32 minute read
BUSINESS DIALOGUE
MILIJA ZEKOVIĆ,
SBB CEO
Technological Innovations Are In Our DNA
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Leaders’
MEETING POINT
MARIA BOLDOR, Principal at Horváth
Key Challenges & Opportunities
PAGE /31 NATAŠA BEZMAREVIĆ,
Branch Manager Serbia, DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH
Focus On Electrifying Train Lines
PAGE /32 PORTO MONTENEGRO IVAN CRNOJEVIĆ,
CEO, Elmed doo
OM&PARTNERS MILUŠA OKILJEVIĆ,
Founder and Managing Partner
A Life Less Ordinary
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ELMED – We Can Do More Our Job Is To Find A Way
PAGE /36 PAGE /39
Technological Innovations Are In Our DNA
We want to enter the mobile telecommunications market and offer our users 4P services, i.e., a combination of broadband internet access, television and fixed-line telephone services, on the one hand, mobile telephone and internet, on the other ~ Milija Zeković, SBB CEO
Company Serbia Broadband - SBB emerged in Kragujevac 20 years ago and is today a leader of innovation in Serbia’s telecommunications market. United Group – leading multi-play telecoms and media provider in South East Europe – emerged and developed out of SBB, and today SBB forms part of that group. Here we discuss SBB’s development path and future plans with its CEO, Milija Zeković.
What do you consider as being the decisive factors in the business policy that enabled SBB to today hold a leading position in multiple market segments in Southeast Europe? This company was created 20 years ago, when it had only eight employees. SBB today has more than 1,800 employees in Serbia, while United Group, which emerged out of SBB, has over 15,000 employees. An orientation focused on the user, the market and users’ needs contributed to this group expanding out of that little company that started life in Kragujevac. We had an ear for everything needed by our users, monitored all world telecommunications trends and succeeded in being the first in Serbia to bring innovations to this market. Apart from being customer- and employee-oriented, investments in employees have also led to most of the products we now provide being manufactured within the scope of SBB and United Group. That’s how the EON TV platform, which was created within United Group, has now become the best TV platform – not only in Serbia and the region, but I would say even further afield.
Looking at the entire portfolio of services you provide, what would you say users use the most? According to the research that we conduct, ours are the most satisfied users of telecommunications services in Serbia. First and foremost, they’re satisfied with our EON platform and the possibility to watch television non-linearly, i.e., time-shift. We were the first to launch that option in Serbia and are far and away the best. Users are also satisfied with the free subscription video on demand (SVoD), which we were also the first to offer, and our fast and stable internet. We have received confirmation this year from internationally renowned company Ookla’s Speedtest®, the global leader in fixed broadband and mobile network testing applications that we have the fastest and top rated fixed network.
How has the focus of your investments shifted with time and what will be your most important future step to ensuring the further development of a company that is celebrating 20 years of doing business? We initially invested the most in television, and then in broadband internet. We’ve invested over half a billion euros in our technology just in the last 10 years, and this year we’re completing a major project: GIGA Serbia, the digitalisation of the whole of Serbia, which means that all cities where we provide services will be digitalised, and that we’ll be able to provide every city with internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps. Our television service will also be digitalised, meaning users will have very good picture and signal quality. And we won’t stop there. We’re going for a speed of 10 Gbps, and that’s our plan for the following three years, which requires investments of around 250 million euros in the existing network. We also want to enter the mobile telecommunications market, to become an operator that has in its portfolio a complete fixed and mobile services, to provide quadruple play services and to be innovators in both the field of 5G and the field of mobile internet service provision.
While we’re on the topic of the 5G network, it’s generally believed that it will bring the
greatest shift in the industrial sector and less so in the domain of individual users, for whom 6G will be more significant. What are your motives for entering this segment? When it comes to mobile telecommunications, but also fixed services, there are some new cycles every four to five years. What we’re trying to do is to convince the state to organise a tender as soon as possible and thus resolve the cycle of investing in 5G, because if you fall behind in the 4G process, as we have, then it becomes a question of when the next generation of mobile telecommunications will come. And we also have experience in Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia, where we already provide commercial 5G services, and then we ask ourselves why we wouldn’t apply that knowledge in Serbia, where we have a strong company.
