’s conferences are conceived as platforms for public-private dialogue, and they therefore enable our member companies to interact directly with public officials on topics of relevance to the further advancement of the local business climate.

• You were last year focused on dual education. What would you single out as the CCSS’s biggest contribution in this area?

- The SSCC conference on dual education, held in October 2018, was attended by the following guests of honour: Minister Šarčević, Ambassador Guex, Dr Renold, CCIS President

We strive to provide an opportunity for companies to acquaint themselves with the perspectives of dual education and some good practise examples of dual education as one of the organisations contributing to the development of the dual education system in Serbia, and I would like to note that the SSCC’s contribution lies in stressing the role of private sector companies in the dual education system, and the need for stakeholders to be well coordinated in order to improve the quality of the employability of young Serbian people and to match the needs of the private sector with labour market supply.

• Which topic is in the focus of the SSCC for this year?

- Given the significant interest among SSCC members in the topic of dual education, the SSCC will continue to focus on the VET

ties to our members. Our guests, together with SSCC members, were invited to visit the Nestle Adriatic factory in Surčin. BSCC representatives shared with us their own experience of contributing to the development and implementation of the dual education system in Bulgaria, which was extremely valuable to the SSCC. Additionally, in June 2019 we also organised a visit to the ABB factory Bulgaria – Sevlievo Branch, and all participants had an opportunity to acquaint themselves with production processes and the organisation of work on site. This cooperation will certainly continue, as many of our member companies are present not only the Serbian market, but also on neighbouring markets. ■ AUGUST

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BUSINESS

ANA GOVEDARICA, GENERAL MANAGER, ROCHE SERBIA

“New Medicine” Arriving Roche is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies, which strives to provide patients with access to innovative therapeutic and diagnostic options, but also a personalised approach to treatment. To this end, Roche builds and nurtures partnership relations with doctors, pharmacists, institutions and associations of patients

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hanks to the joint efforts of state institutions and producers of innovative drugs, including Roche, it is expected that – by next year at the latest – more than 80 innovative, latest-generation medicines will be available to patients in Serbia at the expense of the state. This will markedly improve the quality of treatment.

• To what extent does Roche – as one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Serbia and a member of the INOVIA Association of Manufacturers of Innovation Medicines – succeed in providing patients with the latest diagnostic procedures and therapy options?

- Extremely exciting and revolutionary things are currently occurring in healthcare. These changes are so great that we can call them 26 |

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“New Medicine”. They will transform all aspects of our work, our industry and the healthcare sector as a whole, as they will enable each patient to always receive the most effective therapy. This possibility is based on the massive precision of diagnostics, as we thus gain a clearer or – using the vocabulary of photography – sharper image than ever before. This is possible today thanks to new technologies, such as the genomic profiling of tumours, but also thanks to the availability of huge databases of knowhow and statistics.

A great honour and responsibility for me lies in the fact that Roche, of which I am part, is the leader of those innovations and changes. Roche shows its sincere willingness to transfer knowledge and experiences regarding the latest achievements to all stakeholders in the Serbian health system, with the aim of facilitating the more effective treatment of patients.

• For years, Serbia for years occupied an unenviable place in terms of the availability of innovative medicines, but then a great shift was made – though we believe even better can be done. What is your assessment of the current situation and tendencies?

- The availability of innovative therapies in Serbia has improved over the past several years thanks to the joint efforts of state institutions and pharmaceutical companies, including Roche. The effectiveness of treating patients and the introduction of new therapies, however, is advancing so rapidly that much more is needed for us to keep pace with the world.

The funding allocated for healthcare in Serbia is not small compared to the countries of the region, but a model must be found for its more efficient use. I primarily think that we should utilise the advantages of the digitalisation of healthcare, which already now offers completely new, more efficient ways of treating patients, but also of organising the entire health system.

The new era of personalised medicine implies a multidisciplinary approach that includes diagnostics, biotechnology and IT companies, in order to combine the achievements of more than one medical and technological field to collect as much information as possible on patients, apply the appropriate methods for analysing the information gleaned, and thus create personalised therapies. The pathway of treatment would commence from the establishing of

a precise diagnosis for each individual, to determining which therapy is most effective and least risky for them, and then continuous monitoring would be conducted to determine the outcome of the treatment and take preventive steps in order to preserve health.

Well-developed IT platforms and precise statistics are a prerequisite for the further improvement of healthcare and the applying of all new achievements. Serbia has a good IT base, and systems that are already in use in Serbia, with certain upgrades, can be efficiently used for “New Medicine”.

- There are no shortages, and that’s very important. What needs to be worked on is the establishing of long-term planning when it comes to the procurement of medicines, which will enable both pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare system to provide therapies under better conditions.

tutions and producers of innovative drugs, including Roche, it is expected that – by next year at the latest – more than 80 innovative, latest-generation medicines will be available to patients in Serbia at the expense of the state. These are medicines that are already prioritised by national expert committees,

• How often should the list of so-called positive medicines – those that patients receive from the National Health Insurance Fund – be amended?

- The development of new therapies is so accelerated that the process of introducing new innovative medicines must never be interrupted. This requires money, which is a major challenge for Serbia. It will therefore be necessary to change the way specific groups of medicines are procured and paid for, where feasible. It is important to measure the results of the success of treatments of every patient, but also all costs arising during the entire

Serbia can easily take a seven-mile step and reach the level of healthcare protection that exists in much more developed countries treatment cycle, and not just the primary cost of medicine procurement. Thus, if some medicine reduces some other treatment costs, that should also be taken into account.

There is also another model that’s successfully applied in well-organised health systems but can easily be applied in Serbia - the so-called “pay for performance” system. In short, the healthcare system pays medicine manufacturers only for those therapies that proved effective with the patient, and not for those that didn’t yield a satisfactory result.

• The procurement of medicines in Serbia is stable. Does this mean that the State is no longer in debt to suppliers?

• In your estimation, how much should be allocated to Serbia’s annual budget for innovative medicines and how far away from that optimal amount are we?

- As I mentioned, allocations for healthcare could be higher, but using the existing budget as efficiently as possible is more of a priority. The existence of a special budget for innovative medicines is one solution that would enable quicker access to the latest therapies. Investing in innovative therapies that are more effective than those used to date – according to most pharmacoeconomic analyses – is ultimately returned through manifold savings and benefits for society, the patient and their family.

