Digitalisation 2023

FINANCE

Dragana Skrobonja finance@aim.rs

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Maja Vidaković m.vidakovic@aim.rs

DIRECTOR Ana Novčić a.novcic@aim.rs a.novcic@cordmagazine.com

PUBLISHER

Ivan Novčić i.novcic@aim.rs

PRINTING

Rotografika d.o.o. Segedinski put 72, Subotica

BEYOND DIGITAL 2023

Published by: alliance international media

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ISSN: 2560-4465

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The views expressed in this publication are those of the presenter; they do not necessary reflect the view of publications published by alliance international media

Serbia’sDigitalTransformation PayingDividends

Over the recent past, eGovernment services have contributed significantly to both the development of digitalisation among companies and the development of digital literacy among citizens. It is thus no wonder that the Government of Serbia is constantly raising the bar when it comes to going digital

Consider these headlines popping up with a simple Google search: “Serbia one of 10 world countries to make the greatest progress in public administration digitalisation”, “Serbia at your fingertips – digital transformation for development”, “Corporate legislation in Serbia marching toward digitalisation”, “The future of government: Serbia’s growing bet on digital transformation pays off”, “Digitalisation developments in Serbia” or “IFC Supports Digitalisation Drive to Reduce Burden for Businesses in Serbia”. Each of them – found on the websites of the government of Serbia, the World Bank, IFC, UNDP and specialised law firms – testifies in its own way to the success Serbia has achieved over just the previous few years.

Indeed, some of these efforts only accelerated during the pandemic, but what’s important is that the pace was sustained during both 2021 and 2022. Back in 2021, Forbes published an interview with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, focusing on the digital transformation of the country and her vision for Serbia’s creative and

digital future. The opening sentence reads: “We can learn a lot from small countries where big things happen”. In the article, the author mentions Ireland, New Zealand, Estonia, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and Serbia as impressive examples of digital transformation.

as a place with the main advantage of an affordable workforce.

The IT sector continues to raise the bar each year, turning Serbia from a country where exports of raw foodstuffs topped the list of exported goods for years into a country that uses its IT sector to become a knowledge-based economy.

Serbia is undeniably striving to build a digitally-enabled society with a more diverse, value-added economic base. Even agriculture, which for years proved resistant to change and remained a traditional industry, is gradually becoming more digitised.

And really, from her first inaugural speech until today, PM Brnabić has succeeded in making changes that have managed to ensure that, today, “everyone is talking about digitalisation”. Following these changes, several global corporations have begun investing in the tech sector in Serbia. It is quite a difference compared to the Serbia being promoted by the same government just a few years ago

The previous period saw a large number of new start-ups “spawned” on the basis of digital solutions. This trend has recently been embraced by more traditional companies that have become aware that they will either transform digitally or cease to exist.

The digital transformation process is an almost endless one – and this is understood well by the Government of Serbia. This fourth aim publication dedicated to digital transformation itself testifies to the great scope and depth of that change.

The previous period saw a large number of new start-ups “spawned” on the basis of digital solutions... And this trend has today been embraced across the Serbian economy

Efficient&Transparent For Citizens And Business

We are working continuously to implement the Information Society and Information Security Development Strategy, and to keep pace with technological development, and we’ve undoubtedly taken a big step forward on this front with our efforts to date ~

It was at the end of August 2021 that the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Strategy for the Development of the Information Society and Information Security for the 2021-2026 Period, as well as the accompanying Action Plan for its implementation, which tracks the construction of the information society in Serbia. Here we discuss the dynamics of implementing the targets set with Serbian Minister of Information and Telecommunications Mihailo Jovanović.

“We want to provide services to citizens and the economy efficiently and transparently. It is also extremely important for us to raise the level of digital skills among all citizens in Serbia, in order for them to be able to use ICT, both in their daily life and in their communications with the public administration,” says our interlocutor. “That’s precisely why we’re working to construct broadband communication infrastructure in rural areas of our country, in order for us to provide citizens in rural areas with the same opportunities as citizens in urban areas,” he continues.

This will enable modern access to services and innovations, improving quality of life for all citizens, but also the competitiveness of the economy, regardless of whether someone lives in a city or in the countryside. One of the Strategy’s targets is to increase awareness among the population of the importance of an environment where information is secure, in which there is a sufficient level of awareness of the risks, but also the advantages new technologies provide

to citizens, the public administration and the economy.

The IT market and ICT use among citizens, businesses and households is constantly on the rise, which results in large part to a coordinated approach from the competent authorities. “We are working continuously to implement the Information Society and Information Security Development

Strategy, and to keep pace with technological development, and we’ve undoubtedly taken a big step forward on this front with our efforts to date,” says Minister Jovanović.

