Organized by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, with the support of GIZ and Returning Point, a dedicated session of the Business Council for Diaspora was held under the title Business Diaspora and Green Innovation. The event brought together members of the business diaspora and representatives from Serbia’s public, private, and civil sectors to strengthen cooperation and explore new business and investment opportunities between the motherland and its diaspora.

During the three-hour online session, participants explored key challenges and opportunities arising from the green transformation of the economy and the development of a science-based innovation and startup ecosystem, through two thematic panels. Opening remarks were delivered by Đorđe Andrić, Head of the Center for Investment Support and Public-Private Partnerships at SCC, Đorđe Milićević, Minister without portfolio responsible for relations with the diaspora, and Jovana Stamenković, Implementation Manager at GIZ, who highlighted the importance of strategic involvement of the diaspora in Serbia’s development processes.

The first panel, titled Green Transition and Sustainable Development and moderated by Uroš Živković, Program Director at Returning Point, gathered experts from Serbia and abroad and discussed how the diaspora’s knowledge and experience can contribute to circular economy models, sustainable business models, and the implementation of green technologies in Serbia. The second panel focused on the development of a science-driven startup ecosystem and discussed the potential of scientific achievements and collaboration with the diaspora to boost Serbia’s innovation capacity.

The event reaffirmed that the business diaspora plays a crucial role in the future of Serbia’s economy, especially in the shift toward sustainable and innovation-led growth. Through concrete initiatives, connecting experts from Serbia and abroad, and knowledge sharing, space has been created for further cooperation deepening that will contribute to the long-term development of Serbia in line with global trends.

Source and photo: Returning Point