Thanks to the joint efforts of state insti-

and thus the costs of their procurement can be assessed in a timely manner. It is only in this way – through adequate planning – that we can move closer to European and neighbouring countries in terms of the availability of innovative medicines, as well as the resources allocated for these purposes.

• You once stated that “health can be a generator of positive changes and GDP growth, because only a healthy person can contribute to healing the economy”. Do you have the impression that this message of yours made it to the authorities?

- It seems to me that advancing the health system in Serbia is one of the current priorities, which is good, so it seems to me that this message was accepted in the right way.

The fact is that the pharmaceutical industry is showing a sincere willingness to partner with healthcare workers, patients and the state to achieve the highest possible quality in the shortest possible time. ■ AUGUST

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BUSINESS

SLOBODANKA VLAJČIĆ, CEO, NEVENA&ALLMECOSMETICS

Photo: Miloš Luzanin, Politika a. d.

Europeans Recognise Our Quality

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ur cosmetics are produced according to the principle of Good Manufacturing Practice, respecting high standards of quality, health and environmental protection. Thanks to these standards, we have made a breakthrough on the European market and we are very proud of this, says Slobodanka Vlajčić.

•When and how did Nevena&Allmecosmetics begin?

- Nevena&Allmecosmetics is a family company created in 2011. Though I have spent a large part of my career in trade, I was always interested in the production that is the driver of the whole process. When the company was founded I lived abroad, but I wanted to start producing cosmetics in the country I came from, in Serbia.

We started producing cosmetics for hotels, but we soon launched a collection of luxury soaps for the face, and soaps in metal boxes for which everyone already recogniaes us. We also have a collection for 28 |

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Nevena&Allmecosmetics is a company with many years of tradition and experience in the production of high quality consumer cosmetics, recognisable throughout the EU. They make products for the care of hair, body and hands. They are also especially proud of their unique soap collection men and a baby collection, products that we are especially proud of.

• What makes your company stand out from others?

- Our company’s priority is the safety of its cosmetic products. We introduced the standards that apply to European manufacturers already in 2014 and have received the certificate of conformity of

• You received the “Most European” award in the category of entrepreneurship for contributing to Serbia’s connection to the EU. Tell us about this...

- I think anyone who is not part of a multinational company and yet manages to make an original product in Serbia and sell it in Europe can be considered as “most European”, in the sense of connecting Serbia with the EU through their own con-

Through the hard work of the entire team, we rapidly became well placed on the market and continued developing new products our products with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), a system of regulations that seeks to improve the safety of cosmetics. For this reason, I can proudly say that all Nevena&Allmecosmetics products are safe cosmetic products of the highest quality.

tribution. I am not an EU citizen, but EU residents find Nevena&Allmecosmetics products good enough for them.

I just feel this as the reason for the “Most European” award. And if there were more of us, we would be closer to Europe. ■

ĐORĐE RAŠIĆ, MEMBER OF THE BOARD, ZEPTER GROUP DOO BUSINESS

We Never Give Up On Quality

Zepter already became a part of our everyday life three and a half decades ago, thanks to a terrific product range that is growing from day to day, carrying us slowly into the future. Tens of millions of satisfied users and products sold are the best proof of quality and customer satisfaction

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e are now accepted over the entire planet and in all cultures, with Zepter operating today in 55 countries worldwide. Since more is always expected of us, we have launched a new global project, Tesla HYPERLIGHT® Eyewear, reveals Mr Rašić.

Formula 1 race in Monte Carlo. These are the only glasses in the world, both indoor and outdoor, that block absolutely all harmful radiation. The fullerene layer has special characteristics that hyperpolarise light, transforming it into light that has a beneficial effect on many of the organism’s functions, such as melatonin...

• Philip Zepter’s business philosophy is known for its concept of a healthy life. Is that why Zepter International is “treading” its fourth decade of business with undampened enthusiasm and dedication?

- Although 35 years after Zepter’s founding many people see us as makers of the world’s highest quality dishes for preparing healthy food, we are

• You have seven factories in Germany, Italy, Switzerland. Unlike other world-famous brands, you have not moved production to third world countries...

- The main reason why we manufacture in the countries you mention is the highest quality of production. Quality is our promise to customers, quality is something that is expected of us, qual-

In Zepter's portfolio there are five hotels recognizable by their personal style and luxury, but what’s especially important, concern for their guests’ health much more than that today. After sophisticated systems for water and air purification, the BIOPTRON medical device, produced in Switzerland for hyperlight therapy, and many home appliances that make a healthy and pleasant environment, we have launched a new global project: Tesla HYPERLIGHT® Eyewear. After a test period, we showcased them for the first time at one of the most important global media events - at the

ity is that ingredient for which our customers like and choose our products.

The key innovative ingredient of the whole range of our new products - Fulerene C60, is produced in Serbia’s most up-to-date laboratory run by Serbian scientists. So we have succeeded in positioning Serbia on the list of countries with sophisticated technology and which export it to the most developed countries in the world.

• Your innovative sales model has been a great success. What are its advantages?

- Zepter consists primarily of people. It was precisely Philip Zepter who recognised that anyone who aspires to be successful at work has a pronounced entrepreneurial streak, so the business model we have established gives the opportunity for every employee in the company to develop themselves. In this way, our original “Club Live 100” programme was spontaneously formed, which besides the many benefits for the purchase of all Zepter products and services offers many other advantages, but also the possibility of working in the company’s system.

• We also see some construction projects in Belgrade under the Zepter brand. What is this about? How far have you entered the real estate business?

- Zepter Real Estate, owned by the Zepter Group, manages one of the largest real estate portfolios with more than 380,000 square metres of space. Our latest venture – the Zepterra commercial and residential complex in one of the best locations in Belgrade near Airport City and West 65. The residential part will cover 75,000m2 with 750 apartments from one to five bedrooms, while the commercial area that covers 20,000m2 includes shops, an office block and a parking garage. Everything is made to the highest standards. ■ AUGUST

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BUSINESS

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND GENETICS

Stem Cells Treat 80 Diseases

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he Swiss Stem Cells Biotech (SSCB) was founded in 2005 within the framework of Lugano-based Cardiocentro Ticino, a highly specialised hospital focused on the use of stem cells in the treatment of myocardial infarction. It was there that the first autologous stem cell transplantation in Switzerland was carried out in 2004, and SSCB then became part of the Swiss Institute of Regenerative Medicine (SIRM), a state-of-the-art institute for biomedical research. This Swiss Stem Cell Bank is one of seven private banks that possess FACT NetCord accreditation.

