CONNECTO 2023: Investing and producing in Bosnia and Herzegovina makes sense!

Less than two weeks remain until the start of the three-day event CONNECTO 2023, co-financed by the European Union and Germany. As in previous years, this event is definitely worth attending, considering the announced guests and the topics that will be discussed.

As you probably know, CONNECTO brings together local entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs from the diaspora in one place, aiming to connect them for collaborative efforts. It provides both parties with a B2B platform for networking, meetings, and the exchange of ideas for joint cooperation.

Connections that mean progress

The central focus of CONNECTO, which remains consistent, is the conference segment. Those who register for CONNECTO 2023 will have the opportunity to hear firsthand the stories, experiences, and thoughts of distinguished individuals, both local entrepreneurs and those from the diaspora. Hopefully, their examples will positively impact those who are open to collaboration with our people, those with offerings for future partners, or those seeking someone with whom they can develop their business, ideas, services, or products.

The main objective of CONNECTO remains the connection between Bosnian and Herzegovinian entrepreneurs and those from the diaspora. This year, just like previous years, all the guests and speakers will come from this milieu. We can already announce that the conference will feature several panels covering diverse topics and featuring top-notch participants. One of these panels will undoubtedly revolve around the success stories of investing in businesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially when driven by a strong idea, a business vision, competitive products, and reliable partnerships for foreign market access.

Three entrepreneurs who saw the future in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Don’t miss the chance to register for CONNECTO 2023 and firsthandly hear the experiences of Jasmin Kalabić, Stipe Krišto, and Haris Hotić—three successful entrepreneurs who believed that they could launch prosperous businesses in their homeland based on the experience they gained abroad. They will be active participants in the first of two panels awaiting you at this year’s edition of CONNECTO, titled “Challenges of Growth, Export, and Sustainability in Foreign Markets“.

Jasmin Kalabić, the first panelist, has realized his vision—successfully founding a business with his relatives, neighbors, and friends that carries a domestic imprint but enjoys global success. His company, InterProcess from Tešanj, now employs around a hundred people, with ten percent being young professionals with advanced degrees and thirty percent being women.

Following the best European practices in employee motivation, production organization, and business management, Jasmin’s initial vision has transformed into a beautiful story. His company is now one of the largest producers of oak and other fine woods in this part of the world, as well as the foremost producer of glued oak panels in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Recognizing that success is guaranteed only when the process leads to the final product, Jasmin, along with the young team within the company, initiated the production of high-end designer furniture under the brand Mobello. Its quality is attested daily by a growing number of European and American clients who have recognized the refined product of master craftsmen.

The second panelist, Stipe Krišto, is the director of B Krug from Livno, a prime example of how a direct link between the diaspora and Bosnia and Herzegovina can create an excellent story. B Krug is an export-oriented company today, distinguishing itself in the discerning EU market with high-quality PVC aluminum joinery produced in a modern facility right here in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Incorporating the latest technologies and finest materials results in outcomes that speak for themselves. B Krug has become a beacon of light in the Livno region, an area unfortunately known for the emigration of its youth. Furthermore, B Krug has harnessed all the benefits of the Diaspora for Development project, implemented by UNDP and the Development Bank of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After thirteen years of existence, B Krug stands as a testament to how new facilities and new jobs can be created even in regions where retaining skilled young people seems challenging. The consistent capacity increase and expansion of B Krug demonstrate the opposite. With networking among sister companies in Germany and Croatia, B Krug shows that Bosnia and Herzegovina can be part of a larger European family and a successful business story.

The third panelist, Haris Hotić, owner of Ekon ImmoGroup, is yet another example of how the symbiosis of Western business practices and our inventiveness can yield fantastic results. Haris was born in Switzerland and launched a business with his friend Sebastian Zurcher when he was only 18 years old. Their prefab houses and structures have become a hit. Interestingly, Haris, dissatisfied with the approach and commitments of companies from our region after years of insistence, decided to independently establish production directly in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The investment has clearly paid off, as a new facility equipped with CNC machines was recently opened in Mostar. This will enable Ekon ImmoGroup and Ekon Cutnology to further excel on the demanding Swiss market by providing the most modern approach to prefab structure production. Haris’s clear vision and unwavering development plan position his story high on the ladder of successful accounts of business possibilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Connecting many bright spots into one radiant light

In conclusion, these are three remarkable individuals, with three remarkable stories, offering three remarkable contributions to our assertion that investing in Bosnia and Herzegovina is worthwhile. A little willpower, mutual willpower, is all that’s needed for things to move in the right direction in this country with the help and knowledge of our diaspora. We hope our panelists will share their experiences and ideas on how to open this country further to foreign investments, how to harness the potential of our people, and how to elevate the local standard and restore the optimism so essential to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We hope you will feel a part of this optimism, based on real examples, such as those CONNECTO 2023 has prepared for you this year. Once again, we invite you to register for participation through the provided link.

This year’s edition of the conference is organized by INTERA Technology Park through the BOOST project. BOOST is part of the Innovation and Digitalization of Small and Medium Enterprises in BiH/EU4DigitalSME project, jointly financed by the European Union and the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ), with the aim of developing the economy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a specific focus on digital transformation. The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

14.7.2022.