Cadez: Horizons Forum in Belgrade on future of technology and economy

In the coming days, Belgrade will host one of the most important international gatherings dedicated to the future of the economy, technology and global relations.

The Horizons Forum, organized by the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) and the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (CCIS), will bring together around 500 participants and more than 20 influential global names from the world of business, technology and economy.

Serbia most ready for implementation of AI

Serbia is among the countries most ready for the implementation of artificial intelligence, claims the President of the CCIS, Marko Cadez, and in an interview with RTS, he emphasizes that the importance of the Horizons Forum goes beyond the framework of classic conferences.

– These are not just debate clubs. People who make decisions come here, and we will later see many of them as representatives of new companies that invest in Serbia and cooperate with our economic system – said Cadez.

According to him, this forum confirms Belgrade’s position as a meeting place for different visions of the future, where representatives of Europe, America and China discuss at the same table the topics that shape the world - from geopolitics and green transition to finance and artificial intelligence.

World-class names arriving to Belgrade

Among the participants of the Forum will be some of the most famous names on the global technological and economic scene.

Kai-Fu Lee, founder of Zero One AI and one of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs in the field of artificial intelligence, will come to Belgrade, followed by Stella Li from BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric cars, as well as Alex Ye from Agibot, whose robots Serbia will produce as the only country in Europe.

The forum will also be attended by world-renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs, professor at Columbia University, economist Branko Milanovic, and Lars-Hendrik Roeller, long-time chief economic advisor to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

– These are the people with whom we will talk about what our common future is and where Serbia can be among those who are at the forefront – Cadez emphasized.

Serbia has the basis for a technological breakthrough

Speaking about Serbia’s position in the era of digital transformation, Čadež assessed that the country had already been recognized as one of the most prepared for the implementation of artificial intelligence.

– Serbia is among the 20% of countries that are most prepared for the implementation of AI. What sets us apart is the local infrastructure - we have two, soon three supercomputers, a state-of-the-art data center and a private AI factory using the latest Nvidia technology – he said.

He added that such infrastructure enabled the development of domestic solutions and national models of artificial intelligence tailored to the local needs of the economy and public administration.

Cadez reminded that the information technology sector represented one of the most important pillars of the Serbian economy, with more than 40,000 companies, around 110,000 employees and exports exceeding five billion dollars annually.

– Software is today our number one export product. Serbia is the only country in the region that produces electric and hybrid cars, and from next month, the only one that will produce humanoid robots – emphasized the President of the CCIS.

He assessed that Serbia could not compete with large economies such as the USA or China in terms of investment volume, but that it possessed an important advantage - the ability to quickly adapt to technological changes and new business conditions.

– It is important to be at the source of information and to talk to those who decide where to invest and which technologies will shape the future of the economy – said Cadez.

Centar za međunarodnu saradnju i održivi razvoj

Privredna komora Srbije

Horizons Forum Belgrade

Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development

CIRSD

CCIS

Zero One AI

BYD

Agibot

Marko Čadež

Kaj Fu Lee

Stella Li

Alex Ye

Jeffrey Sachs

Branko Milanović

Lars Hendrik Roeller

economy

technology