You operate in a region that’s highly exposed to outward migration. How hard are you hit by the challenges of finding and retaining expert personnel? SBB has historically demonstrated that it’s a good place for young people. Already 38% of our managers are aged under 40, which means that we attract young people. Likewise, within the framework of United Group, in the scope of its R&D centre - United Cloud, employees know that if they work for United Cloud they can advance and bring something new to the market, which is interesting. During the last year we’ve signed a cooperation agreement with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the Faculty of Organisational Sciences and the Faculty of Economics, and we now have around 20 people on work experience placements at the company who are learning and are potentially ready to start working, when they complete their studies. However, nor are we isolated and immune to outward migration. What’s become noticeable in the last year or two is that now there isn’t only a lack of highly educated personnel, but also professional workers with secondary school level education, primarily in the telecommunications domain. We’ve also done something in this field, through cooperation with educational institutions and work experience placements at our company.
Through the process of learning at our company, we create staff with abundant knowledge and experience, who have good conditions for advancement and a good quality of life, which motivates them to stay with us and in Serbia
How prepared are the region’s users to adopt new technological solutions and what do your stats show about the extent to which users possess the required digital skills to be able to fully utilise the options you provide? Technological innovations are in our DNA. We listen to the demands of our users and innovate constantly. The EON TV platform, then EON Connect, EON Kids. We have a sector that deals with innovation, which brings innovations, and our market accepts that in a way that’s similar to the Western European market. The younger population in particular is constantly seeking something new. Our advantage is that we succeed in bringing what’s new to the Serbian market. We devote plenty of time to educating users. Our shops are like showrooms, where the user can try each of our services, which is particularly important with the elderly population. Our customer relations are ultimately what set us apart.
We all became more mobile during the Covid-19 pandemic. What does that mean to you in terms of offering services to such clients on the move? During Covid, when we all switched to working from home, we saw a huge increase in internet use, even exceeding 50%, in watching television and using all our services, such as watching TV content Catch-up TV, video on demand... We even had a more than 75% increase in the use of fixed-line telephones. Some capacities that we’d only intended to make available in 2023 and 2024 had to be released immediately. We were also among the first companies to introduce telework from home for our services where possible, and that was even before it was officially introduced.
LOCAL NEWS
“We are investing in micro, medium and small companies in Serbia because one day there will be companies of the European Union” ~ EMANUELE GIAUFRET,
AMBASSADOR OF EU TO SERBIA
25 YEARS ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND GRADUATION CEREMONY
The BIS celebrated its 25th Anniversary and on this special occasion, the Guest of Honour was HRH Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic. All the guests including members of Corps Diplomatique and foreign business representatives, families of the students and friends of BIS enjoyed the musical performances by Sophia S, Pavel M and Ziva W. as well as valedictory speeches by a student and parent representatives. The peek of the evening was the Graduation Ceremony where the Graduating Class of 2022 received their BIS High School Diplomas. Special awards from the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), European Council of International Schools (ECIS), as well as the internal Jonathan Rider Award for Academic Excellence were presented to several Secondary and Primary students.
670 THOUSAND CLIENTS OF MOBI BANKA MADE MORE THAN 100 MILLION TRANSACTIONS
As a digital banking pioneer, Mobi banka offered completely digital banking services to the citizens of Serbia for the first time. Today, there are 670,000 users of Mobi application, and by the end of the year this number is expected to increase to 750 thousand. The President of the Executive Board of Mobi banka also referred to the micro crediting trend, pointing out that there is potential for its further development. “The average gross salary in Serbia is almost 98 thousand dinars and is constantly increasing. At the same time, loans for general technological devices in most cases do not exceed 200 thousand dinars. Accordingly, the amount of two average gross salaries would accelerate the microcrediting of these devices”, Pavel Maco, President of the Executive Board of Mobi banka said. postingsPlacements&appointments@aim.rs
H.E. LUCA GORI, NEW ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO SERBIA
Born in Florence on 27th July 1968, Luca Gori graduated in political science from the University of Florence in 1993 and began his diplomatic career in 1995. After serving at the Directorate General for Political Affairs of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his first engagement abroad came at the Italian Embassy in Moscow in 1999. He joined the Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU in Brussels in 2003, where he monitored relations between the EU and the Western Balkans. After becoming First Counsellor at the Italian Embassy in Washington in 2010, he returned to Rome in 2014 and was assigned to the Office for Diplomatic Affairs of the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic. He was decorated with the Order of the Knights of Merit of the Republic of Italy in 2015 and became Deputy Director General for Political and Security Affairs / Director for the Mediterranean and Middle East countries in 2018. A married father of two, Ambassador Gori is the author of various essays on issues related to foreign policy and international relations.