FACT NetCord defines standards for high-quality medical and laboratory practises regarding treatments using umbilical cord

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stem cells, while its main goal is to define international standards and control all phases and processes – from the moment stem cells are harvested to the moment of transplantation/treatment.

banks. The Law on Cells and Tissues passed in Serbia prescribes that only stem cell banks possessing the prestigious FACT NetCord accreditation will be able to export stem cells from the umbilical cords of newborn babies.

Stem cells are used in EU countries to treat more than 80 diseases, while a record number of clinical trials is underway Around 35,000 stem cell samples have been released worldwide to date from all banks, predominantly public, more than 10,000 of which were samples for treatment released by FACT NetCord accredited

The new regulation was adopted in Serbia in an effort to provide parents with the highest level of safety, but also in order to comply with existing regulations in the countries of the European Union. â–

ALEKSANDAR MILOŠEVIĆ, CEO & FOUNDER, 3AP BUSINESS

We Create A Unique Working Culture 3AP is a young Swiss company that has been actively engaged in the development of technologically advanced software solutions that bring together IT experts and other professionals. With an entrepreneurial mindset, they understand the needs of both small businesses and major companies

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e encourage decision making and risk taking, we try to provide a collaborative environment and culture where everyone contributes to the success of 3AP – this is what we can drive and do as a company, and to foster continuous learning, says 3AP CEO and founder Aleksandar Milošević.

• What was the motive for opening the office in Serbia?

- A few 3AP founders have roots in Balkan so Serbia was a right place to create our second base and to continue with our vision - to establish a company where we can bring the experience we gained working with clients in Switzerland and all around the world. I personally believe very much in the mindset of people in Serbia as well as in Switzerland and in this company setting we can show and create a unique working culture which is very important for the next steps.

• What are the differences and what are the similarities between the work cultures of Switzerland and Serbia?

- 3AP is in the sector of Information Technology (IT) so I can speak about our work, presence and philosophy since founding 3AP. Even though both countries don’t have so many natural resources, Switzerland has a strong economy and Serbia is very successful in sports. I believe that ambitious mindset is the thing that drives their success. Besides that the engineering way of thinking is also very important to us and that’s something we found - and still find - in both countries.

• Do you connect Switzerland and Serbia through projects and, if so, how?

- To achieve the demands sought of us, we have invented and established our own approach to delivering digital solutions to ourselves and our clients. We call it “Start-up in a Box”, and it

represents a fusion of the disciplines required to bring an idea to life. In some cases it is more technically driven, while in others it’s more organisational.

• Do you agree that it’s important for employees to be both “pro” and “fit” if a company wants to generate a profit?

- That’s a nice play on words. The short answer is “yes, absolutely”. On the one hand, culture is key and provides the underlying base. On the other, having a holistic view of an undertaking is also key, whether it be establishing a company, running a project or anything else. And then the real work begins. ■

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SSCC

Our First F

ounded in March 2014, the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SSCC) has developed as a result of growing interest among representatives of the Swiss business community in Serbia, in

Years

fostering economic relations between the two countries, promoting Swiss values in Serbia and creating new networking opportunities for business professionals.

The SSCC is dedicated to monitoring

and influencing key political and economic developments that impact on members’ interests by encouraging dialogue between members, government officials and the broader business world. ■

SSCC MEMBERS REUNION The SSCC’s Members Reunion was held on 5th June 2019 on the premises of SSCC member company SR Technics. The event saw SSCC Board Member Yana Mikhailova present the results of the SSCC’s Business Climate Survey 2019 and lead the discussion about the local economic environment, after which two new SSCC members – Smart Point and Inspiring Culture Association – presented their business activities.

INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING RECEPTION The International Networking Reception took place on 23rd May 2019 at Belgrade’s Crowne Plaza Hotel and brought together over 300 guests to exchange business views and explore potential future cooperation. Together with the SSCC, this event was co-organised by 12 other bilateral business associations.

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SSCC-BSCC NETWORKING EVENT

KOPAONIK BUSINESS FORUM NETWORKING RECEPTION

For the first time since its formation, the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce has established cooperation with a chamber of commerce from the region, from Bulgaria: the Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce. The SSCC was honoured to welcome over 30 BSCC member guests to Belgrade on 12th April 2019. Both Chambers gave presentations about their activities and involvement in the development of the dual education system in their respective countries.

ACTIVE EMPLOYMENT MEASURES SEMINAR A seminar entitled “Programmes of active employment measures for employers” was held on 2nd April 2019. The even included presentations given by the following representatives of the National Employment Service of the Republic of Serbia: Biljana Jelenković Paspalj, Chief of the Department for the Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons With Disabilities, Biljana Žižić, Chief of the Department for Employment Programmes and Entrepreneurship, and Ilija Knežević, Chief of the Education and Training Department.

A networking reception was held during the Kopaonik Business Forum on 5th March 2019, sponsored by SSCC member company Sky Express d.o.o. The cocktail reception was jointly organised in cooperation with German-Serbian business association AHK Srbija, the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the Nordic Business Alliance in Serbia, the Slovenian Business Club and the Croatian Business Club.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SSCC

H.E. Philippe Guex. While enjoying original Swiss cheese and wine, SSCC members had an opportunity to learn about the art of making fondue and network with representatives of the business community and the Swiss Embassy in Belgrade.

The annual General Assembly of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce was held on 21st February 2019 on the premises of SSCC member company Roche Serbia. This occasion saw two members elected to the SSCC Board: Edin Dacić, President of the Assembly of Standard Furniture d.o.o., and Miloš Jovanović, CEO of Omnia Systems d.o.o.

BUSINESS MEETING WITH THE EU DELEGATION IN SERBIA

SPEED BUSINESS MEETING

A business meeting with the EU delegation in Serbia was held on 24th January 2019. Co-organised by the SSCC, the Slovenian Business Club, AHK Srbija and the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the event saw Matea Norčič Štamcar, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Serbia, and Yngve Engstroem, Head of Cooperation, speak about Serbia’s progress towards EU accession and EU funding opportunities in the Republic of Serbia.

