InFocus Austria 2017 web by cmcpresentation

AUSTRIA 2017

Diplomacy&Commerce

THE CENTRE OF EUROPE AND THE CORE OF ITS SPIRIT MARTHA SCHULTZ

H.E. JOHANNES EIGNER

MARKO ČADEŽ

Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber

Austrian Ambassador to Serbia

President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce

01 MUSIC SUPERPOWER Austria has given the world many famous classical music composers, including Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, J. Strauss, Mahler, and Bruckner.

04 QUALITY OF LIFE Vienna is the most livable city in the world for the eighth time in a row.

MOZART IS NOT JUST A GREAT COMPOSER

Mozartkugel are a fine brand of Austrian chocolates which originated in Salzburg, Mozartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthplace. In 1890, master confectioner Paul Furst made the first Mozart chocolates by forming small balls of marzipan which he coated in a praline cream and then dipped in warm chocolate.

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WELL, THAT IS IMPERIAL! SchĂśnbrunn Palace, the summer palace of the Habsburgs, has no less than 1,440 rooms.

02 THE SKIING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD Alpine, or downhill, skiing has been the most popular sport in Austria for over 100 years. Mathias Zdarsky wrote the first handbook of skiing in 1897, invented the first ski bindings worthy of mention, and organized the first slalom race in 1905.

03 THE TALLEST WATERFALLS The Krimml Falls (Krimmler Wasserfalle), in the state of Salzburg, are Europe's tallest waterfalls, reaching a height of 380 meters.

SACHER IT IS

The most famous Austrian cake is the Viennese Sachertorte, a rich chocolate cake invented by Chef Franz Sacher for Chancellor Metternich in 1832.

08 ICE CAVES TO REMEMBER The Austrian Eisriesenwelt Caves, called â&#x20AC;&#x153;the world of the ice giants,â&#x20AC;? is the largest accessible ice cave system in the world.

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MARTHA SCHULTZ Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber

H DUAL EDUCATION INTERVIEW

ENSURES THE QUALITY OF EMPLOYEES

Only if the profiles are up to date, companies are willing to invest their time and money into training young people 6

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ow important dual education is and how is Austria helping Serbia in order to implement elements of dual education and training, Mrs. Martha Schultz explained for our magazine. When we talk about dual education in Serbia, we are usually referring to occupations related to the machine industry. What are all the profiles encompassed by dual education in Austria? â&#x20AC;&#x2022; In Austria, with a long standing tradition in dual education, you find about 200 professions mainly in the craft sector, tourism and trade, engaging more than 105,000 apprentices in around 30,000 training companies, among them many small and medium sized companies. It is very important to point out that innovation and changes happen quickly throughout all sectors nowadays. Yes, the machine industry plays an important role, also in Austria. However, with the indus-

try 4.0 and the digitalization, company based training and modernized profiles are equally important for the tourism and retail sector, to just name a few. Your visit is connected with the introduction of the tourism profile. In this case, what does the work experience practise look like for a student studying this subject? ― We are in an early stage of discussion regarding tourism professions in Serbia, but we hear clearly articulated demands from the Austrian and Serbian company side. As one director of a known hotel in Belgrade put it: before you can become a supervisor of a team, you must know how a team functions, what the individual tasks are and how to do it in a proper way to guarantee the success of the team as well as the satisfaction of the hotel guest. In Austria we follow the same approach. A student, or apprentice as it is called in Austria, undergoes a rigorous training from welcoming guests, to preparing tables, serving food and drinks, organizing events, but also is taught to deal with the finances, plan marketing activities and calculate and administrate the staff assignment. Austrian companies are involved in the pilot project for the introduction of dual

MY COMPANY HAS 800 EMPLOYEES AND SINCE THEY HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH CUSTOMERS IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WELL EDUCATED. WE ACHIEVE THAT BY DUAL EDUCATION jump-start the process. Austrian companies and their subsidiaries, as was also shown in the surveys we did in Serbia, live theprinciples of company based training every day, and were looking for support in putting their experiences and challenges into a form of formal education. Our job is simple: helping the companies in bureaucratic details and in talks with ministries, stakeholders and know-how transfer, so they can focus on their core business. What is our intention? We want to establish training alliances with Austrian and local companies and vocational schools, in order to implement elements of dual education and training. The findings of the pilot project activities are very important

tion: Job profiles are negotiated between the social partners by taking into consideration the needs of economy and representatives from the education side.Only if the profiles are up to date, companies are willing to invest their time and money into training young people, because the need for skilled workers is growing. As shown by the number above, the system is working, and companies and apprentices alike are content with the offered profiles. On the other hand, how can you ensure that children at companies receive broader knowledge of a specific area and don’t merely learn a single industrial process specific to the company where they work? ― A recent survey in Austria dealt with the question you are referring to. How can we ensure that apprentices are equipped with skills instead of simple techniques for a very specific part of a job? The answer to it is three-fold. First, companies and schools have to follow curricula, which are developed by the ministries and the institute for vocational education and training, in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce, and foresee a wide range of skills and competences to be trained. One of the success factors is not to be trained just for “job”– the apprentices have acquired the professional capacity required for exercising a qualified professional activity. And, they can use the ac-

STUDENTS ARE NOT READY TO WORK RIGHT AWAY WHEN THEY COME TO THE COMPANY. SIMPLE AND COMPLEX TASKS ALIKE MUST BE SUPERVISED BY AN EXPERIENCED STAFF AND MENTOR education in Serbia. Is that your practise in all countries where Austrian companies operate? ― The project in Serbia is the biggest so far, with similar activities happening in Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and China. But to answer your question: Yes, we do it where we see our companies’ demand for our support. The demand of Austrian companies and a sense of co-ownership are crucial for us. I believe it also helps to

for our Serbian partners and us to have discussions on a systematic level. What mechanisms in Austria enable the adapting of professions to cope with the very rapid technological changes in the economy? ― A major criterion for success is that the social partners have a strong formative influence on the content and the scope of the profession development or adapta-

quired competences on the labour market. Dual education and training does not only give the trainees the ability to exercise the respective occupation in a comparably short time. It allows and encourages professional identity and professional self-confidence. To achieve this, a closeknit cooperation between school and companies is essential. Secondly, training companies are certified being able to mentor the adolescents in a proper way.

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In Austria this is done by the Chamber of Commerce acting on the authority of the Federal Ministry of Economy. Lastly, before finishing their dual education, teenagers have to pass a theoretical and practical test –the apprenticeship exam. All three components allow a student to succeed in developing skills. By the way, many apprentices in Austria stay with their first employer. More than 40% enjoyed the company DNA and pursue their careers within the respected company; more than 90% find a job within their pursued field of training and education.

In which way does Austria enable the further education of students who acquired skills through dual education? ― There are multiple options, which are in line with lifelong learning approaches. It is very important for the attractiveness of a profile and the motivation of young students to have further options available, once the apprenticeship is over. For example, apprentices have the ability to get a sort of “high school diploma” during and after their apprenticeship and study in a relevant field, to deepen their practi-

In Serbia there are polarised opinions about dual education. For example, some consider that it enables companies to take advantage of even cheaper labour and reduce labour costs on the market. How has this problem been resolved in Austria? ― I think many critics of the system have an inaccurate view on what it takes to train a student in a company. Creating a learning environment and mentoring culture takes time and uses resources. Students are not ready to work right away when they come to the company. Simple and complex tasks alike must be supervised by an experienced staff and mentor, who guide the students in their professional development. To put it short: the company invests a lot of time and money before a student is productive and allows the company a return in investment. The most important motivation of a company is to train their future skilled workers.

THE MOST IMPORTANT MOTIVATION OF A COMPANY IS TO TRAIN THEIR FUTURE SKILLED WORKERS

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cal knowledge with higher studies. Many companies offer half-time contracts, as they promote the advancement of their employees. What do we, as a Chamber, offer to employees of companies? The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber runs an adult-training provider with more than 350.000 course graduates per year. Together with two private universities, four universities of applied sciences and several full time vocational schools and colleges, the Chamber is a strong promoter of further education in Austria.

Which institutions in Austria take care of maintaining the high quality of dual education? ― When we speak about the company-based training, the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ) is responsible for the administration, ensuring the high quality. On an operational level, so called “apprenticeship offices” of the regional chambers make sure that companies are suitable training companies. They do this in close cooperation with the Chamber of Labour. Other activities involve legal matters, such as checking and recording the apprenticeship contracts, or advising apprentices and training companies. On a strategic level, the research institute IBW supports companies and the Chamber with supporting materials and offers for training companies. What are your experiences in the training of apprentices? ― Dual education and the education of young people in general in our company is the largest priority. My company has 800 employees, a lot of young people among them and they are trained directly under my jurisdiction because, for us, it is very important to educate young people in different occupations. My company works in the field of tourism and since my employees have direct contact with customers it is very important that these young people are well educated. We achieve that by dual education. I am a vice president of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and in that capacity I am responsible for dual education which is important if we want to ensure the quality of employees.

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H.E. JOHANNES EIGNER Austrian Ambassador to Serbia

INTERVIEW

OUR RELATIONS ARE AT ”FIVESTARS-LEVEL“ Relations between Serbia and Austria are at ”fivestars-level“. However, they can be improved to ”fivestars +“. It will take very specific efforts, among which would be the need and desire to make Serbia still better known to Austrian people 10

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erbia is a key country and a key partner in the Berlin Process and it can serve as an example when it comes to the determination which with it pursues its path towards EU-membership, says H.E. Johannes Eigner, Austrian Ambassador to Serbia in an interview for the Diplomacy &Commerce. Austria strongly supports Serbia’s EU accession process and believes that already excellent bilateral relations between two countries can be even better, says the Ambasador. Austria is providing expert assistance to the EU path of Serbia in various fields, mainly through EU-twinning projects. “We are particularly active in areas such as justice, home affairs and environment”, says Mr Eigner. The ambassador also believes that albeit the EU is consumed with the Brexit, that does not mean that the Western Balkan will be forgotten. He says that the WB countries will have to have their place inside the structures of the EU, and that current de-

liberations related to the future EU structure, will not jeopardise this process. „The Berlin Process is a vigorous tool for corroborating this accession process”, says Mr Eigner. In this interview, the Ambassador prizes Serbia for its engagement in the process of cooperation in the Western Balkans. He emphasises the constructive role Serbia has in building up better relations with the neighbours in the region, including the dialogue with Kosovo.

quent elections, and how big of a threat do they pose to the laboriously accomplised stability? ― Everywhere (pre-) election periods are marked by a heightened search for often short-term popularity, and the Balkans certainly are no exception to that. In particular nationalistic rhetoric and agitation are still too often seen as a recipe for success and not as a potential threat to what has been achieved in stabilizing the region.

Do you think that the current debates in the EU about its structure could again push aside the issue of the Western Balkan countries' accession to the EU? ― It is true that the EU currently is very much occupied with itself and that will not change in the coming years when the exit-negotiations with the UK will absorb almost all of the attention and the capacities inside the EU. This however does und must not mean that the accession process of the Western Balkan countries will be meanwhile put into the „fridge“. There is no doubt that this countries have to have their place inside the structures of a no matter how reformed European Union.

IN MANAGING THE MIGRANT CRISIS, AUSTRIA ENJOYS THE BEST POSSIBLE COOPERATION WITH SERBIA AND LENDS ITS SUPPORT TO SERBIA

Which place does the Berlin Process occupy in this context? Do you think that it has lost its momentum? ― The Berlin Process is a vigorous tool for corroborating this accession process. It encourages closer cooperation between the countries of the region, focussing on tangible results and practical solutions, like for instance in the case of infrastructure. As such it will keep its importance also in the years to come. How much are mutual accusations of the Balkan leaders a byproduct of fre-

What role does Serbia have in the aforementioned processes? ― Serbia is a key country and a key partner in the Berlin Process and it can serve as an example when it comes to the determination which with it pursues its path towards EU-membership, including by playing a constructive role in building up better relations with the neighbours in the region, not least with Kosovo through the EU-facilitated dialogue. That does not mean that everything goes smoothly and easily, but the strategic choice is firmly set. What do you think of the pace of Serbia's integration into the EU? ― With seven chapters opened since the formal start of accession negotiations in 2014 Serbia is moving ahead at reasonable pace. It is by and large in its hand to keep

this pace or to accelerate it, depending on the speed and the depth of reforms undertaken. It is however also true that the principle of unanimity under which accession negotiations is held can lead to unexpected delays. In which segments (of the EU integration of Serbia) does Austria provide the biggest support? ― First and foremost Austria provides political support by consistently and fervently advocating Serbia’s quick and full integration into the EU. This policy is underpinned by expert assistance in various fields, mainly through EU-twinning projects. Here Austria was and is particularly active in areas like justice and home affairs or environment. How would you rate the overall relations between our two countries and how can these relations further improve? ― I would describe our relations as at „fivestars-level“, hence any improvement would mean an up-grading to „five-stars +“. This is not impossible but takes very specific efforts, among which I would see the need and desire to make Serbia still better known to Austrian people. What do you think of the current situation with the migrant crisis, and Serbia's role in it? ― Since a year ago the mass migration along the Balkan route was stopped, the situation became much less worrisome but has to be kept under careful scrutiny. In that Austria enjoys the best possible cooperation with Serbia and lends its support to Serbia, in particular by having Austrian policemen patrolling together with their Serbian colleagues at the Serbian-Bulgarian border.