VOLODYMYR TOLKACH, NEW AMBASSADOR OF UKRAINE TO THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
Born in Kyiv on 17th January 1959, Volodymyr Tolkach studied hydrogeology and engineering geology at Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University, graduating in 1981, before completing his postgraduate studies at the same university and earning his Geological and Mineralogical Sciences Ph.D. in 1988. He later (1999) became a Master of Foreign Policy following studies at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine. After serving as senior engineer of the Academy of Sciences at Ukraine’s Institute of Geological Sciences from 1981 to ’84, he became assistant professor of hydrogeology and engineering geology at Kyiv Taras Shevchenko University from 1988 to ’93. After joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, he became First Secretary of the CIS Department General (1994-’96), then Political Adviser of the Head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia on the Settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian Conflict (1996-’97) and Adviser to the CIS Division of the First Territorial Department General (1999-2000). His foreign postings include serving as Counsellor of the Embassy and Chargé d’Affaires of Ukraine to the Republic of North Macedonia (2001-’04) and Chargé d’Affaires of Ukraine to the Republic of Iraq (2009-‘10). He received his first ambassadorship (to the State of Kuwait) in 2010 and held the post until 2019. Prior to arriving in Belgrade, Ambassador Tolkach – a married father of two – served as Head of the Human Rights and Council of Europe Division of the International Organisations Department General at Ukraine’s MFA.
H.E. MOHAMEDHAKIEM ABDALI HAMZA AL-ROBAIEE, NEW IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO SERBIA
Born in Babylon, Iraq, in 1956, Mohamedhakiem Abdali Hamza Al-Robaiee attended Basra University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting from this university’s College of Administration and Economics in 1979. Following a 15-year career (1988-2003) as a bank manager at Al-Rasheed, he was appointed Director General of the Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs within the General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council of Ministers (2003-‘05), before spending five years (2005-’09) as Head of the Administration and Finance Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to his arrival in Belgrade, this married father of three daughters held several ambassadorships, serving as Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of Slovakia and the Republic of Romania.
Key Challenges & Opportunities
The report “Finance at the Crossroads of Coronavirus, Digitalisation and Sustainability” presents key challenges and opportunities for the business world
Management consulting company Horváth published the analysis this spring that summarises the views of more than 200 financial and commercial directors of companies from various industries in North America, Europe and Asia, pointing to the finance transformation
Shortages of skilled workers, bottlenecks in supply and production chains, cyberattacks and inadequate data security – these are just a few of the key challenges confronting companies’ operations according to the study “Finance at the Crossroads of Coronavirus, Digitalization and Sustainability”. “In the desired organisation of the financial area, proficient users of digital methods with strong consulting skills are preferred over technical experts. CFOs don’t only implement ideas, but also proactively drive holistic transformation processes. The focus is on conducting data-driven analyses as the basis for sound recommendations to support decision-making. Also, the aligning of processes and organisational aspects is a prerequisite for integrated and crossfunctional collaboration. A strong, role-based finance organisation is the catalyst for efficiency and management support, while green topics are firmly established components of the functioning of finance,” explains Maria Boldor of management consulting company Horváth, adding that, in the target image, agility and virtuality shape the way finances work. She estimates that the first steps in this transformation process were taken during the previous period. Firstly, there was the increased use of smart solutions that enable data collection and provide the basis for analysis. Secondly, ever more attention is being paid to empowering employees and, lastly, the pandemic accelerated the introduction of virtual models of cooperation and flexible processes.
According to the study, as many as 66 per cent of companies see investing in automation and digitalisation as a key opportunity to further improve their business, while 46 per cent see great potential in the introduction of new forms of work that are flexible and agile.
Boldor points out that measures to ensure a holistic approach must now be on the agenda of CFOs, and believes that finance employees must strengthen their strategic position within the group as a whole.