A Speed Business Meeting event was held in Belgrade on 5 th February 2019 and included the participation of over 50 companies that are members of the SSCC, AHK Srbija, the CCIFS and Cofindustria Serbia. All company representatives were given an opportunity to present their corporate activities to potential business partners, exchange information and establish contacts for future cooperation.

SWISS FONDUE CHEESE EVENING AT THE SWISS AMBASSADORIAL RESIDENCE The Swiss Cheese Fondue Evening was held on 29th January 2019 at the Swiss Ambassadorial Residence in Belgrade, hosted by Swiss Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro, 34 |

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IPR SEMINAR

A seminar on the protection of intellectual property rights in Serbia was organised by SSCC member company MSA IP – Milojević, Sekulić and Associates, held on 28th November 2018 at MSA IP’s Belgrade offices. A presentation was given and a panel discussion was held that included the participation of legal solicitors and MSA IP solicitors specialising in trademark and patent issues.

The seminar included around 40 participants.

AUTUMN BUSINESS BREAKFAST

The Autumn Business Breakfast, which took place on 22nd November 2018, was organised by SSCC member company Confida Consulting d.o.o. and Gebrüder Weiss. The event included a presentation and panel discussion among members of the Tax team of CONFIDA Consulting and the Customs Department of Gebrüder Weiss, at which they shared their knowledge of tax and customs aspects of inward processing in Serbia. The event brought together approximately 100 participants.

A curriculum that includes at least one of 32 dual educational profiles is now being implemented at 84 vocational secondary schools in Serbia. This means that 23 per cent of Serbia’s schools are currently part of the dual education system, which will be fully implemented as of the 2019/2020 academic year. This was concluded at the conference ‘Dual Education in Serbia 2018: Current Results and Future Challenges’, organised by the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

SSCC PANEL ON DUAL EDUCATION AT AUTUMN VIVALDI FORUM

The SSCC organised a panel discussion on dual education during the MSM Vivaldi HR Forum, held in Mokra Gora on 27th September 2018. This forum brings together experts from business, social and cultural spheres, with the aim of improving business conditions of our society.

SWISS NATIONAL DAY 2018

SSCC CONFERENCE ON DUAL EDUCATION

The Embassy of Switzerland in Belgrade organised a reception to mark the 727th anniversary of the foundation of Switzerland.

Ambassador H.E. Phillipe Guex welcomed guests to the Swiss Ambassadorial Residence in Belgrade, including senior representatives of the Serbian Government, numerous public figures, representatives of the diplomatic community and members of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, other business associates etc.

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SWISS ECONOMY

The Swiss economy is among the world's most stable and is the preferred choice for investors seeking a skilful workforce and an economy based on strong research, development and innovation capacities. Switzerland earns most of its revenue on the basis of financial services, precision manufacturing, metals, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electronics

Small, Smart & Prosperous

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wiss GDP stood at $703.750 billion on a nominal base in 2018, while GDP per capita was $82,950 (nominal, 2018 est). Switzerland has one of the world’s highest per capita GDPs, due to its prosperous and modern market economy, which relies on robust export, mainly to EU partners (the euro zone purchases half of all Swiss exports), a highly skilled labour force, low unemployment rates and a balanced budget.

According to United Nations data for 2016, Switzerland is the third richest landlocked country in the world, after Liechtenstein and Luxembourg, and – together with the latter coountry and Norway – is one of only three countries in the world with GDP per capita exceeding US$70,000 that are neither island nations nor mini-states.

Despite of its relatively small size and low level of natural resources, Switzerland has a robust economy. Granite, limestone, other building stones and salt are the only abundant mineral resources with a com36 |

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mercial value, while there are also modest deposits of iron and manganese ores.

About 11 per cent of Switzerland’s land is used for agriculture, while another 30 per cent is covered by forests. Consequently, only a small minority of Swiss workers are involved in the primary production or agricultural sectors (1.3% of the population in 2006), while a larger minority is involved in the secondary production or manufacturing sector (27.7% in 2012). The majority of the working population is involved in the economy’s tertiary or services sector (71.0% in 2012).

This, however, doesn’t imply that agricultural production is small. In fact, the

agricultural industry benefits from high tariffs and extensive domestic subsidies that encourage domestic production, which currently produces about 60% of the food consumed in the country. The country’s entire need for potatoes and other vegetables, pork, veal, cattle and most milk products are produced in the country.

According to figures contained in the World Fact book, Switzerland is the world’s 20th largest exporter and 18th largest importer. According to various sources, Switzerland’s exports for 2017 stood at $313.5 billion (est.), while imports totalled $264.5 billion (2017 est.). Switzerland is an important exporter and importer of

chemicals, machinery and electronics, precision tools, jewellery, agricultural products, vehicles, textiles, leather, rubber and plastics.

The life sciences industry also plays a crucial role in the Swiss economy. According to industry data, over 250 pharmaceuticals companies (startups, SMEs and multinationals) are based in the country. The industry employs 44,200 people, generating 24.1 billion Swiss francs (€20.2bn) in gross added value each year and accounting for around a third of the market capitalisation on the

Suisse Group AG. They account for over 50% of all deposits in Switzerland. The Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) estimated in 2018 that Swiss banks held US$6.5 trillion in assets, or 25% of all global cross-border assets. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), total Swiss banking assets amount to 467% of total gross domestic product.

The tourism sector is also among the main drivers of the Swiss economy. The contribution of travel and tourism to Switzerland’s GDP in

Switzerland's major trade partner countries for exports include Germany, the U.S., the UK, China and Hong Kong, while for imports those partners are Germany, the U.S., Italy, the UK and the UAE

SIX Swiss Exchange. Moreover, pharmaceuticals constitute 38% of the country’s total exports – more than watches, cheese and chocolate combined.

Average annual revenues from chocolate production in Switzerland total around 1.5 billion Swiss francs (about $1.5 billion), with the Swiss producing about 180,000 tonnes of chocolate per year.

As of 2018, there were more than 400 securities dealers and banking institutions in Switzerland, ranging from large institutions down to small community banks. The two largest Swiss banks, respectively, are UBS Group AG and Credit

2018 was 8.5%. More than 170,000 people (fulltime-equivalents) work in the tourism industry, representing around four per cent of the working population.