WITH SEVEN CHAPTERS OPENED SINCE THE FORMAL START OF ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS IN 2014 SERBIA IS MOVING AHEAD AT REASONABLE PACE AUSTRIA 2017

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CORP ORAT E

DEJAN TURK CEO Vip mobile and Si.mobil

TEN YEARS OF OPERATING IN SERBIA Vip mobile is still one of the fastest growing operators in the region which is a result of continuing investments in the development of our network as well as the new services

elekom Austria Group bought the license for the third mobile operator in November 2006 and paid 320 million and one Euro for it, while Vip’s commercial operations started in June 2007. We practically started from scratch and today we have more than 2.1 million customers, a market share of 22.7% and by far the biggest 4G network in the country.

This year Vip mobile is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its operation in Serbia. What has changed on the market with the arrival of a new mobile operator? — Our appearance on the market has contributed to increased competitiveness and also refreshed the existing offer. In 2007, the ratio between the prepaid and postpaid customers was 80:20, while today postpaid is prevailing. We have launched this trend by being the first ones to introduce the tariffs that also included MBs and handsets for 1 dinar as well as the first Android and tablet devices, rolled out the first HSPA+ network in Serbia and then 4G technology as well. We tried to make the mobile Internet and smart devices more accessible to the widest group of users and at the same time we educated them on how to use the benefits of new technologies. In the next ten years we plan to maintain the position of a challenger and innovator in order to continue setting the new standards on the domestic telecommunications market in all aspects.

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You are the only mobile provider still recording growth despite of the market saturation. How do you explain this? — Vip mobile is still one of the fastest growing operators in the region which is a result of continuing investments in the development of our network as well as the new services. From our point of view, success is measured by the growing and satisfied customer base and for this reason, among other things, we were the only ones to cancel the call set up fee and to introduce free calls to our customer service last year. We are aware that this has

IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS WE PLAN TO MAINTAIN THE POSITION OF A CHALLENGER AND INNOVATOR IN ORDER TO CONTINUE SETTING THE NEW STANDARDS ON THE MARKET a certain financial impact on our operations, but we are also aware that in such a way we will keep our current and attract new customers who will recognize the benefits that they can only get at Vip. Hence, we are always thinking long-term.

How is Vip positioning itself on the market when in the segment of basic

services all the operators are offering the same? — When I was a very young manager, I accepted as my motto one of the quotes of Rey Kroc, founder of McDonald’s that reads: “Look after the customers and the business will take care of itself”. The very care about the customers and responding to their needs is the essence of our company’s philosophy. In Vip, from day one of our operation, we have been trying to be recognized as a mobile operator offering the best customer experience in Serbia and this is what is making a key distinction between the companies from our industry.

Mobile platforms nowadays significantly exceed the basic communication packages. Where do you see Vip’s development in this respect? — The market develops at a fast pace because the customers have an increasing number of devices requiring Internet access, and thereby, higher data transfer speeds. There is a continuous demand for additional contents and digital solutions, and the connectivity itself is not sufficient any more. Digitalization is changing the way we live our lives, do business, inform ourselves and have fun. Vip is primarily a mobile operator and our focus still remains on further improvement of network, technologies and services, but we have also recognized the need to focus on other contents such as all in one solutions and services that became an integral part of our portfolio a long time ago, ranging from cloud platforms to mobile TV and other digital services.

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MARKO Ä&#x152;ADEĹ˝ President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce

INTERVIEW

FRIENDS AND PARTNERS 14

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Bilateral relations between Serbia and Austria are picking up pace both politically and economically. The improved results in trading between the two countries are accompanied by an interminable arrival of Austrian investors to Serbia. The Serbian Chamber of Commerce wants to see even more investments in production, exportorientated, high-tech sectors

ustria is one of the leading economic partners of Serbia. This can been seen from the data that shows that, in the last decade and a half, Austria has made around 3-billion-worth of investments and set up 450 companies here – says Marko Čadež, president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. What influence do close political relations between Serbia and Austria have on solidifying the economic ties between the two countries? ― Bilateral relations between Austria and Serbia are picking up pace, both politically and economically. Frequent meetings between our officials, Austria's understanding of the situation in Serbia and the Balkans, and its strong support for Serbia's EU accession efforts, on top of our businesses having a mutual interest in cooperation, are the strongest impetus to strengthening of our economic ties within a well-regulated intergovernmental framework. What kind of practical impact does this have on the statistical data in regard

ished products, the growing trade between the two countries is still burdened by the deficit on the Serbian side worth 189 million EUR, and a low export to import ratio of 64.2%. It is in the best interest of the Serbian economy to reduce this deficit and make the trade more balanced. Unlike the overall trade in which Serbia is recording deficit, when it comes to trading in agricultural and food products and services with Austria, Serbia has been recording a surplus worth several dozen millions of euros. How much did the arrival of Austrian companies affect the instigation of the re-industrialization process in Serbia? ― Apart from capital, Austrian companies have also brought their know-how, and boosted our technological development, production volume and export potential. For instance, the branch of the Austrian company Swarovski in Serbia was the biggest exporter to Austria last year. The first investments that Austria made were in banking and insurance, not only

of their great contribution to the Serbian economy. Apart from further investments in the said sectors, we would also like to see more investments in production, export-orientated, high-tech sectors in the near future. This year started with the best possible news of Zumtobel Group, one of the leading global manufacturers of LED lighting, opening a 30-million-EUR factory in the town of Niš, after establishing their design office and regional branch office in Belgrade. This speaks volumes about Serbia's advantages as an investment and business destination, and its capacity to attract investments from hightech companies. In which areas can the two countries increase their cooperation? ― During the talks we have had with Austrian business people, they expressed a strong interest in expanding their businesses in the segments like infrastructure, industry, energy (especially renewable energy resources), and implementation of environmental projects like collecting,

THE TOTAL TRADING BETWEEN THE TWO ECONOMIES GREW BY 8.8% LAST YEAR RELATIVE TO 2015, AND IT AMOUNTED TO 867 MILLION EUR. BOTH EXPORT AND IMPORT WERE THE HIGHEST IN THE LAST TEN YEARS to trading between the two countries and the influx of Austrian investments? ― The total trading between the two economies grew by 8.8% last year relative to 2015, and it amounted to 867 million EUR. Both export and import were the highest in the last ten years. Serbia exported 339-million-EUR worth of its products to Austria, while we imported 528-million-EUR worth of goods from Austria. Austria is among the top ten countries that we import from. Although the country is also among the 15 biggest export partners of Serbia, and considering that Serbian export has grown several times in the last ten years with an improved export structure in favour of fin-

because of the profitability of these sectors but also as a logical precursor to other investors. After banks and insurance companies, it was time to invest in big construction companies that were involved in building infrastructure facilities, followed by participation in privatization of civil engineering and high rise construction companies, and after that investments in production. Today, we have companies like Rauch, Knauf, Tondach, Kronospan, Swarovski, and Gierlinger operating in Serbia. We are thankful for each invested euro, and we appreciate Austrian investments in banking, telecommunications, transport, tourism and other sectors. We are also highly appreciative

processing and recycling utility waste and water purification. We would like to see more Austrian investments in production sector in the next period, namely metal processing, food, automobile industry, and furniture industry, which would contribute to higher trade between the two economies and boost our export. There is still untapped potential in terms of investing in agriculture and in cooperation through the transfer of the Austrian know-how and technology in food production and processing, especially in organic production where the Austrian experiences and their development models would be of highly valuable.

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A great potential for strengthening our economic ties also lies in the service sector, namely in investments in tourism (especially in spas), hiring our construction workers to work in Austria which would also create an opportunity for a higher export of our construction materials, and, of course, IT. What do Austrian and other investors consider the biggest challenges in regard to our business environment? ― One of the best indicators of the progress made in improving our business climate and creating opportunities for successful operations in Serbia is the results of a survey conducted by the Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy in Serbia late last year. The survey was conducted among Austrian companies operating in our market, for the fifth consecutive time. 88.6% of the surveyed companies said they would invest in Serbia again, 2/3 expect higher turnover and business volume this year, and 40% plans to increase the number of their employees and investments here. According to the survey, Austrian companies think that Serbia would be even more attractive for doing business and investing if it increased legal security and efficiency of its administration, cut down on red tape, and improved financial discipline among all market participants. The surveyed companies also said that improved infrastructure and higher purchasing power would facilitate more investments. After conducting a reform in line with the Austrian format, what services provided by the Chamber are now the most appealing to businesses? ― The aim of the reform and modernization that we have been implementing in line with the Austrian model and

WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE AUSTRIAN INVESTMENTS IN PRODUCTION SECTOR IN THE NEXT PERIOD, NAMELY METAL PROCESSING, FOOD, AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY, AND FURNITURE INDUSTRY 16

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with the strong support from the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, is to build the capacity and efficiency of the chamber system to represent our businesses on national and international level, and to support companies to boost their capacity, grow, develop, produce and export more, and become more competitive. I would like to reiterate that the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and the Austrian chamber system are more than just ordinary partners to the Serbian Chamber

OUR GOAL IS TO BE A SUPPORT TO SERBIAN BUSINESSES, AND ALSO TO MAKE THE AUSTRIAN COMPANIES COMING TO SERBIA FEEL AT HOME of Commerce – they are our role models and our mentors in improving all segments of our operations. We have set up a new, unique and more functional chamber system in Serbia, modeled after the Austrian one, and we are continuing with improving our organization and services. We have also established a Legal Political Department as a central place for gathering, processing, fine tuning and representing balanced interests of businesses before the state authorities. We are also in the process of implementing dual education and we are going to develop the concept for representing our economy abroad in collaboration with the relevant state bodies.

Our goal is to be a support to Serbian businesses, and also to make the Austrian companies coming to Serbia feel at home, as well as that for the Serbian Chamber of Commerce to provide the support and services similar to those they receive from the Austrian chambers of commerce. What are going to be the Chamber's main activities in the following period? ― We are aware that we still have a lot of work to do, primarily on further improving our existing services, develop and create new ones that would be of even more use to businesses, and digitalizing them. So far, we have digitalized 18 of our services which makes us regional leader, while we have also transferred public licensing services to regional chambers of commerce which are distance-wise the closest to individual businesses. The reformed Serbian Chamber of Commerce supports businesses with their breaking into new markets and better positioning themselves on existing markets, and by connecting our companies with international corporations with the aim of including them in their supply chains. Education and constant training of business people and implementation of dual education to suit labour market needs are some of the Chamber's key priorities. The Chamber also plays an important role in the accession negotiations between Serbia and the EU. It is of vital importance for businesses to have as many expert teams involved in monitoring the accession talks in order get the information about changes that lie ahead of us, to more efficiently use the benefits of the European integration process, and to better prepare for the tough competition that awaits them in the single European market.