“They stop being passive ‘bean counters’ and become proactive partners and advisors. CFOs need to identify the goal they want to achieve, and resolutely keep their team on the path of transformation. It is up to them to make the whole process understandable, clear and transparent, as well as to communicate the necessary measures and changes to their staff. This is the only way to positively influence the readiness for structural, procedural and cultural change,” advises Boldor.
Therefore, she concludes, the very need for change must be tangible, and CFOs must be strong role models who are able to motivate and persuade others, while also breaking down existing barriers and building bridges between functions. At the same time, CFOs help the green transformation within a company. They are responsible for new reporting requirements and for formulating and implementing a sustainable corporate strategy, but are also expected to check whether investments are aligned with the EU’s legal frameworks.
Focus On Electrifying Train Lines
Deutsche Bahn has been providing engineering, consulting and train operation services, as well as digital systems, for many years and has successfully implemented railway infrastructure projects worldwide. Its portfolio has expanded together with its geographic range over the years
being constructed across the entire Western Balkans. Serbia is developing the first highspeed line – making it the region’s leader in rail development.
A train that travels at speeds of up to 200 km/h, our own train, on our own tracks, is no longer a dream of our future, but rather a reality today. What’s the next step? This is only the beginning of faster and more environmentally friendly transport connections, sustainable solutions that will allow
Supervision project – HSL1 Belgrade – Stara Pazova
This is a company that designs and implements tailormade rail transportation and mobility concepts for its clients that are up to the challenges of our time. As a company that’s keen to develop clear and friendly communication with clients, it always takes project specific requests into consideration, while ensuring high-quality, sustainable solutions and cost effectiveness. How much has railway infrastructure and rail traffic changed over the course of the 11 years that you’ve been operating in Serbia? It’s as though this isn’t the same country, and your company also deserves credit for that... Over the past decade, the Republic of Serbia has invested a lot in the development of infrastructure, especially in the energy and transport sectors. A number of largescale projects have been completed and are still
not only the shortening of travel times, but also the reducing of pollution and unburdening of roads. As a next step, a network that connects the country from north to south, from border to border, will have to be created, allowing trains to reach speeds of up to 200 km/h. The adoption of technical interoperability standards will help improve safety, while compliance with European standards and norms will lead to smooth passenger and freight transport seamlessly connecting European countries, without limitations imposed by nation-specific standards.
You have experts in all engineering disciplines who are constantly advancing their knowhow,
while as a company you’ve amassed many decades of experience and thousands of successfully implemented works. Is it thanks to a combination of all of this that you’re able to offer an entire range of various services? We offer sustainable solutions in support of technical development, including digital solutions like measuring and diagnostic technology and rail condition monitoring. DB Engineering & Consulting recently joined the globally active DB E.C.O Group, which combines engineering, rail and digital expertise. We also operate trains of public railway companies, which means that we offer services along the entire life cycle of railway infrastructure projects: from planning to commercial use.
Do you agree that better connectivity and the improved transport of both people and freight should be the end goal of the development of rail transport in Southeast Europe? If I didn’t agree, I wouldn’t be doing this. I strongly believe that rail transport is the future and that one day we may, as part of Deutsche Bahn, contribute to the introduction of zero-emissions solutions in the Western Balkans. For the moment, the focus is mainly on electrifying existing lines, but it’s our ambition to introduce hydrogen powered trains and filling and charging infrastructure.
Does state investment in railway infrastructure create new opportunities for private investment, an improved economy and higher living standards for all citizens? Investments in rail offer numerous opportunities, both for citizens and for a country’s cities and economic regions. In order to better connect urban centres and prevent major cities from choking in traffic jams and smog, infrastructure and mobility services must adapt to the rapid pace of expanding populations. This is no easy task: it calls for innovative and sustainable solutions that move people and goods quickly from A to B – whether for short trips through densely populated megacities or for long-distance transportation.
These are exactly the kinds of solutions that we develop for our clients: we design and implement tailormade rail transportaDesign project - Reconstruction and modernisation of Valjevo - Vrbnica railway line
tion and mobility concepts that are up to the challenges of our time.
