The first concrete interest by Austrian businessmen to invest in the Republic of Srpska arose only ten days after the successful Investment Forum in Vienna, organized by the Republic of Srpska Investment Development Bank (IDBRS) and Republic of Srpska Representative Office in Austria.

Acting director of the IDBRS, Dražen Vrhovac, and Head of the Republic of Srpska Representation in Austria, Mladen Filipović, met with Thomas Hörburger, a management representative of an Austrian company interested in preliminary discussions about potential investment.

The meeting, which is part of the initial phase of negotiations, identified this company’s intentions and goals against the opportunities offered by the Republic of Srpska. The meeting took place in the premises of the Republic of Srpska Investment Development Bank in Banja Luka.

The return visit from Austria followed after the Investment Forum had presented concrete offers for investment in the Republic of Srpska to both Austrian and Serbian diaspora businessmen on 4 March in Vienna. The forum presented the stimulating tax policy of the Republic of Srpska Government and the advantages of investing in the Republic of Srpska compared to the countries of the region and the European Union. The presentations also covered capital projects of the Republic of Srpska Government, projects within business zones in local communities, and companies interested in being the subject of sale or establishing a strategic partnership with an Austrian company.

The focus was on economic sectors in the field of transport infrastructure, process manufacturing (wood processing and metal processing), food production and tourism sectors.

The Vienna Investment Forum is the first of six planned in Europe and the world this year. These forums are part of the activities that resulted from the first large and successful INVEST FORUM organized in September last year in Banja Luka by the IDBRS and Republic of Srpska Government. This year’s activities will be crowned by a big joint autumn event in the Republic of Srpska – the fourth INVEST SRPSKA investment conference and the second INVEST FORUM.

Source and photo: Republic of Srpska Investment Development Bank