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INTERVIEW

QUALITY EDUCATION TO BE WORKREADY

GABRIJELA GRUJIĆ Dual Education Advisor to the Minister in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia

Contrary to popular belief that dual education produces cheap workforce, the actual essence of this model is creating opportunities for permanent employment right after finished school, or after loosing a job. The experiences of our Austrian peers were exceptionally important to us in conceiving our dual education format

he experiences of Switzerland, Germany and Austria were very valuable in creation of our National Dual and Entrepreneurial Education model. Our model encompasses the uniqueness of the educational and social system in Serbia – says Gabrijela Grujić, Dual Education Advisor to the Minister.

ic environment. For instance, according to our format, a pupil who has his work practice at a company concludes a contract with that company based on which he will receive a fee and have his material costs covered. But he is not treated as an employee (like in Austria) since still maintains his pupil status. Pupils spend a day

How applicable is Austria's experience with dual education in our country? ― The Austrian dual education model is one of the more reputable education formats that has accomplished exceptionally important results in terms of increasing employment among youth and meeting labour market needs. However, it is not possible to fully apply this system in our country. We can implement only those elements that fit our social and econom-

or two a week in the company depending on the worker profile they are studying to be, while, in Austria, pupils spend up to four days a week at a company. Companies have to appoint instructors from their workforce to train the pupils. The instructors are also trained with the view of acquiring didactic and pedagogical competencies, and knowing relevant legislation.

THE EXPERIENCES OF SWITZERLAND, GERMANY AND AUSTRIA HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN 22 SCHOOLS AND OVER 60 COMPANIES IN SERBIA

In which areas has the transfer of the Austria know-how proved to be most useful in devising changes in our education system? ― Bearing in mind that the dual education model is based on advancing and improving the quality of learning through work, the experiences of our Austrian peers were especially useful in the following areas – instructor training, with instructors being

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employees of the company that will train the pupils, concluding training contracts between pupils and companies, and building the capacities of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce for the implementation of the dual education model in the vocational school system in Serbia with the help of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development. When is the announced dual education law going to be adopted, and how many schools and pupils are going to be included in the programme in the medium-term? ― The team that has been working on the draft law, which includes representatives of all relevant institutions, hopes that the law would be forwarded to the parliament for a public debate soon followed by adoption procedure. The Action Plan stipulates that 20% of vocational high schools in Serbia should be included in the dual and entrepreneurial education system next school year. The Action Plan complies with the Decree on Municipal Development from 2014 with the view of equally implementing dual education on the entire territory of the Republic of Serbia. Do you think that people have become less prejudiced about this type of education than before when the whole process was in its infancy?

THE ACTION PLAN STIPULATES THAT 20% OF VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS IN SERBIA SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE DUAL AND ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION SYSTEM NEXT SCHOOL YEAR or finding a job after loosing one regardless of the reason. Dual education also gives an opportunity to people to advance towards better paid and more challenging positions in their profession in the same or in other company they wish to work for. The fact remains that today's companies are fighting to get talented and capable workers for themselves, and are sometimes resorting to snatching them away from other companies by offering better working conditions and career advancement. In dual education, pupils are encouraged to think about their careers from a development point of view, i.e. to be ready to change companies and jobs while searching for better working conditions for themselves. Dual education also significantly con-

cases, young people are not supplied with quality competenecies after education, but only with a diploma. The number of unemployed young people, who are registered with the National Employment Office, speaks in favour of the claim that dual and entrepreneurial education is the most important task of education reform. Pupils who, during their formal education, are given a chance to learn while working 2 or 3 days a week while successfully mastering all the teaching units set out in the teaching plan and programme, will acquire quality education and be work-ready, as well as possess several skills in line with the innovated dual worker profiles. They are going to become a part of a very professional workforce, and be well compensated for that. One thing is certain – those pupils who are trained under the dual education system will acquire good competencies that are in accordance with labour market needs, and are, as such, employable from the moment they finish school. Also, they stand a better chance of receiving a proper financial compensation in line with their competencies. How open is our education system towards the idea of being more in accord with labour market needs? ― When visiting 50 towns, schools and companies in Serbia, the Ministry of Education and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce saw a high awareness both in teachers and

THE DUAL EDUCATION LAW STIPULATES THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF PUPILS, COMPANIES, SCHOOLS, PUPIL SAFETY, AND ALL OTHER COMPONENTS IMPORTANT FOR LEARNING THROUGH WORK ― There are still contrasting opinions. Many tie this system to the former Šuvar's reforms and claim that it creates cheap workforce which is why it is important for me to underline the following – one of the goals of dual education is the socalled permanent employability meaning finding job fast after finishing school, as well as the ability to change jobs quickly,

tributes to the balance between demand and supply of workforce on the labour market because companies will offer positions to those pupils who are studying for profiles they actually need, while not creating those worker profiles that are already in oversupply on the labour market. The claim about „cheap workforce“ stems from the system where, in most

employers about aligning education with labour market needs. In order to achieve efficient results in this area, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities have collaborated on drafting a new enrollment plan for the school year 2017/2018 which entails

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cooperation between various institutions and listening to the needs of the labour market. It is important to mention that all worker profiles trained in vocational high schools will be able to enroll in colleges and universities in line with the new law on high school education. Do you think that teachers are sufficiently prepared to handle the changes in curriculum, and are there enough companies interested in taking pupils to train? ― Teachers in our country don't perceive their profession only as a profession, but as a calling too. You live off your profession, and you live for your calling. Most teachers have already shown a very high level of responsibility for educating pupils, and are interested in and understanding of this kind reform. Starting with elementary schools, our education system is mostly based on learning by subjects without those subjects having a common platform of developing entrepreneurial spirit in pupils. In order to eliminate this problem through active collaboration of the Ministry of Education and teachers, we are advocating imple-

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mentation of project activities in order to develop entrepreneurial spirit in children. How important are professional orientation programmes for pupils in order for them to make the right choice regarding their future vocation? ― The main goal of professional orientation is developing skills in young people that will enable them to make and implement a reasoned, valid and independent decision in regard to choosing the school and the profession that they plan to build

THOSE PUPILS WHO ARE TRAINED UNDER THE DUAL EDUCATION SYSTEM WILL ACQUIRE GOOD COMPETENCIES THAT ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH LABOUR MARKET NEEDS

their career on, and thus get involved in the world of work. Elementary schools should teach pupils about real life and their future, and enable them to recognize and develop their talents as much as possible. This is why the entrepreneurial education concept is very important because it will facilitate development of entrepreneurial spirit in every individual so that they can have a firm grip on their life and future career. In order to develop entrepreneurial competencies in young people, there is a plan to introduce project activities in schools as a result of forming inter-curricular links that would raise the awareness in young people about ways in which they can acquire knowledge. Considering that the very definition of education doesn't only imply acquiring knowledge but also teaching children how to use their minds, we think that this new activity, that will be implemented starting with elementary schools under the title „School Project – My Idea“, will develop creative, processual, composite, critical thinking in children, and teamwork as an important component of development of entrepreneurial spirit.

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ECONOMIC COOPERATION

TRUST BRINGS NEW INVESTMENTS The economic cooperation between Serbia and Austria is characterized by very close ties â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in trade, investments and the transfer of know-how

onstant growth of all trade indicators reflects good political relations, better regulated business environment in our country, and the trust that Austrian investors, both existing and new, have in the economic and workforce potential in Serbia. The development of the economic cooperation between Serbia and Austria just shows how much a synergy of good political relations and reforms in the country can produce sustainable economic ties which have been constantly growing in quality. Austria is the 12th biggest foreign trade partner to Serbia overall, the 13th biggest export partner, and the 9th biggest partner in import. At the same time, Austria is our

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biggest overall foreign investor, and, according to the latest data, since 2010, the country has been constantly ranked second among the countries that have invested the most in Serbia.

ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL AUSTRIAN STATISTICS FOR 2015, SERBIA MOSTLY TRADED WITH VIENNA, LOWER AND UPPER AUSTRIA

There are a total of 450 Austrian companies, employing 13,000 workers, operating in Serbia at the moment. The investment portfolio of Austrian companies in Serbia is diverse, with both small and big investments included. Austrian investors in Serbia are equally big corporations and SMEs. Austrian companies have participated in the privatization process, joint investments, and greenfield and brownfield investments. They have made the biggest investments in telecommunications and financial sector, as well as in other sectors like real estate, wood and furniture industry, automobile industry, food sector, transport and logistics. Telecom Austriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investments in the Serbian mobile telepho-

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ny sector (VIP Mobile) is the biggest greenfield investment in Serbia, and an example of an investor that is planning to stay in Serbia long-term. In the period between 2010 and 2016, the total trade between the two countries grew by 1.4 times, which is the same growth of Serbia’s import from Austria. Serbia’s export grew by 1.3% which means that, despite the stable growth of Serbian export to Austria in the last two years, our country is still recording trade deficit. In 2016, the total trade reached the highest amount ever – 867.1 million EUR which is an 8.8% hike compared to 2015. Serbia exported 339 million EUR worth of goods and services to Austria (a 6.9% hike), and spent 528.1 million EUR on imports from Austria (a 10% increase). The export to import ratio is 64.2%. Despite all of the aforementioned, it is quite evident that the structure of Serbian export to Austria has been improving over the years, i.e. that the share of raw-materials in the total trade is dropping, while the share of finished products is growing.

IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN 2010 AND 2016, THE TOTAL TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES GREW BY 1.4 TIMES, WHICH IS THE SAME GROWTH OF SERBIA’S IMPORT FROM AUSTRIA We mostly exported the following products to Austria: industrial products (84.8% or 287.4 million EUR of our export), and agricultural and food products (around 15.2% or 51.6 million EUR). It is interesting to mention agricultural and food exports because Serbia has been recording surplus in trading in these goods with Austria. In 2016, this surplus amounted to 20.2 million EUR. Our total trade in these products amounted to 83 million EUR (9.6% of our entire trade with

trovica, Comtrade Distribution, Borealis L.A.T and JP EPS. Looking at exports to individual provinces in Austria (according to the official Austrian statistics for 2015), Serbia mostly trades with Vienna, Lower and Upper Austria. In regard to trading in services with Austria, Serbia has recorded surplus. In 2016, our total export revenue was 230 million EUR, with Serbia importing 211 million EUR worth of services, which marks a 20-million-EUR surplus. In 2015, we generated 236 million EUR from exporting services to Austria, and imported 214 million EUR worth (the NBS data). Austria is the biggest investor in the Serbian business sector, with total investments worth around 3 billion EUR. In the period from 2010 – 2016/9, Austria was ranked second with total investments amounting to 1.64 billion EUR. The biggest Austrian investors in Serbia are: Telecom Austria Group, Raiffeisenbank, Henkel, Tondach, OMV, RAUCH, Knauf, Kronospan,

AUSTRIA IS THE BIGGEST INVESTOR IN THE SERBIAN BUSINESS SECTOR, WITH TOTAL INVESTMENTS WORTH AROUND 3 BILLION EUR In January 2017, the trade between the two countries amounted to 58.9 million EUR, with Serbia exporting 23.8 million EUR worth of goods and services to Austria, and importing 35.1 million EUR. If we look at the export structure in 2016, Serbia exported mostly the following products: circuit breakers (11.4% of our export to Austria), TV coil strips (7.9%), glass products, parts for electric engines and generators, washing and cleaning agents, frozen and fresh raspberries. We mostly imported: machine parts, medication, parts for switches and plugs, insulating plastic parts, telephones and fertilizers. Austrian companies in Serbia significantly contribute to the overall Serbian exports.

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Austria). Serbia exported 51.6 million worth of agricultural and food products, and imported 31.4 million EUR. Raspberry (frozen – 9 million EUR export, and fresh – 3 million EUR export) is the most important agricultural product that we export to Austria. Raspberry export covers almost a quarter of our total exports to Austria (or 23.3% of the agriculture and food product export). The companies that exported the most to Austria in 2016 are: Swarovski - Subotica, Eaton Electric - Sremska Mitrovica, Hesteel Serbia Iron & Steel, Motorenwerke – Subotica, and Henkel Serbia, while the biggest importers were: Swarovski - Subotica, Eaton Electric - Sremska Mi-

Erste Bank, and Gerlinger. There are other noteworthy investors like Lagermax AED, CA Immo International, Asamer Holding, Boxmark, Energie Steiermark, Eyemaxx, Falkensteiner, Soravia Group, GebrüderWeiss, Porr – Werner & Weber Holding, and Strabag. Two other Austrian companies - Kromberg (registered in Austria and headquartered in Germany) and Zumtobel – are about to invest in Serbia. Tourism is yet another sector with good results. In 2016, a total of 29,726 Austrian tourists visited Serbia (a 13.2% hike compared to 2015), who had 59,100 overnight stays (a 13.3% increase). In 2015, around 26,300 Austrian tourists came to Serbia and had 52,100 overnight stays.

