“Serbia 2027: Aiming for a High-Income Economy” – 32nd Kopaonik Business Forum from March 2 through 5, 2025

The traditional, 32nd Kopaonik Business Forum (KBF) will be held from March 2-5, 2025, at the Congress Center of the Hotel Grand Kopaonik on Kopaonik. The central topic will be “Serbia 2027: Aiming for a High-Income Economy”, and during the four days, 38 panel discussions, five plenary sessions and four special events will be held.

At the most significant gathering of the business, academic and political elites, over 200 speakers from the academic community, the world of politics, business management, international financial sector and diplomacy will participate, it is said in the announcement.

Special guests at the Forum will be Branko Milanovic, Professor, CUNY & LIS Senior Scholar, and Ge Jun, CEO and Chairman of Tojoy – China.

The Kopaonik Business Forum traditionally begins with Day Zero, on Sunday, March 2, which will focus on analyzing recent macroeconomic developments and future trends in Serbia, while providing an outlook for the Western Balkan region in the year 2025 and beyond. It will also provide an overview of the forthcoming EXPO 2027 event, feature a traditional presentation of the most recent company reputation (KBF) index results. In addition, the extended Day Zero agenda will include a panel on creating global products within start-ups and corporations. Day Zero ends with a talk with Aleksandar Kostic, the president of MK Group.

Day One, March 3, will begin with keynote addresses by the Governor of the National Bank of Serbia and the Minister of Finance devoted to major macroeconomic (monetary and fiscal) policy developments in Serbia, followed by an address from Prof. Branko Milanovic, a Special Guest Speaker of this year Forum. Various formats will also be organized during the day - the effects of wars and trade tensions from the angle of leading diplomats and geopolitical experts, as well as panels that will talk about issues such as powering digital economy, supporting innovation, leveraging AI in business and agendas related to infrastructure and connectivity. In addition, the innovative business in China will be presented, and at the end of Day One, a talk with Ge Jun, CEO and Chairman of Tojoy, the largest-start up and innovative business platform from China, will be organized.

Day Two, Tuesday, March 4, will open with a focus on the green energy transition and its role in enabling progress toward achieving the desired high-income economy. The next set of panels will discuss the issue of logistics, relevant trends in the finance industry, and high-performing education. Separate panels will be devoted to topical issue of large data analysis to empower public services and decision making, the true nature of global players operating in local conditions, and to the real valuation of Serbian and regional businesses. The remainder of Day Two contains panels on the opportunities of circular economy, innovations, banking sector role in economic recovery, and potential contributions by agriculture to sustainable development.

This is to be followed by a panel that will provide an opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of the controversial Jadar project, and the novel idea of exploring business potential based on the growing number of qualified immigrants and refugees in Serbia. Day Two will conclude with a conversation with Svetislav Pesic, the renowned coach of Serbia’s national basketball team and an internationally recognized team and leadership building expert.

The final day of the forum will start with a plenary session featuring distinguished representatives from leading institutions and organizations presenting their work programs. This will traditionally be followed by a UNICEF fundraising panel, and the concluding working panels will be devoted to modern endowment philanthropy, generations Z and Alpha and healthcare based on innovations. As usual, the KBF will conclude with an address by Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, followed by closing remarks from the President of the SES.

Registration begins on January 13, 2025, through the web portal www.kopaonikbusinessforum.rs. The Agenda is available on the website of the Forum.

The Kopaonik Business Forum is organized by the Serbian Association of Economists (SES) in partnership with the company Mastercard.

Savez ekonomista Srbije Beograd

MKMR doo Kopaonik

CUNY and LIS Senior Scholar

Tojoy

Kopaonik Business Forum 2025

Grand Kopaonik

Branko Milanović

Ge Jun

Aleksandar Kostić

Svetislav Pešić

Miloš Vučević

Aleksandar Vlahović

agenda of Kopaonik Business Forum