Switzerland has highly developed tourism infrastructure, especially in its mountainous regions and cities. According to estimates by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute, overnight stays are set to increase by 2.7% in 2019 and 2.4% in 2020.

Tourism Revenues in Switzerland averaged 2924.24 CHF Million from 1983 until 2019, reaching an all-time high of 5003.60 CHF Million in the third quarter of 2018. ■

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION The Swiss economy ranked first in the world according to the 2018 Global Innovation Index.

Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) insists that the country is very competitive in the field of research and innovation, and also ranks among the countries with the highest spending on R&D in relation to GDP. The private sector accounts for more than two-thirds of Swiss R&D expenditure, which currently amounts to over three per cent of GDP, or around 22 billion Swiss francs. Public research funding hinges mainly on the proactive work of researchers, the principle of competition and international cooperation.

In order for Switzerland to remain among the leading countries in the development and application of digital technologies, it needs to boost skills in education and research. The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) has conducted a study on the challenges of digitalisation for education and research in Switzerland, and subsequently drawn up an action plan for digitalisation in the ERI sector in 2019 and 2020. Among eight areas of action, the following were chosen: digital literacy, use of ICT in teaching and learning, rapid adaptation of the education system to market requirements, improved coordination and communication in education cooperation, strengthened young academics’ qualifications (digital skills), interdisciplinary research on the consequences of digital change for the Swiss economy and society, improved competencies in basic research and the accelerating of knowledge transfers.

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SERBIA BECOMES A FULL MEMBER OF CERN

European Scientific Elite

PETAR ADŽIĆ, PROFESSOR AT THE FACULTY OF PHYSICS, UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE (RETIRED), CHAIRMAN OF THE SERBIAN NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR COOPERATION WITH CERN AND SERBIA’S SCIENTIFIC DELEGATE IN THE CERN COUNCIL

This year was marked on the international scientific front by the admission of Serbia as a full member of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research - CERN. As from the 24th March 2019, Serbia officially became the 23rd member state of this most prestigious international scientific organisation

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hen Israel became the 21st member in 2014, that country’s officials assessed it as one of the most significant events in the country’s history. Serbia is the first country of the region to succeed in achieving this, while – along with hosts Switzerland, Israel and Norway - it is one of the few non-members of the EU. Cyprus and Slovenia are the candidates to be considered for a membership over the next few years.

This success of Serbia has been made possible thanks to the dedication and many decades of successful work of Serbian research teams, but also thanks to the support of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, and the decisive efforts of the Serbian Prime Minister.

What does CERN offer to its members and what is the significance of its membership?

In addition to leading roles in High Energy Physics research (as well as in some other disciplines of physics), CERN represents one of the best institutions for the development of the cutting-edge technologies and their direct application (or knowledge transfer) in the fields of microelectronics, materials, engineering,

superconducting, acceleration technologies, computer technology (software and hardware) and informatics. A significant part of basic and applied research is conducted in the fields of chemistry, medicine and pharmaceuticals. This world’s leading laboratory combines basic and applied research in the most ideal way: new and high research requirements and challenges initiate innovation, development and the application of the latest technologies. The greatest part of CERN’s research and financial potential is focused on exploiting the existing accelerator chain, whose last stage represents the largest accelerator, the most complex scientific instrument ever conceived, the Large Hadron Collider – LHC, along with its four largest and most complex experiments in science up to date.

Alongside advancing and raising the quality of basic research that has the largest impact on the formation of the scientific profile within one society, the following can be singled out as the most important advantages of Serbia’s membership in CERN: The chance to get involved of a large number of users of various research and technical profiles, thus reducing or at least slowing down of hardly avoidable departures (leaving) of the highly educated people, particularly recent graduates from the country. For example, postgraduates remain connected to our universities and scientific institutions where they are employed, while the opportunity is simultaneously created for them to continue their studies or research at CERN, which represents the top research place in the world, and within the environment that they can consider as their own where high level conditions exist, and where, accordingly, they can plan their research future over a longer period; The most advanced experimental equipment available at CERN, state-of-the-art technology and applied methods, as well as the experience gained while working with toplevel experts, will be transferred faster to our region. There is no better and more efficient investment than one, which quickly returns to

B y P E TA R A D Ž I Ć

our own environment. The research work or engineering involvement within the scope of any international project at CERN implies its return and knowledge transfer or at least its main parts of activities to home institutions of a member state. This is one of CERN’s main missions and which we physicists, for example, have been using in physics for a long time; Our citizens have the right to apply equally with colleagues from other member states for funds from the CERN budget. The well-known CERN Summer School for undergraduate and graduatestudents,theprestigiousCERNscholarships for one or more years, then doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, as well as various forms of financial support for specialisation at CERN, represent perhaps the greatest benefits for our researchers. It is important to note that not only scientists and engineers have the privileges to apply for five year (Limited Duration-LD) or permanent jobs at CERN, but this right also extends to specialists of various professional profiles. As a full member, Serbia participates in all decision-making processes and thus having an impact on the CERN policy. Taking all these account, and in that sense, membership at CERN is reminiscent of some kind of EU membership; Our industrial companies can now compete equally with companies from other member states and participate in application for tenders of all calls for contracts within CERN projects,

state and during its associate status; It is well-known that the internet, or the World Wide Web, was invented at CERN. For similar reasons that led to the emergence of the idea of the WWW, the EU entrusted CERN with the leading role in the LHC-GRID project with the main goal to build advanced computer networks that would enable data flows with tremendous speeds, large processor power, and a large capacity for the transfer and storing of data collected in the Large Hadron Collider experiments. This enabled researchers from the most distant institutions, living on different continents around the world, to participate actively in the analysis of experimental data from the LHC at their home institutions. The GRID technology is now embedded in almost

By the end of 2018, there were between 75 and 80 users registered at CERN from Serbia. Besides smaller groups of researchers scattered within different projects, currently there are four main and rather homogeneous Serbian research teams (the total of about 40 users) actively involved in CERN international projects thereby taking an opportunity, besides gaining the experience and knowledge, to try to return a significant part or perhaps all of the costs of membership back to Serbia; An important part of activities at CERN comprises an exceptional education programme intended for schoolchildren, students and teachers in physics, engineering and scientific administration. Serbia already utilised this programme in several occasions during the period when it was not a member

every country around the world where advanced computer networks have been built, as well as in the most up-to-date computer centres with giant capacities and the processor power capable to handle huge amounts of data. Serbia also represents part of this global computer GRID network (example: supercomputer installation at the Institute of Physics). All these are particularly important for countries, whose researchers and users are involved in CERN projects.