Coat of arms of Austria

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— Text —

Žikica Milošević

ECONOMY

SOCIAL AGREEMENT INSIDE CAPITALISM Austria, a land with no kangaroos, as those funny T-shirts used to state, is actually very close to Australia in one way: it is also one of the world's wealthiest countries

ctually, Australia is doing slightly better, as the 9th richest country in the world, while our Austria is ranked 14th. It is fine for a country like Qatar, which is full of oil, or Norway, for the same reason, to be in the Top15, but to be there without many natural resources, only through wit and hard work, well, that’s quite an outstanding achievement.

EVERY MAN'S LAND

Having passed through many phases, the Austrian economy developed in such a way after World War II that it quickly became a role model for the majority of the world’s other countries. If we spoke quite often about so-called “Swedish Socialism” or what is largely viewed as the Scandinavian welfare state (similar in Iceland, Norway, Denmark or Finland), sometimes the people of Eastern Europe (except Estonians, of course) believe that the Scandinavian model can’t be replicated here, since we are very different culturally, climatically, economically and religiously. And yet, Austria seems quite close to all of us

who come from this region, from Lithuania to Poland and from Serbia to Romania. As such, the Austrian vision of economics can, and should, be readily applied. One of the things that made Austria an economic powerhouse was its neutrality. Military budgets were cut, and this neutral country that applied Western capitalism with a strong Social state seemed to be acceptable for both the Soviets and the Americans. It quickly became a hub for the economic development of the Eastern Bloc, even during the Cold War era, and especially afterwards, when Western companies felt the joy and promise of lucrative and empty Eastern markets. And the Austrians, being all too familiar with all of us, were the first to jump aboard the train and invest in Czechia, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia, without the hesitation of, say, British or Belgian companies.

WIT, NOT RESOURCES

But let’s take this story a bit further. If we take a look at the list of the richest of the rich, there are some countries that... erm, shouldn’t be there… if we’re talking

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AS THE COUNTRY GENERATES STEADY GROWTH OF ONE TO THREE PER CENT, THERE IS NO CRISIS ON THE HORIZON, BUT NO SPECTACULAR GROWTH EITHER. STILL, THAT’S VERY AUSTRIAN: DON’T CHANGE A WINNING SYSTEM about natural resources. Luxembourg? Switzerland? Ireland? Singapore? Denmark? All of them have wit, and aren’t afraid to work hard to tame their inhospitable, or simply tiny, land in order to make it great. Austria is no exception. A landlocked country that decided to cut its social differences (until the 1980s, the largest companies in Austria were generally nationalised, with the state's grip gradually loosened in the following years), with labour movements strongly influencing labour policies and industries. The Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) is composed of constituent unions and has a total membership of about 1.5 million—more than half of the country’s wage and salary earners. Since 1945, the ÖGB has pursued a moderate, consensus-orientated wage policy, cooperating with industry, agriculture and the government on a broad range of social and economic issues in what is known as Austria's “social partnership”. Well, while then PM Thatcher was talking about new liberalism and President Reagan was introducing his policies, Austria remained faithful to its slow but steady progress. And it paid off: in 2004 Austria was ranked as the fourth richest country within the European Union, with GDP (PPP) per capita of approximately €27,666, it was only listed behind Luxembourg, Ireland and the Netherlands.

FELIX AUSTRIA, WHAT NOW?

As the easternmost of all capitalist states in Central Europe (the only country located further eastwards is Finland), Austria was forced to work with Italy, and especially Germany, as its main trading partner. With these two giants as neighbours, Austria suffered a lot as a result of every fluctuation in these two, large, G7-Member economies. Limited cooperation with the then Yugo-

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slavia and other countries could not stabilise the economy in the case that it was hit by huge turmoil. Nowadays, though, with Austria having become surrounded by EU members, and for that matter by strong economies (Slovenia is ranked 35th world-

NOW THEY’RE DOING SO WELL THAT THEY DON’T REALLY NEED TO WORK TOO HARD OR GROW SPECTACULARLY, THOUGH THEIR 45-HOUR WORKING WEEK IS THE LONGEST IN EUROPE. BUT THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF LEISURE AND SOCIAL BENEFITS MEANS YOU CAN'T SAY IT

wide, Czechia 40th, Slovakia 46th and Hungary 57th), Austria is more comfortable, while its cooperation with eastern countries that are not members of the EU has only served to further stabilise the country. And what Austria does the most is invest eastwards. Namely, Austria is known for its service sector, which generates the vast majority of the country’s GDP. Vienna has grown into a financial and consulting metropolis, establishing itself over recent decades as the door to the East. Viennese law firms and banks are among the leading corporations when it comes to doing business with new EU member states. This is something that we in Serbia know quite well. As the country generates steady growth of one to three per cent, there is no crisis on the horizon, but no spectacular growth either. Still, that’s very Austrian: don’t change a winning system. Now they’re doing so well that they don’t really need to work too hard or grow spectacularly, though their 45-hour working week is the longest in Europe. But the fact that they have a lot of leisure and social benefits means you can't say it.

CORP ORAT E

UNIQA SERBIA

GLOBAL VISION WITH LOCAL FLAVOURS! UNIQA insurance is, in the Serbian insurance market, recognizable as a modern and innovative company with a very professional attitude towards their customers

NIQA insurance is a member of one of the leading insurance companies, the Austrian UNIQA Group, with business tradition spanning more than 200 years. Currently the UNIQA Group operates in 18 markets in Central-Eastern Europe and has 10 million customers, with whom it concluded more than 19.5 million contracts. In regions in which UNIQA operates and directs its activities, there are about 300 million people who speak different languages, live in different cultures, but they have one and the same motive - to ensure a secure future and prosperity for themselves and generations to come. Every day, we direct attention to the wishes and needs of the people, encouraging them to go for their dreams and to discover everything that fulfills them and makes them happy. By constantly opening up new horizons, UNIQA has gained the trust of millions of people and became a symbol of reliability, responsibility and a different, positive view of the world. During the decade of operations in Serbia more than 60 million euros have been invested, and the company operates through 35 branches, 6 general agencies, 250 mobile offices, 400 points of sale and has nearly 600 employees characterized by superior knowledge, professionalism and commitment to clients. UNIQA insurance currently occupies the fifth position on the Serbian market, but the first in the bank insurance and private health insurance. We are only one in the market to have introduced franchising over the partners who exclusively sell UNIQA insurance products and in this way we have combined our international expertise with local expe-

rience thus affirming private and family business in Serbia. To enjoy life means to ensure personal and family safety. Therefore, UNIQA insurance in its offer has various products tailored to the needs of a modern man. One of the most popular types of insurance is life insurance, which is a form of savings designed so that the client is provided with the financial security for himself/herself and their loved ones. And for those who want to protect their property, UNIQA has focused programs to safeguard the assets of companies, corporations, small and medium enterprises, as well as property of citi-

THE AWARDS ARE GREAT CONFIRMATION THAT OUR BUSINESS IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT OUR GREATEST REWARD IS THE TRUST OF MORE THAN 570,000 CLIENTS IN SERBIA zens, such as apartments and houses, cars. UNIQA travel insurance is a must when traveling abroad. Also, we are very proud of the leading position in the Serbian market in the field of private health insurance and all the benefits enjoyed by users of our MedUNIQA policies. For the last ten years of its presence in Serbia, UNIQA has initated new and supported existing actions to help and support those who need it most. UNIQA supported children without parental

care providing better conditions for happier growing up. Constant investment in the culture brings the citizens of Serbia closer to, at least, the part of the rich and colorful world and national cultural heritage. Cooperating with numerous sports associations UNIQA further encouraged sport spirit of Serbia. Also, cooperating with the Volleyball Federation of Serbia, UNIQA supported the most successful Serbian- world, European and Olympic champions. UNIQA crowned its investment in sport with cooperation with the Olympic Committee and was a reliable partner and support to the best athletes who brought joy to the nation winning numerous medals. A decade of constant progress and the greatest growth in the insurance industry, superior quality in operations and commitment to servicing clients and speed in the payment of damages have resulted in numerous awards. UNIQA insurance was declared the best insurance in Serbia by the prestigious London-based magazine "World Finance". In addition, UNIQA has received the award "Regional Business Partner 2011", which is awarded to companies that have shown outstanding results of operations, guided by high professional standards and firm ethical principles. In 2016, the Center for Customers Opinion Research awarded UNIQA insurance a certificate "The company to trust 2016". Also, UNIQA is the winner of the special award "Corporate Superbrands 2015/2016" for the results achieved during 10 years of operations, as well as recognition Public National Champion for the growth strategy from the organization European Business Awards. UNIQA has been given the award Planeta biznis for dedicated investment in the community in which it operates.

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ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA

LINK BETWEEN TWO ECONOMIES Activitis Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy

Visit of the president of the Vienna Economic Chamber 22nd September 2016.

ustrian companies operating in Serbia are mostly satisfied with the conditions for doing business here, and would invest in Serbia again. Thanks to the committed work by the Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy - ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Office in Belgade, the exisiting relations between the two countries were further consolidated last year, while Serbian and Austrian businesses also established new contacts. The Foreign Trade Department of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA has around 110 offices in over 70 countries across the globe, and a total of 800 employees and 35 consultants who provide support to Austrian companies in finding suppliers and business part-

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ners in the world. Every year, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA organizes close to 1,200 events with the view of establishing contacts

THE BIGGEST PROJECT THAT THE COMMERCIAL SECTION OF THE AUSTRIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA IS CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN IS RE-INSTIGATION OF DUAL EDUCATION

between Austrian companies and their potential business partners whether we are talking about Austrian companies that are looking for importers, distributers and sales agents, or companies that want more information about Austria as a country business partner, or accessing its market. Reputable international institutions have acknowledged the quality of the work done by ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA. At the global conference of trade promotion organizations, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA was given a silver award in the category “industrial countries”. This renowned award is given by the International Trade Centre (ITC), which has headquarters in Geneva and is co-founded by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations

Organization (UNO). ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA is exceptionally active in Serbia where, in the past period, has organized a series of visits, has taken part in important projects, primarily in re-instigation of dual education, and has arranged for Austrian companies to visit trade fairs in Serbia. In regard to official visits, we would like to single out the visit by the president of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Christoph Leitl, and the Austrian Foreign Minister, Sebastian Kurz. In the last two years, Dr Leitl visited Serbia twice. In February last year, Dr Leitl attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding signed by the Austrian IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, and the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Geography. Together with Mr. Kurz, he opened a gathering of Austrian business people called Austrian Business Circle. With many media outlets and around 200 Austrian business people in attendance at the gathering, he reminded that Austria was the biggest investor in Serbia, and that the two countries have been cooperating in all areas – from industry and trade to tourism, transportation, and banking. Dr Leitl also said that the strong Austrian economy would support Serbia in its EU accession process. The pinnacle of this visit was the signing of the Dual Education Agreement which was initialled by then Serbian Education Minister, Srđan Verbić, the Austrian Foreign Minister, Sebastian Kurz, the president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Marko Čadež, and the president of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Christoph Leitl. Implementation of dual education in Serbia, with the support of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, will positively contribute to education of qualified workforce which will be yet another trump card in attracting foreign investors. Austria is the 12th biggest foreign trade partner of Serbia in terms of overall trade. It is also the 13th biggest partner in export, and the 9th biggest partner in import. At the same time, the country is the biggest investor in Serbia too. Presently, there are around 450 Austrian companies with approximately 13.000 employees operating in Serbia in all economy segments. In cooperation with Austrian companies, classrooms were formed the Trading School as a part of an experimental phase of re-instigation of dual education in Serbia. The results of a survey about business opportunities in Serbia, which had been simultaneously carried out for the first time ever by the offices of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA in Southeast Europe in 2016 in the Balkan countries which are the most important partners of Austria, were re-

THE SECOND REGIONAL GATHERING AUSTRIA CONNECT WILL TAKE PLACE IN BELGRADE ON 30TH AND 31ST MAY, 2017, AND WILL ASSEMBLE AUSTRIAN COMPANIES, POTENTIAL INVESTORS IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE, MANAGERS FROM AUSTRIAN COMPANIES IN THE REGIONS AND THEIR BUSINESS PARTNERS leased in March 2017. The survey showed that Austrian companies are mostly positive about the conditions for doing business in

Serbia, and that they would invest again here. When asked to rate the economic development in the country, 27% of the surveyed companies said that it was positive, 59% said that it was the same, and 14% said that it declined. The surveyed companies have also exhibited shown a good dose of optimism in regard to the developments in the Serbian economy in the next year. 44% of them said that they expect business conditions to improve, while 10% said that they would worsen. The surveyed companies were then asked to rate the specific parameters in their companies in Serbia. Between 42% and 456% of them said that they have recorded an increase in overall turnover and business volume, while 18% and 17% of them respectively said that the said parameters were the same in the last 12 months. About 1/3 of the surveyed companies said that they have higher utilization of their capacities and higher investment volume, while ¼

Visit of the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Carinthia 13-15 April 2016.