How would you assess your cooperation with the company Serbian Railways Infrastructure and the relevant ministry? Which companies are your biggest clients in the private sector? As a company that provides engineering and consulting services in the railway sector, we’re mainly oriented towards working with stateowned companies and public authorities. Our operations in Serbia necessarily mean that we cooperate closely with IŽS, as well as with the ministry. We are therefore keen to develop clear and friendly communication with our clients, taking into consideration project specific requests while ensuring quality, sustainable solutions and cost effectiveness. Our experience to date has been very positive, and we hope to be involved in new opportunities to cooperate beyond the high-speed Belgrade-Budapest line project and the upcoming Niš-Dimitrovgrad project, the design project for the Reconstruction and modernisation of the Valjevo-Vrbnica railway line, the HSL1 Belgrade-Stara Pazova supervision project and technical assistance on the Čortanovci Viaduct.
REGIONAL NEWS
“The main worries of the Romanians are connected to inflation, and they have as a measure – thrift” ~ DRAGOS ANASTASIU, CHAIRMAN OF
RETHINK ROMANIA
GIZ has launched its new project to support regional economic integration in the field of quality infrastructure and e-commerce. The EU4Business project: Support to Regional Economic Integration will be implemented on behalf of the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and aims to strengthen regional economic integration between CEFTA parties by supporting the implementation of the Common Regional Market Action Plan in both areas. David Oberhuber, Director of GIZ for North Macedonia, said that GIZ is very proud to be re-engaged to implement a project that will increase trade and competitiveness in the CEFTA markets.
MONTENEGRO AND ALBANIA BUILDING BRIDGE OVER BOJANA RIVER
Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abzović and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama presented to the public a joint infrastructure project to build a bridge over the Bojana river that will connect Ulcinj with Velipoj. About 34 km of underutilised sandy beaches in the area of the two countries are in demand by about 500,000 tourists annually. It was pointed out that the current distance between Ulcinj and Velipoja is about 73 km, and that with the construction of the bridge it would be reduced to about 1 km.
BULGARIA STICKS TO PLAN TO ADOPT THE EURO IN 2024
Bulgaria’s government approved a plan to join the eurozone as of 1st January 2024, amid concerns within the ruling coalition over the lack of detailed analysis on the impact of the move. Political uncertainty and three elections last year delayed the plan, which was first drafted after Bulgaria was admitted, together with Croatia, to the ERM-2 mechanism, a mandatory stage for joining the euro in 2020. The EU’s poorest member state, which already pegs its lev currency to the euro, has pledged to adopt the single currency at its current fixed rate in 2024.
A Life Less Ordinary
Founded some 15 years ago by a consortium of visionary developers, Porto Montenegro is set in the spectacularly beautiful Bay of Kotor on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast. From its historic origins as a naval base, this site has been transformed into an exquisite waterfront destination, with low-rise apartment buildings, tree-lined pedestrian boulevards and an array of chic boutiques, restaurants and cafes surrounding a breathtaking superyacht marina
What began as a best-kept secret among yachting aficionados is no longer so secret, with sophisticated travellers adding Montenegro to their list of must-visit destinations. They almost all fall in love with the place immediately, seduced by its natural beauty and the warm welcome they receive. For a significant number, that love-at-first-sight feeling has translated into a decision to buy a home in Porto Montenegro – whether as a seasonal hideaway or a permanent base – secure in the knowledge that Porto Montenegro’s world-class amenities make it a sound investment, in both financial and quality-of-life terms.
While some home buyers are content to wait for the 2023 completion of the new Boka Place neighbourhood, others fulfil their urge to move immediately by buying into one of Porto Montenegro’s recently completed buildings, where a limited number of residences remain available.
Set directly on the quayside, Regent Pool Club Residences comprises two wings – Baia and Aqua. Designed in sleek, contemporary style and linked at podium level by an expansive terrace complete with swimming pools, the residences feature light-bathed interior spaces and sweeping views of the sea or mountains. Owners have access to all services and amenities of the five-star Regent Porto Montenegro and can benefit from the hotel’s optional rental pool programme.
Just a few steps from the waterfront, Elena Residences is a sophisticated addition to Porto Montenegro, with well-planned interiors featuring expansive terraces and beautiful views of the sea or mountains. Owners are offered a comprehensive palette of services, including the option of interior design and
furnishing solutions, and access to Porto Montenegro’s well-established M Residences rental management service. As with Regent Pool Club Residences, buyers receive automatic membership in the exclusive Owners’ Club, with its dedicated lifestyle team and portfolio of special privileges.
