The Innovation Forum titled “Human-Centred Innovation”, aimed at fostering synergy between the innovation ecosystems and talent pools of Italy and Serbia, as well as attracting Italian investment into Serbia’s innovation sector, opened today in Belgrade.
On the occasion, Mihailo Vesović, Vice President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, stated that Italy is one of Serbia’s strongest partners in the field of technological development.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Vesović said that the projects jointly organised by Serbian and Italian institutions address issues of key importance not only for bilateral relations between the two countries, but also for global development. He noted that the Serbian Chamber of Commerce has for years supported the development of science and technology parks, the innovation ecosystem, the start-up community and the digital transformation of the economy, adding that artificial intelligence is now one of the central topics in technological development.
According to him, despite the growing focus on artificial intelligence and digital technologies, traditional industries should not be overlooked, particularly the engineering and automotive sectors, which form the foundation of cooperation between the Serbian and Italian economies.
Italian Ambassador to Serbia Luca Gori stated that Italy and Serbia are implementing a large number of joint projects and that technology and innovation represent an important segment of cooperation between the two countries.
Gori noted that Italy is one of the world’s leading economies and possesses strong innovation potential.
He added that Italy is the world’s eighth-largest economy and the seventh-largest exporting nation, which demonstrates the country’s industrial strength, innovation capacity and global competitiveness.
He emphasised that Italy has a dynamic start-up ecosystem with a large number of companies developing solutions in the fields of cybersecurity, green technologies and digital services.
Gori also stated that among the priority sectors of Italy’s innovation agenda are the aerospace industry, the automotive sector, robotics and life sciences.
Marco Gay, President of the Zest Group and President of the Union of Industrialists of Turin, said that people remain the key driving force behind every industrial and technological transformation and stressed that innovation must be focused on improving human experience and addressing human needs.
The conference was organised by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Embassy of Italy in Belgrade, according to Tanjug.
(Politika, 09.06.2026)