Tomislav Nikolić, Željko Sertić and Snežana Bogosavljević, minister of agriculture at the Austrian stand at the Agricultural fair in Novi Sad 2016.

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has increased the number of employees. Almost a half of the surveyed companies expect their turnover and business volume to increase in the next year, while another 40% expects to see an increase in their overall capacity. About 1/3 of the surveyed companies expect to have more employees and make bigger investments. When asked to name the three most important laws that should be improved / changed in order to make an investment location even more appealing to Austrian companies, and to name economy segments that should be reformed / improved, Austrian companies underlined that legal security should be improved, and red tape and corruption reduced. As for the second question, most of them replied with „payment morale“, „purchasing power“, and „infrastructure“. Around half of them said that intervening with the state institutions and bodies was the most important service that the Commer-

cial Section of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce provides. The best indicator of the satisfaction of the Austrian companies could be found in their replies to the question about them re-investing in Serbia – 88.2% responed with „yes“. The biggest project that the Commercial Section of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce – Advantage Austria is currently engaged in is re-instigation of dual education, also called cooperative education, in Serbia. After the signing of the aforementioned agreement in February 2016, Serbia (its Education Ministry and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce) and Austria (the Education Ministry and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce) have formed classes in the Trade School for the work profiles retail sales person and freight forwarder / technician. This project also entailed several other activities including the German GIZ and Austria signing a cooperation agreement, educating trainers for dual educa-

Seminar on the new tax law with Confida Consulting.

Visit of the president of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Christoph Leitl and the Austrian minister of Foreign Affaires Sebastian Kurz.

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AUSTRIAN COMPANIES HAVE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS TRADE FAIRS AND OTHER GATHERINGS IN SERBIA THANKS TO THE COMMERCIAL SECTION OF THE AUSTRIAN EMBASSY – ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA - AT WHICH THEY PRESENTED THEIR BUSINESS OFFERS TO SERBIAN PARTNERS tion, the Trade School and parents of the pupils signing an agreement, and several other activities. The next big event that the Commercial Section will be involved is called AUSTRIA CONNECT which is a regional gathering of Austrian investors and managers that will take place in Belgrade on 30th and 31st May, 2017. This event is organized together with the sister branches of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia. The first regional conference AUSTRIA CONNECT took place in Zagreb in 2016, and it assembled 177 participants mostly from Austria, as well as some from the region. The conference topics include competitiveness in the region and in individual countries, and challenges for industry, infrastructure and labour market, and their impact on Austrian investors. These topics will be discussed at various lectures and discussions involving experts and experienced investors in the region. Furthermore, the conference is a great networking opportunity for potential business partners and for exchange of experiences. The event's target group is Austrian companies, potential investors in Southeast Europe, managers from Austrian companies in Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro, and their business partners from regional countries. TRADE FAIRS Austrian companies have participated in several trade fairs in Serbia. Concurrently, the Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy has organized other gatherings at which Serbian business people found out more about the offers from Austrian companies operating in several economic branches – from education and food processing to tourism and machine building industry.

Head of Sales and Marketing Gebrüder Weiss Serbia

ORANGE POWER ACROSS THE REGION

CORP ORAT E

JELENA ŽIVANOVIĆ

Our Orange Power relies on living collaboration and regional presence

ur strategic plans are based on further improvement of our existing distribution network in Serbia, both territory- and organization-wise, as well as raising the overall quality of our services. We want Gebrüder Weiss (GW) to be recongized as a company that sets standards, implements trends, and has a logistics approach that ensures added value for our clients.

the Serbian market. We are a stable system that listens intently to client needs, and operates in accordance with their demands while maintaining its strategic focus and flexibly reacting to the demands of the local market.

In which segments does Gebrüder Weiss follow in the footsteps of its mother company in terms of developing logistics solutions?

— The fact remains that the said sectors are considered the backbone of our logistics strategy and our guidelines in market operations. In Serbia, these are complemented by the sectors and logistical concepts which the Serbian market created itself. As a locally present provider, we are present in those logistics service segments on which we focus more than our European branches. If it fits our values, the local logistics potential becomes our local focus zone. Every market dictates its own demands which are often not included in the top strategic orientations of our mother company. However, we have been trying to demonstrate innovative approach, flexibility and good performances. In these cases, it can be challenging to remain consistent with standards.

— The secret of GW's success lies in the four key values that are our guidelines: sustainability in every way in accordance with environmental requirements, and in financial sense, high-level sustainability of performances of contracted services; commitment as a value that GW aspires every step of the way, namely expecting all employees to have a highly professional approach to their work which, in the end, results in responsible attitude towards work and focusing on clients; independence because we are an independent family business with a solid foundation that ensures our top notch performances, and last but not least, service excellence with our goal being wowing the clients with the quality of provided services, our expertise and contemporary technological solutions. We follow our strategic guidelines in the segment of local focus on hi-tech and automotive sector, and on creating logistics solutions for producers of consumer goods. In terms of home delivery and assembly, GW has been known to have firmly established standards in Austria, which are also implemented in

How is Serbian and regional market different to your other markets, and how did you adapt your solutions to fit these differences?

How important is regional networking? — We are present in all of the countries of the former Yugoslavia, as well as in neighbouring countries. In each and every one of them, we have a fruitful cooperation in logistics. We regularly have regional meetings which contribute to strengthening and advancing regional cooperation. We offer to our clients regional logistics solutions from one

source only, that is GW's. Our Orange Power lies in living collaboration and regional presence. The main theme of a successful sale is 1 GW = GW 1st.

Gebrüder Weiss is the leading company in the dual education system in Austria. How much do you focus on staff training in Serbia? — The strength of the company lies in competent, dedicated and loyal employees. Our strive towards reaching excellence in relation to the customers reflects onto our internal goals for building a stimulative working environment. The fact remains that the way you treat your employees is the way you treat community, society and the future. The guidelines for GW's sustainable development also include all aspects of social responsibility. I would like to single out a wide range of our educational programmes aimed at personal and professional advancement of our employees, and training sessions with the goal of developing unique theoretical or social skills. We are very proud of having joined the dual education programme in Serbia. A curriculum for logistics technicians and freight forwarders has been created based on the practical job descriptions and the real needs of the labour market. Also, we have devised the criteria and the required knowledge, designated sectors in GW in Serbia, and nominated mentors. The programme is envisaged to start in September 2017. I would also like to mention that, in collaboration with GIZ YEP, we have implemented a basic and additional training programme for young people from vulnerable social groups, again in accordance with the labour market needs in the logistics segment.

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In February 2016 and in March 2017, Austria took part in EDUFair in Belgrade. The Austrian education institutions that exhibited at this education fair received a great deal of interest from Serbian students. In early April 2016, the Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy organized its traditional workshop and business meetings for Austrian and Serbian tourism companies. Apart from very popular tourist attractions like sightseeing in Vienna, shopping trips to the Parndorf Shopping Centre or skiing in one of the many Austrian ski centres that have snow all year round, Austria also presented its tourism destinations that are ideal for school breaks considering that visa-free regime between Austria and Serbia facilitate more opportunities for getting to know Austria as a vacation destination. In June 2016, there was a presentation of Austrian food in the Falkensteiner Hotel in Belgrade. Serbian business people ex-

given answers to their questions, and had various dilemmas about tax regulation resolved at the seminar. In October, Austrian companies exhibited at the environmental fair called EcoFair in Belgrade. Bearing in mind that Austria is the leading European country in the environmental protection techniques and technologies which can be used in a more economical and climate-neutral production of energy, they play an important role in the Austrian economy. Serbia has a huge potential in terms of renewable energy resources so using the Austrian technology, exhibited at the Austrian stand at the fair, would be the next logical step in utilization of such resources in Serbia. In November 2016, the Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy – ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA – organized a B2B meeting of metal processing companies from Austria and Serbia with the view of linking the top Austrian sheet metal sup-

pliers with metal processing companies from Serbia. The aim of these B2B meetings was to examine the opportunities for implementation of joint projects. In February 2017, a delegation of Austrian water companies came to Belgrade with the goal of examining Serbian market. These companies had recognized Serbia’s potential in utilization of renewable energy resources. They provide a wide range of waste water filtering technologies, treatments for drinking water, water supply and all kinds of utilization of water as a power source. The Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy – ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA – has also organized business meetings with local companies and prepared several presentations and meetings with local companies, institutions and experts from this segment in order to get an insight into the water situation in Serbia and establish business cooperation.

IN FEBRUARY 2016 AND IN MARCH 2017, AUSTRIA TOOK PART IN EDUFAIR IN BELGRADE. THE AUSTRIAN EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS THAT EXHIBITED AT THIS EDUCATION FAIR RECEIVED A GREAT DEAL OF INTEREST FROM SERBIAN STUDENTS pressed a great interest in products exhibited by 14 renowned Austrian food and beverage producers with a total of 140 individual meetings held with the biggest retail chains, importers and distributors in the country. In June 2016, in cooperation with the Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy, the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK), the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the Slovenian Business Club and the Hellenic Business Association, the Austrian tax consultancy, Confida Consulting organized a seminar titled “Concerns in the implementation of the VAT Law and the Corporate Income Tax Law in taxation of foreign entities”. The goal of this seminar was to inform business community about a series of the newest tax bylaws which have raised several practical issues over the year. Numerous representatives of the aforementioned chambers of commerce and associations were

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B2B meetings between Serbia and Austria - Food and drinks.

Austrian stand at the education fair EDUfair 09.- 11.3.2017.

Director at Benning Power Electronics doo

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR EVERY USER

CORP ORAT E

LJUBIŠA PARANOS

Benning Power Electronics is a part of a large system that has implemented a number of complex projects relating to power systems in telecommunications, industry and railway, as well as produced tailor-made devices for specialized users

enning Power Electrics belongs to a big system that offers a range of innovative solutions which are applied in numerous economy segments, from transport to telecommunications.

What does being a part of a large system mean for your operations in Serbia? — Benning GmbH is company offering a wide range of energy electronic products, primarily power devices that are used from telecommunications to industry and railway, as well as tailor-made devices for specialized users. Our advantage lies in the fact that we have solutions for every user which is, at the same time, also a challenge because every system that we produce is technically unique since we provide turnkey solutions that require our knowledge of all implementation phases – from installation and commissioning to maintenance and service.

Who are your key partners on the domicile and foreign market?

INFO

— Our equipment is installed in key locations in Telekom Serbia, in the Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS), in power generating systems like hydro-electric plants Bajina Bašta, Uvac, Zvornik, TENT Obrenovac, Đerdap I, Đerdap II, and in power substations of EMS. Owing to the cooperation with our partners which are large system integrators like Siemens Serbia, Energomontaža, ELNOS BL, MINS Elektro, Termoinženjering and others, we have delivered equipment to the Stanari thermo power plant in the Republic of Srpska, the Brezna power substation, and Krnovo, the first wind farm in Montenegro.

How would you rate the overall business environment in Serbia, and how can it be improved? — We have been operating in Serbia as a part of the Benning Company for almost 5 years. When we founded the company here, we had to estimate the total turnover for VAT purposes, and pay the VAT regardless of not having any projects in the pipeline, or

SOLUTIONS Our advantage lies in the fact that we have solutions for every user which is also a challenge because every system that we produce is technically unique

generating any income at that point. Of course, this had an encumbering effect on our overall results. Also, the process of investing and implementing projects lasts for several years, and it often happens that 3 or 4 years go by from the time we send an offer to project implementation. We have to wait for payment a few months, which is not a problem when the dinar is stable, but when it is not, a portion of our profit is lost because of the currency exchange fluctuations. The state provides employment incentives only for „big“ investments. I see no reason why the same criteria could not be applied to smaller investments too because, in that case, with the government's support, we would gladly hire more people.