This year, we are thrilled to tell you more about the village’s new jewel, Boka Place – a rare chance to create a laidback yet elegant lifestyle, become part of the vibrant and welcoming community that’s already well established in Porto Montenegro, and make a sound investment.
Due for completion in 2023, this lively, topof-the-line urban neighbourhood has been designed for year-round living, with a focus on wellbeing and fitness. It features a wide variety of residences, high-quality retail outlets, extravagant eateries, a new flagship SIRO hotel, and a plethora of entertaining activities for families, couples and friends. With its distinctive style and privileged position, Boka Place also represents an excellent investment opportunity, in terms of both capital appreciation and the option to benefit from a well-established and proven rental management programme.
It’s very easy to fall under the spell of Boka Bay: it has a special, indefinable magic that goes beyond the spectacular natural surroundings – a serenity that is increasingly valuable in today’s world, yet ever harder to find. And that makes it hard to resist the prospect of owning a home in Porto Montenegro.
For more information please visit www.portomontenegro.com or contact us at sales@portomontenegro.com.
ELMED – We can do more
The future belongs to modern, innovative companies that carefully plan and strategically manage their business. For this reason, Elmed doo in Temerin, winner of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Award for Special Contributions to the Development of the Economy of the South Bačka District, is constantly working on innovation
Our mission is to constantly adopt new knowledge, continuously raise the quality of our products and services and create specific solutions tailored to specific needs, solutions that will help our customers achieve their goals and improve their business ~ says Elmed’s Leading man.
Elmed has been market leader in industrial marking for 32 years. How do you ensure continuity and continuous progress? Dedication, work, innovation and continuous business improvement? Our story began exactly 32 years ago, back in 1990, when Serbia was going through an extremely difficult period. In moments of great business challenges, we started our business as a small company with a dozen staff, but that number increased from year to year. Thanks to constant improvement of product quality and business processes, expanding the range and introducing new items to the market, and innovative and modern product design, we have seen constant improvement in our business results. With the dedication and commitment of all of our staff, with the support of management and our founders, guided by a good idea and a strong desire and vision for the future, we
have achieved the dream of developing a company that will become a market leader in product labelling and traceability.
Your team is noted for its creative ideas, security and reliability, as well as 24/7 support ... Is this what your customers especially appreciate and value? The basic commitment of the company’s management is sustainable long-term business based on the development, sale, production and service of industrial coding systems, product inspection and traceability, self-adhesive labels, electromechanical systems and integrated hardware and software solutions in the field of industrial marking and warehousing. We operate in conditions
that ensure the provision of quality products and services with the protection of health and safety at work, environmental protection, information security, business continuity and socially responsible business. Our clients appreciate all that, but also our commitment, reliability, security, and especially the fact that they can always rely on us because we are always there for them, for their wishes, needs and expectations.
Speaking of clients, we can’t help but ask who they are ... Who are your clients, in which industries are you present, which markets do you cover? We have many clients among renowned companies with whom we have been cooperating for many years, and with some for decades. Working on large and challenging projects for clients, many of which are considered the best in their sectors, has brought us immeasurable experience in the field of beverage and food production, recognition in the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries, cosmetics and personal care, printing, the tobacco industry, construction materials, extrusions, cables and wires, electrical components, automotive, defence and the metal industry.
We are grateful to our partners, clients and staff, some of whom have been with us from the very beginning. Business success is reflected in mutual trust, respect, hard work and mutual commitment. Success is maintaining continuity and continuous progress in business for 32 years. We have achieved that and we are moving on.
You are involved in a dual education programme because you have recognised the importance of practical learning. Will you continue that in the new 2022/23 school year? Are young people from Temerin interested in working for Elmed? We joined the dual education programme in the 2020/2021 school year, because we recognise the importance of practical learning. We plan to continue with the programme in the next school year. Students come to us from our local high school Lukijan Mušicki to join our Machining Operator department.
We had the opportunity this year to cooperate with the Faculty of Technical Sciences
We plan to continue with the dual education programme and start with student internships next school year, because we recognise the importance of practical learning
and be one of the sponsors of an exceptional student competition in robotics - EUROBOT. Our plan is to open up more to students and enable student internships for mechatronics, robotics, software engineers, and I hope that we will be able to fulfil that by the beginning of the next school year.
