Serbia's California gets competition - Green light for Zagreb, Banjaluka negotiates IT park construction

IT park in Indjija (Photo: Irina Milošević)

One of the most prominent investment in 2013 was the completion of the first phase of construction of IT park in Indjija, which made this small town in Srem Serbia`s Silicon Valley. Indian investor Embassy Techzones built 10,000 square meters of office space worth EUR 15 million in Serbia`s California where about 1,500 people will get a job. First tenants are expected in March 2014, and negotiations with the lessees of the space in this new building are underway.

However, at the end of last year, the announced aspiration of the Indian investor to make the self-sustainable cyber town in Indjija the hub of the IT industry in southeast Europe was shaken by announcements in the media that Croatia would get a cheap IT park, the biggest in the Adriatic Region.

Construction of Zagreb`s Tehnopolis starts 2015

According to the media in Croatia, Zagreb`s Tehnopolis, that is, the Zagreb Technology Park, has finally got the green light after six years of talks. The consent for its construction was given by the City of Zagreb and Zagrebacki holding as well as by the Croatian government, that is, the Ministry of Regional Development, which cleared the path for the start of preparation of documentation required to apply for grants from EU structural funds.

According to Frano Sesnic, the director of the Zagreb Development Agency (RAZA), investors plan to have the required documentation completed by April in order to have enough time to prepare a feasibility study and apply for grants in late 2014, so the construction of the IT park in Zagreb could commence in the spring 2015.

Sesnic also noted that the Zagreb Technology Park would be situated in the western part of the Zagreb Fair, aadding that it would be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in the Adriatic Region.

- It will cover an area of 20,000 square meters, meaning it will be twice as big as the Silicon Valley in Indjija. In addition, it will also be ten times cheaper because the value of the RAZA project is estimated at EUR 30 million, 75% of which will be provided from EU structural funds - Sestic added.

India helps IT center in Banjaluka?

The information that Banjaluka as well may get an IT center emerged after a meeting between Milorad Dodik, the president of the Republic of Srpska, and Malaya Mishru, the newly appointed ambassador of India to Bosnia-Herzegovina, who talked on 27 December 2013 about the opening of an IT center in the capital city of the Republic of Srpska with the support of India in terms of manpower and logistics.

Dodik welcomed that initiative and stressed that the Republic of Srpska would do anything to have that project implemented in a quick and successful manner.

I.M.