What do you think of the quality of the workforce in Serbia? — There is quality workforce in our branch, but it is limited in number. What I mean is that, due to a small volume of available work, the number of qua lity employees is limited and is hardly growing especially when we consider that energy sector is not as appealing as computer programming and software engineering.

Tel/fax: + 381 11 3 16 14 29 · info@benning.co.rs · www.benning.rs AUSTRIA 2017

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CORP ORAT E

CSILLA IHASZ Chairman of the Management Board

15 ANNIVERSARY OF SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS IN SERBIA th

We were recognized as The Best Bank in Serbia in 2016 by The Banker, while European Business Awards selected us as the National Champion in the Environmental and Corporate Sustainability

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hanks to strong loan volume disbursement to retail clients, banking sector assets reached RSD 3,241 billion, recording an increase of 6.3% year on year. Improved regulatory framework, followed by better collection and partially to ceding of claims, led to decrease in gross NPLs.

At the end of 2016 the overall profit before tax of banks in Serbia was 118% higher than in the last year. What is this telling us about the revival of the banking market? — When looking at financial figures of Serbian banking sector in 2016, we can conclude that there are many positive signs that speak in its’ favor and favor of revival of the demand. The growth of net profit of entire banking system was mostly influenced by provision release, decrease of net credit losses and lower expenses arising from indirect write offs. Facilitation of monetary policy, low interest rates within the Eurozone and decrease of interest rates on savings also influenced strong competition among banks which further led to a reduction in interest rates on new loans, mainly in corporate sec-

tor. In accordance with this and due to improving macroeconomic environment, we could expect further growth of credit activity in the future.

When looking at the results in 2016, UniCredit Bank is positioned as second on the market in terms of profitability. Which factors that have contributed to

WE CONTINUED TO WORK ON IMPROVEMENT OF PROCESSES AND DELIVERY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF OUR CLIENTS your successful business? — Year 2016 was very special for our bank. Besides the fact that we celebrated our 15 anniversary of successful business in Serbia, we also achieved excellent business results. This was recognized and awarded with some of the most important acknowl-

edgements in business and philanthropic community. We were recognized as The Best Bank in Serbia in 2016 by The Banker, while European Business Awards selected us as the National Champion in the Environmental and Corporate Sustainability. Numerous factors made our success possible. We continued to work on improvement of processes and delivery of products and services tailored to the needs of our clients. Our commitment to customer centricity enabled us to further strengthen our position as one of the leaders in terms of profit, efficiency and productivity. We managed to stand still above the market average in terms of many important parameters such as cost to income ratio, return on equity or cost of credit risk. All this led to achieving the second highest profit before tax in the sector in the amount of RSD 6.5 billion and double digit market share.

When looking at your offer can you please tell us for which products/ services there is the highest demand? — We are all well aware of the effects that the dinarization process, followed by the overall decrease in interest rates, had on lending in local currency. Not only that they provided a solid ground for creation of more favorable lending conditions, but they also stimulated market players to ‘get into the game’ of offering the proper product, under proper conditions. Our bank was one of the market players that, guided by its strong customer focus, managed to provide its clients financing solution in local currency, available upon simple and fast approval procedure. This, followed by favorable lending conditions positioned our RSD cash loan as a leading product from our retail offer. Our client portfolio analysis show that new clients are particularly interested in this product, especially for its refinancing feature since it provides them the possibility to put together all monthly installments into a single one with the most favorable interest rate, therefore enabling them to relax their household. As additional advantage, I would underline the insurance that provides loan repayment support to clients who lose their job, or cannot repay their obligations due to certain unexpected situations.

We are also witnessing significant interest in housing loans primarily due to simplified approval procedure and more favorable conditions, result of increased competition. Fully aware that the process of resolving the housing issue is extremely stressful for clients, we did our best to support them during every step of this process, not only through advisory, but also by offering a competitive product. When SME segment is concerned, working capital loan is by far the most attractive product, followed by overdraft, guarantees and investment loans. However, we must not neglect the fact that limited number of clients are using loans, while others use mostly payment services. Actually, more than 50% of our clients are using electronic channels and even 90% of their transactions are being performed via e-banking.

You are offering products and services also to students. Why did you decide to target this part of the market? — From the start of our business, our orientation comprehended investments in young people though various programs. Initially we were focused on providing educational support through UniCredit & Universities Foundation, in terms of scholarships, support in prepar-

THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN UNICREDIT AND EIF AIMS TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO FINANCE FOR INNOVATIVE SMES, AS WELL AS TO MID-CAPS ing final papers or possibility to gain first working experience in the country or abroad. Having this in mind, our partnership with Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development was something that was imposed by itself. For the group of, how we like to call them, future leaders we created a Student Package Account that enables them to receive a scholarship or a loan on their account, but also to use free of charge current accounts, debit cards, e-banking and m-banking services.

We are fully committed to building a long term partnership with these young people since they are the future of this country. Feedbacks received from them enable us create a range of products that fully meet their needs now, but that will also be useful to them after graduation and during the beginning of employment.

Looking at the numbers today in comparison to the past, can you please tell us how often do your clients use online banking? —Not only Serbia, but entire Central and Eastern Europe are witnessing a technological revolution. Firstly, the number of mobile phone users recorded enormous growth which consequently led to the development of a large number of applications. Now, as a result, we have a significant growth of online shopping. Official data show that in the last year over 1.45 million people in Serbia bought or ordered goods or services via internet. The majority of them used internet in order to book accommodation, buy travel vouchers, purchase gadgets, food and mobile games. With aim of keeping up with global trends, we implemented a Mobile banking development strategy thanks to which we improved user experience and introduced new services and functionalities, at the same time educating our clients. As a result, a continuously increasing number of clients are opting to perform banking transactions without visiting the branch, using our m-banking application at any time and from any place.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and UniCredit signed in January an agreement on guarantees with the aim to increase lending to innovative small and medium-sized enterprises in eight countries, including Serbia. What will this mean in practice for you client segment? — The agreement between UniCredit and EIF aims to enhance access to finance for innovative SMEs, as well as to mid-caps (up to 499 employees). Thanks to this program – Innofin - enterprises in eight countries, including Serbia, have the possibility to benefit from total financing amount worth EUR 160 million for the improvement of their business performance with less security requirements and will be able to take advantage of more favorable price.

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JOHANNES IRSCHIK

Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum

INTERVIEW

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE CREATE MEMORABLE BONDS Every year the Austrian Cultural Forum infuses fresh air into the Serbian cultural scene, by bringing young and established contemporary artists and scientists to galleries, concert scenes, and stages throughout the country. The number of spectators speaks for itself of how these events are warmly embraced

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hanks to the Austrian Cultural Forum Serbia has a chance to have insight into very best of the vibrant and creative cultural scene, as well as in scientific activities in Austria. While the last one is less visible when it comes to the general public, Serbian public definitely show huge interest in film festivals, concerts, exhibitions and performances of the young and well established Austrian filmmakers, musicians and writers. We spoke with Johannes Irschik, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum how the already established bonds between our two countries were further nourished and enriched through the work of the Forum. The Austrian Cultural Forum was established 16 years ago. How much has your operational programme changed considering the growing understanding of the Serbian audiences for Austrian art? ― Our operational programme includes cultural activities and achievements arising from a combination of tradition, creativity and innovation. We support and promote Austrian artists and creative professionals, European integration as well as inter-

WE HAVE DEVELOPED A SOLID NETWORK OF EXCELLENT PARTNERS THROUGHOUT SERBIA AND HAVE MANAGED TO POSITION OURSELVES ON THE CULTURAL MAP OF SERBIA

may not be that visible, but they are dear to our hearts as they foster exchange and mutual understanding between our two countries. The Austrian Cultural Forum is also a member of the EUNIC cluster Serbia (European Union National Institutes for Culture) and several times per year we join forces with other members of the cluster to carry out joint events. This can range from the organization of roundtables with experts from various European countries to celebrating the European Day of Languages.

al and scientific activities, with special attention paid to young artists and creative professionals from Austria. We are happy to be able to say that we started with an audience knowing only about W.A. Mozart, Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, but now also names like Erwin Wurm, Elfriede Jelinek and Michael Haneke joined them – to name only a few.

What topics inspire contemporary Austrian artists the most today, and how relevant are they to this area, and how to global trends? ― Artists in general are inspired by the world they live in and challenges the society they live in have to face. Some of the issues currently tackled by Austrian artists are globalization, migration flows and the digital age, all topics that are relevant to Serbia, the region and the world as a whole. Coming to terms with Austria’s past, mainly during the time of National Socialism, is also a theme that many Austrians artists, especially in the fields of literature and film, deal with.

What type of events that you organize are the most popular? ― In general, the participation of Austrian artists in exhibitions and musicians in fes-

AUSTRIA AS THE LARGEST INVESTOR IN SERBIA HAS CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE ATTRACTION OF LEARNING GERMAN, THE RISE IN INTEREST IN LEARNING GERMAN IS A GENERAL TREND WE HAVE WITNESSED IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS cultural and interreligious dialogue. While doing so, our goal is to make sure that Austria is perceived as a future-oriented country. As Austria has a rich cultural history, audiences were at first inclined to expect us to offer programmes that would include classical music or visual arts from the fin-de-siècle. With time, we have developed a solid network of excellent partners throughout Serbia and have managed to position ourselves on the cultural map of Serbia. Our audience knows us and they know what to expect. Now we can easily communicate and provide insights into the contemporary aspects of creative, cultur-

tivals has proven very popular in the past, as have solo exhibitions and concerts. Austrian movies, be it feature films or documentaries, have also risen in popularity within the past few years and have gained a strong and loyal following in Serbia. Our travelling exhibitions on various historical and biographical subjects are immensely popular, too. They travel all over Serbia and are visited mostly by students and young people, over 7000 last year. Other projects we support, such as the participation of Austrian scientists in conferences or the support of musicians who come to Serbia to work with young local talents

Has the interest shown by people in Serbia for learning the German language increased with the arrival of more Austrian investors here? ― Allow me to answer the next two questions on behalf of my colleagues at the Austrian Institute Belgrade, which was founded in 2007 with the aim of providing German language courses and promoting cultural exchange. It offers a wide variety of courses and the opportunity to study for an ÖSD (Austrian Language Diploma) certificate. Last year there were 855 students in the Austrian Institute’s German language courses and 955 students who

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took an exam for ÖSD certificates. While the fact that Austria as the largest investor in Serbia has certainly contributed to the attraction of learning German, the rise in interest in learning German is a general trend we have witnessed in the past several years, with the strong historical, cultural, economic and last but not least personal ties between our two countries being at the core of this phenomena.

AT THE BEGINNING, AUDIENCE KNEW JUST W.A. MOZART, GUSTAV KLIMT AND EGON SCHIELE, BUT TODAY ARTISTS SUCH AS ERWIN WURM, ELFRIEDE JELINEK AND MICHAEL HANEKE ARE SYNONYMS OF THE AUSTRIAN CULTURE TOO

How much did learning German for business reasons affect the popularity of this language in Serbia, and how did it affect the structure of the German language courses? ― Learning German for business reasons certainly boosted its popularity. To respond to the fact that a lot of Austrian companies are based in Serbia, the Austrian Institute offers special tailor-made courses for businesses. Its teachers use the most up-to-date teaching methods and participants gain insight into Austrian life, language and culture. The Austrian Institute also produces its own newspaper – the “Österreich Spiegel” - for the study of German language and culture, as well as material for specialist areas including German for lawyers, or German for medical professionals.

INTERESTING SEASON AHEAD

What are the most popular books in the Austrian libraries in Belgrade and Novi Sad? ― On the one hand, visitors of the Austrian libraries in Belgrade and Novi Sad are interested in literature, be it classics such as novels by Stefan Zweig or Franz Kafka,

This year, we are working on two major projects. The first one is a film cycle that we are planning to show in five Serbian cities, namely Nis, Novi Pazar, Priboj, Sombor and Vrsac. By doing so, we hope to introduce contemporary Austrian cinema to a wider audience. The movies we are going to screen are new productions including biopics about renowned Austrian artists such as Egon Schiele and Stefan Zweig or a film adaption by the popular Austrian author of childrens’ books Christine Nöstlinger, for example. The second major project that will certainly be appealing to a large audience from all over Serbia is the participation of Austria – together with our friends from Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein – as the guest of honor in this year’s Belgrade Bookfair. Under the motto „Four countries. One language“ we aim to present contemporary literature from our four countries as well as books that have been translated from German into Serbian. In this endeavor we are supported by the translation network Traduki and the Belgrade based NGO KROKODIL. We will invite around twenty authors from our four countries to Belgrade to present their work both at the book fair and at various locations across the city. There will be a different thematic focus each day as well as events for children and a younger audience, so I am sure that there will be something of interest to everyone.