By the end of 2018, there were between 75 and 80 users registered at CERN from Serbia. Besides smaller groups of researchers scattered within different projects, currently there are four main and rather homogeneous Serbian research teams (the total of about 40 users) actively involved in CERN international projects. Physicists and specialists from the Faculty of Physics of University of Belgrade and the “Vinča” Institute of Nuclear Sciences are active within the CMS and SHINE-NA61 experiments, the other research group of the Institute of Physics is working on the ATLAS experiment, while another one is involved in the LHC-GRID project; physicists from the Department of Physics of Faculty of Sciences of the University of Novi Sad are actively

engaged on the ISOLDE experiment. With their activities in the field of basic research in High Energy Physics, then in the development of detector technologies (R&D), as well as in permanent engineering activities, all of them are trying to provide a recognisable contribution to specific CERN projects.

It is also important to note that individual Serbian companies have proven successful over the past few years in competing for tenders equally with companies from other countries for various types of contracts within CERN projects. We expect that our country would feel more benefits of the CERN membership even with somewhat better and more organised approach of our business sector.

To conclude, and taking into account some cases of other countries, and on the basis of some of personal experiences to date, I would dare to say that the CERN membership could help Serbia advance in many segments. ■ AUGUST

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SWITZERLAND: SMALL, BUT DIVERSE

Driving Force Of Modern Life

The four ethnolinguistic groups (Germanic, French, Italian, and Rhaeto-Romansh) that comprise the native Swiss population have retained their specific characteristics throughout the centuries, though the country was originally inhabited

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ith the collapse of Roman rule, Germanic tribes poured in to the area now known as Switzerland, among them the Alemanni and Burgundians. The Alemanni ultimately became the dominant group, and the present Alemannic vernacular (Schwyzertütsch, or Schweizerdeutsch) is spoken as the principal language by nearly two-thirds of the total population.

As of 2002, 65% of the population was German; 18% was French; 10% was Italian; 1% was Romansh; and 6% was comprised of various other groups.

From the verdant Rhine Valley to icy glaciers, Switzerland is a small, but very diverse country — and not only geographically. Find out more about its major regions, people, history, and cantons in our expat guide.

With a territory of less than 42,000 km², Switzerland is among Europe’s smaller countries. For foreign visitors, it might conjure up images of Alpine glaciers and fancy ski resorts. However, despite its size, Switzerland is far more diverse than postcard clichés might suggest.

While the Alps do cover the majority of the country, they represent only one of its three major geographic regions. In administrative terms, Switzerland is divided into as many as 26 different parts — cantons, all of which have a considerable degree of political autonomy and take great pride in their local history.

Moreover, Switzerland’s economic success has been attracting — and is partly the result of — a large foreign population, with one in four Swiss residents born abroad.

JURASSIC WORLD: THE NORTHERN MOUNTAIN RANGE The northernmost of Switzerland’s geographic regions is the Jura mountain range, which accounts for around 10% of the country’s total surface area. Stretching along the France-Switzerland border, it is shaped like a crescent moon and opens towards the southeast. The Swiss Jura consists of characteristic “fold mountains”, with peaks up to 1,680 metres high, plenty of valleys, and deep gorges that are often covered in forests.

Although there is a canton called Jura, you shouldn’t confuse it with the entire region. The Jura mountains include another seven to eight cantons, and account for a significant part of Romandy, the Frenchspeaking parts of western Switzerland.

However, due to their geographical features and cool, humid climate, the Jura mountains themselves have never been that densely populated: major cities are mostly located on their fringes, such as Basel to the north or Geneva to the south.

(Strictly speaking, the latter belongs to the neighbouring region of the Swiss Plateau.)

The Jura’s more remote rural areas are today suffering from a falling population.

However, even though it isn’t as popular

it has always been home to the majority of Switzerland’s population.

The Central Plateau is today the most densely populated region in the entire country. Despite covering less than a third of the territory, it is home to more than two-thirds of all residents. Nearly all towns with populations exceeding 50,000 (and all major expat destinations)

Switzerland's Central Plateau is today the most densely populated region in the entire country. Despite covering less than a third of the territory, it is home to more than two-thirds of all residents

among tourists as the Swiss Alps, it is a paradise for those interested in hiking, cross-country skiing and mountain biking.

THE CENTRAL PLATEAU: THE HEART OF SWITZERLAND Also called Mittelland or plateau suisse, the Central Plateau is a hilly region squeezed between the Jura mountains to the north and the Swiss Alps to the south, between Lake Geneva to the southwest and Lake Constance to the northeast. At an average of only 500 metres above sea-level,

are located there — with the exceptions of Basel and Lugano. The Central Plateau also features Switzerland’s most important locations for business and industry, including the mechanical industry and electrical engineering, food production, or finance and insurance.

When packing your suitcase, be prepared for a continental-temperate climate with plenty of fog during winter, the occasional cold, dry wind blowing from the northeast (Bisen), and more rainfall the closer you move to the Alps. Near Lake

Geneva, however, the weather tends to be slightly warmer than it is in the rest of the region.

Where exactly you are planning to visit might, however, influence more than just your wardrobe. The language boundary between French-speaking Romandy and the German-speaking parts of Switzerland runs across the plateau, with Francophone

cities like Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel in the west, bilingual Berne and Fribourg in the middle, and German-speaking Lucerne, Zug and Zurich in the east.

ON TOP OF EUROPE: THE SWISS ALPS South of the Central Swiss Plateau, the hills of the Mittelland gradually grow into the rising Prealps, with an elevation of up to 2,500 metres above sea-level and beyond. Though the Swiss Alps account for just 13 per cent of this European mountain range, they actually cover 60% of Switzerland’s surface area. Only neighbouring Austria has a larger percentage (65%) of mountainous territory.