We have just begun a third year of living and working under difficult circumstances. How do you deal with the challenges? At first, I did not expect that the whole world would be affected by the coronavirus, but as soon as Covid-19 arrived in Serbia, we put in place all the protection measures throughout the company, organised remote work and online meetings. For the staff of the manufacturing sector, whose presence at work is crucial, we organised work in shifts to provide them with full security. In the meantime, we introduced 24-hour psychological support and help, which has proven to be a great move, because we know that solidarity and compassion are shown in such difficult moments.
This is exactly what every individual, and even the company, needs in all difficult times, in all crises, such as the one we are experiencing due to the war in Ukraine. It is difficult because no-one knows when the war will end or when the inflation that the whole world is struggling with will stop, but we will deal with the challenges as best as we can. And we know we can.
You recently received recognition from the Serbian Chamber of Commerce for your special contribution to the development of the economy of the South Bačka District! Congratulations! Thanks for the congratulations! This is a recognition that the Regional Chamber of Commerce of the South Bačka District awards to companies and business leaders who have distinguished themselves with their work, dedication and results in 2021. At the beginning of June, the recognition was handed to us by the director of the RCC of the Južnobački administrative district, Olivera Simović. We are proud to be the recipients of such an important award, especially because our commitment to work and innovation on the industrial marking market has been recognised. We believe that, with constant work on the improvement of business, we can do more, as our slogan says!
WORLD NEWS
“We are facing enormous pressure on the supply chain” ~ MARTIN DAUM, DAIMLER TRUCK CEO
CHINESE TESLA RIVAL NIO LAUNCHES NEW ELECTRIC SUV
Nio launched the ES7 sports utility vehicle as competition with Tesla intensifies in China. The ES7 adds another competitor to Tesla’s Model Y and Model X in China as the competition in the electric SUV space ramps up. Nio is trying to differentiate its electric SUV by highlighting the technology features of the vehicle. This includes Nio Autonomous Driving, the company’s system that powers some semi-autonomous driving features. The company also highlighted its infotainment system, which includes a 23-speaker surround-sound configuration in the car. The ES7 with a 485-kilometre range starts from 468,000 Chinese yuan ($69,693) before subsidies. The longest range version starts at 526,000 yuan before subsidies.
NAOMI OSAKA AND LEBRON JAMES LAUNCH MEDIA COMPANY
Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka is launching a media production company in partnership with The SpringHill Company, a media conglomerate created by Lebron James. The production company, called Hana Kuma, will produce scripted and nonfiction content, starting with a New York Times documentary about Patsy Mink, the first woman of color elected to U.S. Congress, according to a press release. The announcement says Hana Kuma will highlight “empowering” and “culturally specific” stories.
REVLON FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION
Cosmetics giant Revlon filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it grappled with a cumbersome debt load and a snarled supply chain. The company said it expects to receive $575 million in debtor-in-possession financing from its existing lender base, which will help to support its day-to-day operations. The filing “will allow Revlon to offer our consumers the iconic products we have delivered for decades while providing a clearer path for our future growth,” Revlon President and Chief Executive Officer Debra Perelman said in a press release. Revlon’s bankruptcy filing said the company is currently unable to timely fill almost one-third of customer demand for its products, due to an inability to source a “sufficient and regular supply of raw materials.”
Our Job Is To Find A Way
OM&Partners, a rising star among Belgrade’s commercial law firms, chose the beautiful House of King Petar I to present itself to the Belgrade business community
Miluša Okiljević, founder and managing partner, gave special thanks to all those present and her team.
“We are not lawyers who will send a comprehensive opinion listing risks and reasons not to implement some business idea. Our job is to find a way, and I really believe that a good lawyer must understand business, not just law. The bigger picture is the key, and we are not losing sight of that,” said Miluša, speaking on the occasion of the opening of the firm.
OM&P Law recently took up residence and began working on the 19th floor of the Belgrade Palace, where Miluša leads a team of ten lawyers within the firm, and as many external associates, who operate successfully in twenty different domains of legal expertise, such as tax law, corporate law, banking and finance, public affairs, EU law, Competition law, State aid, foreign direct investments and personal data protection advice.
Miluša has amassed her experience as a legal advisor working for some of the largest multinational companies and government institutions. She has served as a legal counsel of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy. Her work focuses primarily on Antitrust/Competition, EU Law, and Corporate/M&A.