We asked Johannes Irschik, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum which programmes he would single out as the most appealing in 2017 and here are the two programs he suggested: Christine Nöstlinger

or contemporary authors such as Elfriede Jelinek. Also books about the history of Austria and the Habsburg Empire are very popular. On the other hand textbooks, dictionaries and lexica, used for learning German as a foreign language or for translating purposes, are very popular. I would like to take this opportunity to cordially invite you to visit the Austrian libraries in Belgrade (based at the University Library Belgrade) and Novi Sad (based at the library of the Matica Srpska) to find out what they have to offer!

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Siniša Nikolić and Jovan Armić

PARTNERS OF BIG LAND DEVELOPERS

CORP ORAT E

INNOVATIVE IDEEN

It is still standard practice in Serbia for owners of land plots to sell them despite the land being legally contentious and often not being ‘covered’ by adequate spatial planning documents. We are key partners to land developers in terms of checking and resolving legal and spatial planning problems

he clients of Jovan Armić and Siniša Nikolić’s law firm are mostly land developers whether land developing is their core business, or they have invested the money generated from their core business into real estate.

Who are your most important clients and what kind of services do you offer? — In the last 10 years, our office has been hired by several foreign companies during all stages of investing in real estate. We would like to single out the Indian company Hardgate which built the very first IT part in Inđija. Then there is the Austrian company Durst Development and Vasko & Partners which built the Atrium and Red Stripe buildings in Novi Beograd. We have also worked with the British fund Chayton Capital on its projects in the region. One of our clients has built, what is widely considered, the best hotel in Belgrade – the Square Nine. We have participated in the project of constructing one of the biggest residential blocks in Vračar which has been built by

Marmil Inženjering. Currently, we are involved in the activities pertaining to a big investment in construction of residential buildings spanning 250,000 square metres, implemented by the Chinese land developer New Park Group.

— There is always enough room to improve real estate development. We think that the state can give an even bigger impetus to development of the real estate market through regulatory changes, HR solutions, reduction of levies, and deferring the payment of these levies after construction is completed.

How complex is real estate regulation, and what are the issues that clients need your help with? — It is still standard practice in Serbia for owners of land plots to sell them despite the land being legally contentious and often not having adequate spatial planning documents. Our law firm plays crucial role in checking and resolving legal and spatial planning issues. After a land developer acquires a location, our team of associates, together with project designers, then works on acquiring a building permit and other required documents, and puts together and analyzes agreements with contractors and other entities involved in construction.

How can we round off and improve real estate regulation?

In 2015, you founded the company called ISDJ Innovative Ideen in Austria. Could you tell us what does your company do, and how did you come up with the idea for it?

ALL STAGES In the last 10 years, our office has been hired by several foreign companies during all stages of investing in real estate

— We founded the ISDJ Innovative Ideen Company in Vienna with the idea of attracting Austrian investors to invest in the Serbian real estate market, and, if needed, to connect them to domicile developers, on one side, and on the other side, to provide services to Serbian businesses which are setting up companies in Austria, and research the markets they are interested in. Austria demonstrated a great friendship and hospitality towards hundreds of thousands of our workers, and its companies were among the first investors in Serbia, after the year 2000. Hence, we think that the cooperation between our two economies should be nurtured and improved to mutual satisfaction.

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Wiener Staatsoper

CULTURE

WALTZ ME AMADEUS 42

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The capital of music, long before Manchester or Seattle. Yes, Austria's prominent trademark was always shaped by its inclination towards music, though not so much recently — Text —

Žikica Milošević

ecently we had Falco or Opus in the 1980s - enough for the pop charts – but in the 18th and 19th centuries London was a distant outpost, New York was a freshly liberated colony, and Manchester was a giant textile factory. Seattle? No way! Everything came from Vienna: both Mozart and Strauss, and an endless list of others.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Yes, this Alpine musical, extremely popular in the English-speaking world, originates from Austria. Let me remind you of the plot: “Set in Austria on the eve of the Anschluss in 1938, the musical tells the story of Maria, who takes a job as governess to a large family while deciding whether to become a nun…” Et cetera. The 1965 film based on the story won five Academy Awards and now we all know about “Edelweiss”. But Austria was a musical superstar country long before that. We tend to easily conclude that people were so much more sophisticated in olden times, but that is not true. Opera houses, just like theatres, were places where people gathered to hear brand new hits. And Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, another prominent Austrian, was a genuine hit-maker. And after him came the Strauss family, the Waltz Kings, who were the rulers of the dance floors. And don’t forget that Franz Liszt, despite being Hungarian, was glorified all around the Austrian Empire. And if Johann Strauss Senior, his son and Joseph Strauss were the dictators of fashionable tunes at the time, Liszt was the first concert superstar, as he possessed a refined style and good looks. Things haven’t changed much in the last few centuries, right? Living in such a vast empire, centred towards the South and the East, influenced Austrian music so much, with local themes. Germany and Italy were also musical superpowers at the time, but during the Baroque

period Austrian music was influenced by Slavic and Hungarian folk forms. Vienna's status as a cultural centre began to rise in the early 16th century, focused around instruments including the lute. Later, as the whole culture came under the strong influence of Hungarian, Bohemian, Italian and German cultures, a unique identity somewhere in between all these identities emerged, creating an Austria that was flourishing and multicultural, yet still German-speaking. And many Slovenian and Hungarian motifs entered classical music via Haydn, while one Croatian national song from Burgenland (Gradišće) even became the national anthem of the Aus-

GREAT INNOVATIONS COME FROM GREAT EMPIRES AND SELDOM FROM SMALL COUNTRIES. AND IT IS NO WONDER THAT AUSTRIA GAVE THE WORLD SO MUCH WHILE IT WAS AT THE PEAK OF ITS GLORY trian Empire – and since 1922 the anthem of Germany. The original Croatian song was “V rano jutro se ja vstanem”, which Haydn changed. To make the fuss even greater, Slovenian composer Davorin Jenko used a variation of the same Austrian-Croat song to compose the Serbian national anthem, “Bože pravde”. So, if you did not know or haven’t noticed, the Serbian and German anthems are essentially the same song, adapted on the basis of an Austrian-Croat song. Nice, isn’t it? Great innovations come from great empires

and seldom from small countries. And it is no wonder that Austria gave the world so much while it was at the peak of its glory. Austria gave us one of the most divine artistic styles in the history of art: the Secession style. Of course, there are different Secession subgroups in the world – perhaps for us the Hungarian one should be the most familiar, and hence most important. But the Viennese Sezessionstil was quite stunning. To remind us all, it was an art movement formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists who had resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists, housed in the Vienna Künstlerhaus. This movement included painters, sculptors and architects, including Gustav Klimt. However, members of the movement were not compelled to adopt any single specific style. “To every age its art; to every art its freedom” was the motto. Jugendstil was magnificent, with its animal and floral motifs, with free use of every ornament known to man. And it is stunning even now – the last great European style, they say. Art Deco was intercontinental, and not only European. And it is not just art either: it is also psychology, with Freud and Adler; it is the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, and Austrian film artists. In the silent movie era, while it was still a great superpower, Austria was one of the leading producers of movies. Hedy Lamar was a stunning beauty, the first to act naked on film. Billy Wilder established Hollywood and Fritz Lang was the father of science fiction. So, Austria was modern before it was fashionable around the globe. Some theorists say that German-speaking countries gave the most in the fields of music, psychology and philosophy, while the English-speaking world gave us a lot of literature and film, Italians and Romance nations gave us visual arts, and the Slavs give us all soul. Austria, as a place somehow in the middle, gave us a bit of everything.

THE VIENNESE SEZESSIONSTIL WAS QUITE STUNNING. TO REMIND US ALL, IT WAS AN ART MOVEMENT FORMED IN 1897 BY A GROUP OF AUSTRIAN ARTISTS AUSTRIA 2017

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SPIRIT OF AUSTRIA

THE CORE OF THE FIRST EUROPEAN UNION Conservative, liberal, paradoxical, beautiful, harmonious

Karlskirche, Vienna

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— Text —

hose who try to characterise the spirit of a nation based only on ethnicity or language could be baffled by the difference between Canadians and Americans. But these people would be even more baffled when it comes to Germany and Austria. Although they speak German, Austrians formed their identity against a different background that is, on one hand, deeply Germanic, while on the other hand it deeply isn’t. As such, the old capital of Vienna still serves as the informal capital of the vast and rich multicultural world of Mitteleuropa, or Middle Europe. Every culture has its outposts and every culture has its multicultural outposts. Peter the Great made his famous and magnificent Saint Petersburg, in order to “carve a window into Europe”, and it became the most diverse and cosmopolitan of all Russian cities. Ukraine has Odessa, an imperial city inhabited by dozens of immigrant nations. Serbia has Vojvodina, while Croatia has its Istria. The list goes on and on. And what is specific about these “outposts” is that they are not the “core” or “hard centre” of a culture, but rather a splendid mixture of something genuinely traditional and deeply foreign. And thus the German-speaking world has its vibrant, jolly and multifaceted Austria. The Austrian mentality was deeply derived from its imperial past. Austria and its Habsburgs tried desperately to unify German lands, but the battle was lost definitively in the 19th century, to Prussia, which managed to achieve that unification. In return, Austria concentrated on ruling its vast continental empire, with the Habsburgs ruling such countries as Belgium or Spain. But the crucial difference was the fact that one German-speaking country ruled over such peoples as Italians, Hungarians, Czechs, Poles, Croats, Romanians, Serbs, Ukrainians et al., which have so many differences among them, not to mention the stark differences between them and the Austrians. And that proved to be beneficial when the spirit of Austria emerged. Waltzes ruled the world; Viennese nightlife was as good 150 years ago as London nightlife is today. The Prussians were precise, the Swiss hard-working, the Austrians, enriched with so many contrasting cultures, were jolly. Empress Sissy liked Hungary and popularised the idea of a polycentric Empire. Her favourite places were on the very periphery of the Empire, like Baile Herculane in Romanian Banat, where she went for spa treatment and attempted to learn Romanian national songs and the Romanian language. The mocking suggestion that “a Viennese graveyard is merrier during any night than

Žikica Milošević Zurich on a Saturday night”, already well known, merely demonstrates how Austria was formed: you cannot rule Venice, Prague or Budapest if you are stiff and rigid. Then, finally, came the idea of genetic mixing. Many people state with pride that they are Austrians, though anyone with a clear mind could recognise their non-Ger-

AUSTRIA A COUNTRY THAT DURING MUCH OF ITS EXISTENCE STROVE TO AVOID OVERSEAS COLONIES, AND TO INSTEAD IMPROVE THE LIFE OF ITS CITIZENS IN THE CORE OF THE OLD CONTINENT man surnames, especially Czechs and Slovenes. But isn’t that the point? To speak German while knowing your Slavic origins, like Krajsky, Prohaska or Schuschnigg? Just as it is very Austrian to be 100% Germanic. Moreover, something else that is very Austrian is to believe in opposites: during the last presidential elections, the Green candidate, Van de Bellen, of Dutch origin, received some 50% of the vote, as did Freedom Party leader Norbert Hoffer, traditionally German. The Greens promoted LBGT-friendly traffic lights in Vienna, while their opponent is fiercely conservative. The Austrians may cherish their im-

perial past, with many of the former nobility carrying their titles with pride, yet Red Vienna is the pride of the Austrian capital, while the city boasts of having the highest living standards and being the most liveable city in the world, equally for rich and poor alike. Some might joke that Austrians are a paradox; that they are like a traditional cookie: “red (leftist) on the outside and brown (conservative) on the inside”. But that didn’t prevent them from giving the world some of its greatest ever scientists and artists. Why is Austria so good for thinkers and artists? Because in such an environment, with so many fusions, you have to question yourself constantly: who am I? Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Oscar Kokoschka, Hundertwasser, Egon Schiele, Alphonse Mucha. Although he was originally from Prague, Franz Kafka lived in Austria, spoke German and had that same very self-questioning Austrian spirit. Some of them are ethnically Jews, some Czechs, some Germans… Well, that is the point. Ethnicity very rarely mattered in the flourishing and neutral Vienna or Austria, a country that during much of its existence strove to avoid overseas colonies, and to instead improve the life of its citizens in the core of the Old Continent. Austrians formed the first European Union, long before the current one. Austria is still in favour of the idea of building culture and identity not only on the basis of genetics, but also on language, common values and the idea of belonging to the same Central European family. That is why this tiny state is still so resilient, and is also still a role model.