We’ll firstly address the targets that relate to increasing the use of computers, the internet and cloud technologies in households

Mihailo Jovanović

MIHAILO JOVANOVIĆ, Serbian Minister of Information and Telecommunications

SUCCESS

Serbia is among the world’s top ten countries for progress in the field of eGovernance over the last two years, and has thereby become one of the leaders of this field in the Western Balkans

and business operations. What kind of progress has been made in this area and where is Serbia compared to the EU average?

It is an impressive fact that all companies with headquarters in Serbia use the internet in their operations, while almost 85% of them have their own website. The development goals linked to internet and computer use among companies are primarily focused on raising awareness of the secure use of modern technologies. We are dedicated to increasing and further developing the public administration’s electronic services, with the aim of enabling enterprises to do business in an easier and more efficient way. An exceptional result has been achieved in promoting the use of computers in households over the last 10 years, and the percentage of households in our country that own a computer and have access to broadband internet has increased by almost 23% compared to 2013. According to the recently released United Nations E-Government Survey 2022, Serbia ranks 26th on the electronic services development index among 193 UN member states, which is a better ranking than even some highly developed countries like Canada, Switzerland and Norway, and is better than the majority of EU members. This is a clear indicator that we have significantly eased business operations and increased the transparency of work by digitising public administration services. Serbia is among the top 10 countries worldwide in terms of progress achieved in the field of electronic administration over the last two years, and has thereby become one of the leaders of this domain in the Western Balkans and further afield.

High-quality eGovernment implies two-way communication between the state and citizens, i.e., that citizens receive requested documents via eDelivery, but can also submit

INVESTMENTS

Significant investments have been made over the past five years in the development of infrastructure, data centres, science and technology parks, and in the opening of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

digital documents to state and local authorities in the same way. When will this become a possibility?

The electronic delivery system has been in use since 2020, as an integral part of the eGovernment Portal, and via the ePostbox on the eGovernment Portal, public administration bodies have to date – as previously noted –delivered over 1.5 million solutions, documents and notices to citizens and businesses. This enables the provision of a fast, simple, reliable and free service to all individuals who have a registered account on the eGovernment Portal. More than 1.5 million citizens and over

GOAL

We aspire to be an administration that won’t ask its citizens to visit counters to submit documents, but rather enables citizens to communicate with it electronically

of Serbia, which will have a significant impact on reducing bureaucracy and accelerating the pace of the work of the administration, as well as reducing the use of paper in daily operations.

The more data that exists in circulation, the greater the importance of information security for citizens, businesses and ICT systems. How much have we progressed in this area?

23,000 companies today have active accounts on the eGovernment Portal, and interest in this form of communication among public administration bodies and citizens is continuously on the rise. We are striving to improve the electronic delivery system in order to make communication two-way, which essentially means making it possible for both citizens and enterprises to communicate electronically with public administration bodies. We aspire to be an administration that won’t ask its citizens to visit counters to submit documents, but rather enables citizens to communicate with it electronically. Our priority is to empower an efficient public administration that’s tailored to the needs of every citizen of our country. Likewise, from the middle of next year, having an ePostbox will be obligatory for all enterprises registered in the Republic

Information security represents an integral part of digitalisation and is an obligatory element when it comes to planning, developing and implementing new technologies. The Government of the Republic of Serbia has set improving information security for citizens, the public administration and the economy as one of its general strategic goals in the field of information society. Appropriate regulations, strategies and action plans have been adopted in previous years, and significant work has also been undertaken on the building of secure and innovative infrastructure, as well as on raising awareness of the importance of information security. We didn’t have a single science and technology park just five years ago, while today there are currently four such science and technology parks in Serbia – in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Čačak. It is planned to open a science and technology park in Kruševac during the term of the new government, but also to expand the existing parks in Čačak, Niš and Belgrade. Two facilities of the State Data Centre, the most modern and efficient data storage centre in the region, have been constructed and made operational in Kragujevac. The first facility is intended for public administration, but it has also been entrusted with storing the data and applications of major global IT companies, under commercial conditions. A contract was signed with company Oracle, which is establishing its regional data centre within the scope of the State Centre

With the aim of ensuring the further grow of the IT sector, it is essential to work intensively, first and foremost on increasing the number of IT experts, but also other IT sector employees

in Kragujevac and will start operating in the first half of next year. We will also soon start implementing the third phase of the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, where a special place will belong to the National Centre for Information Security. Together with the World Economic Forum, we opened the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, representing the first such centre in the region and only the third in Europe. The WEF’s centre in Serbia is focused on two priorities: biotechnology and artificial intelligence applications in healthcare. Serbia’s efforts in the field of information security have been

work intensively, first and foremost on increasing the number of IT experts, but also other IT sector employees. We have increased enrolment quotas at technical faculties by 20%, while informatics and programming have become mandatory subjects in primary schools, specialised IT departments have been formed in secondary schools, and the state has already conducted several rounds of Retraining for the IT sector since 2017. It is necessary to additionally develop programmes at the secondary and higher level of education that are designed to prepare individuals to be competitive on the labour market, with special encour-

As a state, we have recognised an opportunity for development and further progress in IT, and best testifying to that are ICT exports.