One in four residents of Switzerland lives in the Alps, and in five of the 26 cantons, at least 25 per cent of the respective territory is located above 2,000 m — those cantons are Glarus, Graubünden, Ticino, Uri, and Valais. The latter is also home to AUGUST

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Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Portugal and Turkey (Turks and Kurds). Between them, these six groups account for about 1.5 million people, 60% of Switzerland’s immigrant background population, or close to 20% of the total Swiss population.

Switzerland and Australia, with about a quarter of their populations foreign born, are the two countries with the highest proportion of immigrants in the Western world, although who actually counts as an immigrant varies from country to country, and even between agencies within countries. Some countries naturalise immigrants easily, while others make it much more difficult – ensuring that such comparisons should be treated with caution.

Switzerland’s most famous peaks, including the Matterhorn (4,478 m) and the Jungfrau (4,158 m), part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area, which marks the Alps’ first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For most expats, the Swiss Alps will mainly be of interest as an attractive destination for excursions and longer breaks: jobs for international staff are usually in the heavily urbanised central region — unless you are seeking employment in the tourism industry. If you have professional experience in this sector and are passionate about mountaineering or winter sports, this region might be a dream come true.

Last but not least, the Alpine cantons of Ticino and (southern) Graubünden make up the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland.

Due to its Mediterranean climate, the

Woman hold 19 per cent of all management positions in medium-sized companies in Switzerland, according to consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY). That figure was 17 per cent just two years ago. EY also reported that there were more women on management boards in the French-speaking parts of Switzerland than in

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Switzerland has the highest Potential Net Migration Index of any European country by a large margin, at +150% (followed by Sweden at +78%) according to a 2010 Gallup study

picturesque Ticino is a popular destination among tourists from all over the world, but expats shouldn’t forget that Lugano – its most populous city – is also one of the three centres of Switzerland’s financial sector, right after Zurich and Geneva.

IMMIGRANT GROUPS The largest immigrant groups in Switzerland are from Italy, Germany, the

Switzerland also has the highest Potential Net Migration Index of any European country by a large margin, at +150% (followed by Sweden at +78%) according to a 2010 Gallup study; this means that, of an estimated 700 million potential migrants worldwide, about 12 million (150% of Swiss resident population) cite Switzerland as their most desired country of residence. ■

its German-speaking parts.

Industry type and overall company success also play a role. According to an EY statement, “successful companies are more likely to support the advancement of women, with 30 per cent of them saying they do so, compared to only 15 per cent of less successful companies”.

SWISS CRAFTSMANSHIP

Huge International Reputation

SWISS COW BELLS

Despite Switzerland being one of the smallest countries in Europe, Swiss craftsmanship has a huge international reputation for high quality. Swiss craftsmanship is the benchmark by which all other artisans are judged

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rom delicacies like cheese to sturdy Swiss Army Knives and reliable Swiss watches, manufacturers and consumers agree that steel, cutlery, pewter, soap, cheese and other products from Switzerland are unrivalled.

The label “Swiss Made” is superior to one that says, for example, “Made in China”, because the consumer knows that they can rely on Swiss quality. Anyone who hails from Switzerland, has visited this pristine

country, or has purchased products made there understands the care artisans put into each item they create.

Anyone who has been to Switzerland has fallen in love with Swiss soaps. The clean, crisp air and Swiss dedication to high-quality production ensures that Swiss organic soaps and other beauty products are the best in the world. Is it any wonder that Switzerland’s women are among the world’s most beautiful?

Even the milk is better in Switzerland.

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Since 1992, Switzerland has produced the world’s highest quality milk, with an exceptional somatic cell count – a scientific rating of the quality and bacteria count of milk.

Swiss dairy farmers continue to achieve this top spot by setting the highest standards for themselves, with producers subjected to stiff penalties for substandard milk.

RELIABILITY AND STABILITY The Swiss demand reliability in everything they do. A synchronised timetable and good connections keep trains in Switzerland punctual and reliable, even when covering beautiful and

century, and by the end of that century it had already gained an international reputation for top quality. By the turn of the 20th century, the Swiss had increased productivity thanks to leading innovations in mass production, pioneering interchangeable parts technology, and standardisation. The Swiss then wound up the watch world by introducing quartz technology.

Nothing stands for precision and craftsmanship like the cross on a Swiss Army knife.

In the 1880s, the Swiss government placed an order for German knives that its soldiers could use to open tins of food and assemble their

SWISS MADE WATCH

rugged terrain. In their train systems, just like in their products, the Swiss always leave a little room for form when they design for function.

The Swiss currency, the franc, is one of the most stable in the world. This consistency allows artisans to concentrate on quality rather than currency when designing and creating their products. Stability also facilitates the transfer of knowledge regarding superior manufacturing principles from one generation to the next.

TRADITION OF PRECISION CRAFTSMANSHIP The Swiss have a tradition of precision craftsmanship dating back centuries. The Swiss watch industry began in the mid 15th 44 |

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with a spring mechanism, while the company began making knives with legendary Swiss stainless steel in 1921. The famous cross and shield emblem on Swiss Army knives stand as a testament to the product’s use of surgical-grade steel.

The Swiss take their metalworking seriously. Swiss Army knife manufacturer Victorinox also makes a wide variety of knives and sharpening accessories, to make everyday kitchen work a cut above the rest.

Swiss pewter melds form and function into durable and usable goods, such as mugs, letter openers and candlesticks.

SWISS DESIGNER TOYS

The Swiss have a tradition of precision craftsmanship dating back centuries. The Swiss watch industry began in the mid 15th century, and by the end of that century it had already gained an international reputation for top quality

guns. Karl Elsener, who was then the owner of a company producing surgical equipment, decided that Switzerland should make its own knives and accordingly purchased the German knife company. Unimpressed with the shoddy quality and limited capacity of the knives, Elsener began attaching tools

When you need durable, high-quality products, look to the tiny European nation of Switzerland. From stainless steel to classic watches, Swiss innovation is always an effective purchase, representing quality that simply can’t be lacking as long as long as the label confirms that it’s Swiss. ■

EPISODE 48 OF NOVAK ĐOKOVIĆ VS ROGER FEDERER SUPERHERO RIVALRY GOES SERBIAN’S WAY

WIMBLEDON 2019

By ANURADHA SANTHANAM

Rivalry Of Superheroes B

The Roger Federer - Novak Đoković rivalry is so intense that it's sometimes easy to forget the two are not exactly from the same tennis generation.