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TOURISM

OH, VIENNA! Imperial Remnants on the Beautiful Blue Danube

Schönbrunn Palace

e take you to the centre of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – to the “carstvujuščij grad of Viena", as we once called it... We will repeat it once again: there is a big, big difference between ordinary capitals, “regularly beautiful” cities that were built exclusively using their own money, and those cities that were centres of vast empires, and which were desired to express imperial or royal power, bragging with the capital's dignity, built usually with a little help of the sweat of conquered peoples. The first group includes many cities, while the other includes only a privileged few. Among them is the ancestral capital of the Habsburg empire, the black and yellow empire, or, if you will, the K. und K. (Kaiser und König – "The Emperor and the King") monarchy: Vienna. Vienna, in essence, is

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an exception in the Germanic world: it is too lavish, too cheerful, too elegant and too cosmopolitan. It is too much in the rhythm of the waltz, with too much love for wine, artists, painters, musicians and poets… and it is too multi-ethnic. No wonder

DURING THE SECOND SIEGE OF VIENNA IN 1683, A “SOUVENIR” FROM THE TURKS REMAINED – THE STRANGE BEVERAGE THAT KEPT THE TURKS AWAKE AND WAS KNOWN AS “COFFEE”

that some of the most important villains never liked it. But there were many who didn’t like Vienna: for example, the Swiss, in their parsimony, precision and barren Protestantism. Many older memories of our fellow citizens, spoken or written, will give us such a good picture of the cheerful capital of Austria, the merriest Germanic city in the world, which only we, Croats and Hungarians call Beč (Bécs). Well, let’s pass through a little history.

THE HOME OF THE GREAT

Vienna was, like half of Europe after all (including Belgrade), founded by the Celts, and they called it Vindomnia. It was strategically located, with the Danube to the east, forests to the north and west, and a small Danube tributary to the south. It was later conquered by the Romans, who used it as a fortress against the Germans, Teutons. But

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Žikica Milošević the climate was then cooler and the fledgling armoured Romans were not very comfortable in the woods of Noricum. We may recall the Roman officer called Maximus, interpreted by Oscar winner Russell Crowe, who in The Gladiator is close to Vindobona (Vienna in Latin) when he exclaims “Roma victor!” (“Rome the victor!”). Vienna was governed by the Babenburg family until 1246, when it was replaced the Habsburg family, which remained in power for a further six and a half centuries! The Eastern Habsburg Empire would be fixed on the rivers Sava and Danube, forming a civilisation that was driven by Germanic Catholicism, but which was essentially a stunning mix of peoples and cultures. They say that during the second siege of Vienna in 1683, a “souvenir” from the Turks remained – the strange beverage that kept the Turks awake and was known as “coffee”. Coffee has played a major role in the life of the Viennese since then, particularly in the form known as “melange”, which is actually a mixture of coffee and creamy milk. The frenetic reconstruction of Vienna following its liberation from the Turks, which left a large part of Central Europe as it looks today, left us with Viennese magnificence, and made the recognisable baroque face of this sophisticated city. But this empire’s biggest rise was recorded during the time of Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II, when construction projects included the palaces of Schönbrunn, Hofburg and Belvedere, which became instant landmarks of the imperial city. Of course, most of the buildings had to be a light amber colour, as that was the favourite colour of Empress Maria Theresa. However, we also have to look beyond the empire to the period of the Austrian Republic, which left some magnificent traces

on the face of the city. The era of social democracy after World War I was marked the name “Red Vienna” (“Rotes Wien”), when impressive apartment complexes, such as Karl-Marx-Hof, which contained a then unimaginable total of 1,325 apartments, were built. This complex remains one of the attractions of the Austrian capital.

WHAT TO SEE?

St. Stephen’s Square (Stephansplatz) is certainly not part of the imperial legacy, “in the narrow sense” of the word. Gothic in structure, St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) is monumental in every respect, both

SO, ONCE YOU SEE VIENNA, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE, WHICH IS AN EXCLAMATION OF ULTRAVOX’S EPONYMOUS NEW WAVE HIT. VIENNA DESERVES EVERY MINUTE AND EVERY SIGH internally and externally. Stained glass windows, altars, pews... It is extremely elegant in that mediaeval, mystical way, in contrast to the baroque and classicism that adorns the other remnants of Vienna’s imperial legacy. It's hard to catch on camera; that's how big it is! On Stephansplatz there are many charming shops and cafes, but, of course, the most striking detail is the carriages, called fiakers. If you're in the money, then riding one is as much of a

“must” as a gondola ride in Venice or a retro black cab ride in London - take a ride and feel for a moment the bygone world of 85 years ago... When men greeted women by saying “I kiss your hands!”, and where dates were held secret and the hand of a loved one was always sought from her father... Let's go to the promenade along the main street of Vienna, Graben. Walking down the Kohlmarkt ("Coal Market"), where Viennese stand to drink their glasses of wine after work, with a laugh, we reach the impressive Hofburg. Imperial Vienna had its epicentre right here, in the house of Habsburg. Hofburg is actually an entire complex of buildings and gardens, with the two identical buildings of the Natural History (Naturhistorisches) Museum and the Art Museum (Kunsthistorisches). Between them, in the garden, sitting on the throne with dignity, is Maria Theresa (whose name was carried BY THE Serbian city of Subotica until 1918), “looking at her subjects”, including us! Austrians were known as lovers of greenery – hence the massive parks full of paths and greenery throughout the city. Among them is the City Park (Stadtpark), which the Danube and Novi Sad is said to be modelled on; because the Austrians wanted more than anything to “clone” all the areas they conquered and transfer all their culture, making these conquered peoples Austrians by culture. In many ways, they succeeded. There is a monument of Johann Strauss in the middle, seemingly “caught” while playing his famous waltz-violin. Needless to say, Schönbrunn Palace (literally: “Beautiful wells”) is under UNESCO protection. The palaces and parks around it definitely represent a “doorway” to a new world, i.e. the old world; the world of imperial dignity and the world of monumentality, intrigue, luxury, conspiracy... This is

THERE IS A BIG, BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORDINARY CAPITALS, “REGULARLY BEAUTIFUL” CITIES THAT WERE BUILT EXCLUSIVELY USING THEIR OWN MONEY, AND THOSE CITIES THAT WERE CENTRES OF VAST EMPIRES AUSTRIA 2017

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Naturhistorisches Museum

definitely a jewel of Baroque culture, which you will need a whole day to tour! Learn about the royal family, the beautiful princess Sissi, who loved Hungarians more than Austrians, the baroque Counter-Reformation, which wanted to capture the hearts

HOFBURG IS ACTUALLY AN ENTIRE COMPLEX OF BUILDINGS AND GARDENS, WITH THE TWO IDENTICAL BUILDINGS OF THE NATURAL HISTORY of believers by splendour... Take a walk to Neptune fountain and the victory monument, Gloriette. Enjoy the greenery and watch people jogging casually. Now let’s go to the other end of town, which is only geographically distant, but contains the logical next step: Belvedere

Kunsthistorisches Museum

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Palace... The construction of the palace complex was ordered during 1714 by Austrian General Prince Eugene of Savoy, following his successful military campaigns against the Ottomans. In 1752, Maria Theresa purchased the building and made the summer residence an “imperial and royal picture gallery”, becoming the “godmother” of the building, which has been called the “Belvedere” ever since. The collection was opened to the public in 1781, but what is interesting is that the palace also served as a shelter for the French royal family following that country’s revolution… at least for the survivors... Near the Belvedere there is a church dedicated to Saint Charles, Karlskirche, which is a great baroque building in its own right. You also shouldn’t miss the buildings constructed in the Art Nouveau style, such as the metro and tram stations and in particular the masterpiece of the Viennese secession style known as Sezession House, which has a standing that is on the same level as its Hungarian or Parisian counterparts... that is the level of the mastery of architecture and décor!

HUNDERTWASSER-HAUS

On the corner of Vienna's Kegelgasse and Löwengasse streets is one of the newer Viennese “miracles”: the famous Hundertwasser House, the counterpart of the Barcelona houses designed by Gaudí. Viennese artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928 - 2000) was a bitter opponent of massively constructed and poorly designed “modern” residential buildings, a fan of vibrancy and a protector of the environment. He felt that such modern buildings could only make a man tired, reducing the creativity and joy of those who live in them, and that they could be an eyesore for those just passing by and taking a glimpse at these modern monstrosities. In short, like Antoni Gaudí, he was a lover of uniqueness and playfulness... The Vienna City government offered him the project to construct the building at the end of the 1970s. Hundertwasser came out with the first redesign of the project, and later – following the enormous success of this house - the money and new projects just poured in... The result is fantastic: individuality that is second to none. Every door and window are different, each apartment has a different colour, façade and décor. Tenants are given complete freedom to redesign anything. The façade is a real “patchwork” of colours, shapes and mosaics. The building also contains trees that grow in small apartments filled with earth! Hundertwasser has always stressed that these trees can provide shade and peace for tenants... and the whole building looks like part of the natural landscape when viewed from the air, as its roof is “covered” by trees. It is occupied by “ordinary residents” like you and I – not some “special” privileged people. Unless we think that living here is a privilege, which, of course, it is. It is a great tourist attraction and tourists literally flock to this place, while the small shops and cafés it contains are packed with visitors. So, once you see Vienna, you will understand the title of the article, which is an exclamation of Ultravox’s eponymous new wave hit. Vienna deserves every minute and every sigh.

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CORP ORAT E

MERKUR

PREVENTION AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PROMOTION A campaign to promote healthy eating habits is also being run through cooperation with our spokesman, Dr Saša Plećević. Together with him, we are visiting primary schools and promoting “Healthy child” activities

little more than half a year ago, through visual and content rebranding, we announced new projects aimed at ill-health prevention and healthy lifestyle promotion. We have improved the business – rather than concentrating on life insurance, we changed our course towards the insurance of a lifestyle, which will help clients to improve their quality of life and vitality. Our products are more directed towards prevention than repairing the damage when an event insured against occurs. We have established two important channels of cooperation: the first is with the foundation of one of the world’s most famous chefs – Jamie Oliver, and the other is with popular children’s TV doctor, Dr Feelgood - Dr Saša Plećević.

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We at Merkur Insurance believe that nutrition plays a crucial role in our lives. That’s the main reason we’ve joined Jamie’s “Food Revolution” campaign, and by the end of the year, in cooperation with the Foundation, we will organise a number of prevention programmes, cooking courses and socially beneficial activities, because we want to show that good food is a special experience. That’s why, at the end of April, we are organising a cooking spectacle in Rovinj! Three of Jamie’s chefs will hold a special cooking course for chefs and journalists from across the region. A campaign to promote healthy eating habits is also being run through cooperation with our spokesman, Dr Saša Plećević. Together with him, we are visiting primary schools and promoting

IMPROVING QUALITY Our prevention programmes include services that improve quality of life for our clients and help them change their lifestyle through care for their body and mind

“Healthy child” activities. In Dr Feelgood’s interactive presentation, children of younger grades take action – competing in a quiz and guessing, making milkshakes and also learning how to prepare a healthy meal easily. The aim of the campaign is for children to learn that the key to health is proper nutrition and regular physical activity. During April and May, we are planning to visit schools in Novi Sad and Kragujevac. And that's not all! We also support healthy living and sports. That’s why we are always with the Novi Sad marathon and half-marathon, and the Belgrade White Cross. Merkur Insurance has become a service-orientated platform for lifestyle change and vitality improvement. Our prevention programmes include services that improve quality of life for our clients and help them change their lifestyle through care for their body and mind. Merkur Insurance. Today for your tomorrow!

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