Most ICT sector experts work for, and/or cooperate, with foreign companies. How easy is it under such conditions to find expert personnel to be involved in the transformation of the state administration, the development of the data centre in Kragujevac and other major state projects?

recognised by the International Telecommunication Union, as demonstrated by our country having advanced on the latest Global Cybersecurity Index by 19 places compared to the previous survey and that we are now in 39th place among a total of 182. Serbia is also ranked 19th among 161 countries in the National Cybersecurity Index, which is led by the Estonian e-Governance Academy.

The ICT sector is Serbia’s most successful branch when it comes to exports, with far and away the largest export surplus. What are the essential prerequisites to ensure this sector’s constant growth continues?

With the aim of ensuring the further grow of the IT sector, it is essential to

agement of the most talented students with the aim of maintaining the quality of the IT services that are provided by the Serbian market. Retraining programmes can contribute significantly to increasing the availability of available personnel, but also to resolving other issues that are important for the society as a whole.

The fact is that the ICT sector has become the generator of half of all new jobs on the labour market and practically every other job posting advertised last year was in the field of information and communications technologies. The main driver of the digital transformation of the state administration – the Office for IT and eGovernment –recognised the great potential and interest in work in this field among young people. This is why the National IT Competence Centre was established and a professional development programme intended for third- or fourth-year students, as well as master’s students of the technical faculties of the universities of Belgrade, Niš, Novi Sad or Kragujevac. This Centre enables students to acquire experience and improve their knowledge and skills, as well as mastering the most modern software tools and technologies, through work on the state’s largest IT projects. Significant investments have been made over the past five years in the development of infrastructure, data centres, science and technology parks, but also in the opening of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the procurement of a supercomputer, which is located at the State Data Centre in Kragujevac. The launch of works on the construction of the Ložionica Multifunctional Centre for Creativity and Innovation in Belgrade is planned for the start of 2023. Through the renovation and adaptation of the old railway Ložionica (boiler house), this Centre will become a place to meet, gather, connect, inform and exchange ideas for young people, creative people, students, start-ups, the IT community, researchers and interested members of the public.

The Government has set improving information security for citizens, the public administration and the economy as one of its general strategic goals in the field of information society

Serbia’sDigitalTransformationPath IsAlreadyMapped

The Office for IT and eGovernment of the Republic of Serbia recently began implementation of the third phase of the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, which should enable its expansion and transformation into an Innovation District. What does this mean in practical terms for the part of our economy that’s oriented towards innovation?

I’m very glad to be giving my first interview since being appointed to head the Office for IT and eGovernment to a special publication that’s dedicated to digitalisation, and which we are publishing together with CorD Magazine for the fourth time. I would like to note at the very outset that Serbia’s road to digital transformation has already been mapped out. Serbia has positioned itself as a leader of digital transformation in the region and we have clear targets that we want to meet. As the Office, we will continue along the path we previously followed. We have a large number of projects ahead of us, as well as numerous services for citizens and businesses. It is very important for us to continue

with public administration reforms, the modernisation of procedures in the state and for us to continue providing citizens and businesses with services that ease their work with the public administration and save both time and money. It is very important that we continue to have the total support Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, but also Information and Telecommunications Minister Mihailo Jovanović, whose assistant I served as when he was heading the Office for IT and eGovernment, and that’s precisely why we’re continuing the journey we embarked upon in 2017, and that means creating a Serbia based on knowledge and innovation; a Serbia without counters and paper.

We recently opened the State Data Centre, Facility 2, in Kragujevac, which is intended for the security services. Naturally, with the construction of two significant facilities, the arrival of global companies that have entrusted their data to our State Data Centre for safekeeping, as well as the opening of the Oracle Regional Centre, the need arose to construct another building that will serve the community that comes to the Data Centre on a daily basis and needs workspace, after which we turned to planning the construction of the Innovation District. It will be located on plots along Sava Kovačević Street in Kragujevac, immediately alongside the two buildings already constructed, encompassing a total area of 4.46 hectares, with a construction capacity of approximately 60,000 m2, which it is possible to implement in phases. The purpose of the Innovation District will be harmonised with the needs of the Data Centre or in its function, such as business and commercial spaces for users of the Data Centre and eGovernment, training centres, innovation centres etc.

