Visit of Companies from Serbia to Local Firms through the DIGIMET Project

As part of the DIGIMET project, companies from Serbia recently had the opportunity to visit local firms in Herzegovina to establish bilateral business relations. Project leaders presented the purpose and goals of the visit and facilitated the participants’ mutual introductions and exchange of contacts. These visits were aimed at encouraging direct business connections between companies from Serbia and Herzegovina, creating opportunities for future business collaboration.

This visit was organized under the DIGIMET project, which is part of the Innovation and Digitalization of Small and Medium Enterprises in Bosnia and Herzegovina/EU4DigitalSME project co-financed by the European Union (with €5 million) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (with €1.1 million), with the aim of developing the economy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a particular emphasis on digital transformation. The project is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The first part of the visit included a tour of SIK d.o.o. Mostar, a company specializing in the production of steel structures and assemblies for industry, with its products marketed in demanding markets such as the European Union and the USA.

Following the visit to SIK d.o.o., the delegation toured two other significant companies located in the Knešpolje industrial zone. The first was iFORM d.o.o., which specializes in the production of complex and sophisticated sheet metal forming tools used in the highly demanding automotive industry. The second company visited was EMERUS d.o.o., which produces aluminum profiles for various industrial sectors. These visits provided guests from Serbia with insights into the high level of technology and expertise possessed by these Herzegovinian firms.

The highlight of the visit was a mini B2B event organized at INTERA Technology Park, where entrepreneurs had the chance to meet and establish contacts with several other Herzegovinian companies, including ALFA THERM d.o.o., STARK d.o.o., iSTEEL d.o.o., MAK INDUSTRIES d.o.o., NEXT INSTRUMENTS d.o.o. and VML ENGINEERING d.o.o.

Through presentations, networking, and contact exchanges, the foundations were laid for potential business collaborations that could benefit both sides. The DIGIMET project, implemented by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Computing, and Electrical Engineering of the University of Mostar, INTERA Technology Park Mostar, and the Innovation Center of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade, has demonstrated the importance of such initiatives in strengthening regional economic cooperation and opening new business opportunities.