Federer is five years older, which – perhaps in tennis years – means far, far more

ut Federer himself belied that age, that generational gap, to play what was the longest ever men’s singles final at Wimbledon. And if anyone knows what a long Wimbledon final is, it’s Roger Federer. The 2008 final - part of yet another intense rivalry featuring Federer, and perhaps the most well-known rivalry in tennis- is considered one of the greatest matches in tennis history. At only eight minutes shorter than Sunday’s final, it was also the then longest match in Wimbledon history.

Always one to break records, Federer ended up playing another epic final the following year, playing the longest match (in terms of games played) at Wimbledon to defeat Andy Roddick and break Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slams.

The Swiss held multiple championship points, only for Đoković - he of the “being able to hold on during the seemingly impossible” - to hold on, and oh how he did. In perhaps an incredibly fitting latest instalment to their now thirteen-year rivalry, Đoković would probably have pulled a literal kitchen sink out of his bag of tricks if you gave him enough time - and god knows they took a fair bit of it!

Wimbledon’s 2019 final was polarising in many ways, not least because of just how divided the rivalry is between Federer and Đoković. At least at this specific venue, that rivalry seemed quite firmly poised in one direction - due Switzerland. But in the final match, to borrow a cliche, ‘tennis was the real winner’.

There is no doubt that anyone watching the final was in the presence of greatness: the pair make up two of men’s tennis’s ‘Big Four’ (perhaps the ‘Big Three’ now), and are firmly AUGUST

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part of the tennis greats pantheon. Federer is still the only player to have defeated Đoković at all four Grand Slams, while Đoković is the only player to have done the same to Federer.

That alone should be enough, even for someone not particularly familiar with the sport, to show just how intense their rivalry really is.

Think of their final as the latest instalment in your favourite TV series, but it’s so much more than that. The two men on either side of the net are about as close as we’re going to get to real life superheroes.

But this superhero universe has been running a couple of years ahead of its fictional counterpart - and back when Federer and Đoković first clashed, it was the Roger show all the way. Interestingly, for the first six years of that rivalry, they never once clashed on Federer’s favourite surface.

Until the 2010 U.S. Open, the pair’s rivalry had stood at 16-6 in Federer’s favour - number six being Đoković’s five-set U.S. Open semifinal win. Although the Serb would go on to lose that final to Nadal, for him it was the turning point, the key, and what would usher in the firm seizing of that rivalry for himself.

From consistent Roger victories peppered with a few Novak wins, that narrative was flipped on its head.

In 2014, in what would be the pair’s first ever Wimbledon final and second Grand Slam final, it was Đoković who beat Federer, in three hours and fifty-six minutes of yet another “will he, won’t he” contest that teetered on the edge.

Federer is still the only player to have defeated Đoković at all four Grand Slams, while Đoković is the only player to have done the same to Federer.

That alone should be enough, even for someone not particularly familiar with the sport, to show just how intense their rivalry really is And in the years since, that rivalry - although it saw a number of solid, convincing victories from Federer - has far and away been the Đoković show.

Every Federer-Đoković match has a few

ĐOKOVIĆ'S WIFE JELENA AND THEIR SON STEFAN

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things in common, but perhaps nothing as much as fan emotions. For as much mental and emotional pressure that must have been on the players themselves, perhaps every living room, every laptop, every online stream that was tuned into Wimbledon had someone or other cheering, chewing their fingernails, and waiting with bated breath on the other side of a screen.

Every clash between Federer and Đoković at a major tournament has been a big one, a fight, and a thrilling story - but while each player has had his share of straight set wins at Grand Slams over the other - particularly in Australia, Wimbledon has been a different beast. Some of the pair’s greatest clashes have come on hard courts, certainly, but their Wimbledon final surpassed every single one.

It is no secret that grass is one with Federer, and Federer one with it. Đoković, on the other hand, is perhaps one of the greatest all-court players we will ever see

in the game, and even though theoretically Federer’s game is more suited to the faster surface, there is nothing Đoković can’t really play, no player, no surface, and no shot. Now, with long points, longer rallies, and slower courts, perhaps things are tilted ever so slightly in his favour.

Make no mistake - this rivalry is one featuring two of the most skilled players in the history of the game, whether that’s calculated in terms of physicality, shot-making or strategy. Both Đoković and Federer are master tacticians - but they are also, mentally, two of the strongest players in the history of the sport. Few players could have held on despite being two championship points down and still come back to win the title - but Đoković is one such player. And so is Federer, and in that sense the final was reminiscent of their first ever Wimbledon

MIRKA FEDERER AND HER TWO SETS OF TWIN CHILDREN, MYLA ROSE, CHARLENE RIVA, LENNY AND LEO

The Federer-Đoković rivalry has given us the power to feel immense joy and complete heartbreak for a sport, and perhaps, just like in the movie world, the power to believe in what seems impossible final, back in 2014, when it was Federer who was down by a championship point in the fourth set, only to force a fifth.

That match had gone on three hours, fiftysix minutes. This year saw them overtake it by exactly one hour and one minute.

If you and I, as fans, were tense watching the match, one can only begin to imagine what Đoković - who has seen so many of these crunch situations before - may have been feeling. It was only fitting, then, perhaps, that the first ever final-set tiebreak

in Wimbledon history was played by two GOATs on grass.

The final wasn’t just one of the great Federer-Đoković clashes - it was one for the Grand Slam history books, the story books, and, in our modern age, one of those clashes that people will watch again, and again, and again online.

There are times when Đoković has come across to fans as being brash, as not really the crowd’s favourite when it’s Federer on the other side of the net. But he seems to be able to absorb that crowd energy and make it his own, and to own it in a way that no one else can, even when the odds, and the crowd, seem stacked firmly against him.

This is one superhero universe everyone will want endless sequels to, perhaps - and with Federer it really seems like he could do this all day. When the day finally does come that the curtains are drawn on the Federer-Đoković rivalry - hopefully not any time soon – there will no doubt be reams of newsprint calling it the end of an era. But for now, what this Open Era and this rivalry has given us is a love for the game, the power to feel immense joy and complete heartbreak for a sport, and perhaps, just like in the movie world, the power to believe in what seems impossible. ■ Source: firstpost.com AUGUST

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