We are continuing the journey that we embarked upon in 2017, and that means creating a Serbia based on knowledge and innovation; a Serbia without counters and paper. It is very important that we have the total support of Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić and Information and Telecommunications Minister Mihailo Jovanović ~ Milan Latinović

MILAN LATINOVIĆ, Acting Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment of the Republic of Serbia

PROGRESS

APPEAL

GOAL

We will soon gain the Innovation District in Kragujevac, which will serve the community that accesses the Data Centre on a daily basis by providing them with a suitable workspace

The Office for IT and eGovernment (ITE) has signed agreements on use of the first National Platform for Artificial Intelligence with science and technology parks in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Čačak and Niš, with the aim of supporting the work of these parks on the implementation, improvement and dissemination of artificial intelligence in the Republic Serbia, supporting scientific and research work in the field of artificial intelligence, as well as ensuring the application of artificial intelligence in the industry of the Republic of Serbia. We will soon see the expiring of the first six-month period in which start-ups could use these resources. From the ITE’s point of view, could you share with us the first experiences of using the National Platform?

In accordance with the goals and measures of the Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Republic of Serbia for the 2020-2025 period, the Government of the Republic of Serbia has provided the National Platform for the Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI Platform). On the basis of the agreement that we signed with faculties, universities, institutes and science and technology parks, the Office for IT and eGovernment secures and allocates AI Platform resources to science and technology parks, with the possibility of those science and technology parks sharing the resources with start-ups. Through public calls that we announced together with all four science and technology parks, we reached 18 start-up companies that received an opportunity to develop their ideas and products on the National Platform. That’s of great help to innovative start-up companies, because in order to develop their ideas they previously had to pay thousands, and even tens of thousands of euros to rent such resources, while they now

receive them for free to use, thanks to the supercomputer that’s provided. Given that this technology is quite new to our country, especially this kind of powerful tech, the majority of teams are working to learn how to make the maximum use of graphics processors and the speed of the supercomputer for their needs. Tests and experiments are conducted on a special platform for working with data; they are familiarised with programmes that ease the entire process of modelling and machine learning, while six or seven start-ups have launched projects and are well underway with work to develop solutions based on artificial intelligence. These projects deal with topics like virtual assistants, language processing,

models for optimising the use of energy resources, detecting email-based fraud and many other topics.

Turning to eGovernment services used by a large number of users, you have announced both the creation of new services and the improvement of existing ones. Could you share with our readers more details about the services that could be made available in 2023?

We are planning to introduce a large number of services during the coming year, but what will certainly be useful to everyone is the service of submitting personal documents via the electronic mailboxes on the eGovernment Portal, which all of our users have. The same documents can be sent further in electronic form, or made available to view without the additional printing of paper. In the period ahead, the Office for IT and eGovernment will certainly continue working at an accelerated tempo to improve the user experience, improve quality and develop new electronic services.

How open are state bodies to the digitalisation of their procedures?

Digitalisation is already so deeply imbedded in all segments of society that there’s virtually nothing that isn’t achieved today without its use. Everyone is aware of that, and particularly the state bodies that work intensively on the digitalisation of procedures, and those of us that work on their further connectivity. I would remind you that all institutions in Serbia today use the eZup system, that citizens no longer carry documents, but rather civil servants acquire everything for them in digital form within a few seconds. And that’s the main effect of genuine eGovernment, and the more procedures we digitise and place on the service roadmap of state bodies, the less we’ll need to print and collect documents in person.

Serbia has positioned itself as a digital transformation leader of the region and we have clear targets that we want to achieve

Serbia’s eGovernment is currently 40th worldwide and the best in the region. We are now ahead of certain EU member states – Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Czechia and Slovakia

I would like to take this opportunity to invite other state institutions to enable the use of electronic signatures in the cloud and on their portals as soon as possible

We have been long awaiting a qualified electronic certificate in the cloud. How widely used is it today, first and foremost among smaller enterprises that are usually a lot slower in adopting advanced solutions? On the flip side, which sectors are the most open to accepting this option for signing official documents?

By commissioning signatures in the cloud, we took an important step for the long-term development of digital society in Serbia. Thanks to electronic signatures in the cloud, citizens need no longer concern themselves with installing software for the use of signatures on cards or tokens, while it has also been made possible for them to access the most complex eGovernment services from a mobile device. More than 17,000 signatures in the cloud have been issued to date. The remote electronic signing of documents is available to all citizens who have the ConsentID mobile app, which provides a high level of trustworthiness for electronic identification. I would like to take this opportunity to invite other state institutions – primarily the Business Registers Agency, the Central Register of Compulsory Social Security, the National Employment Service and the Tax Administration of Serbia – to enable the use of electronic signatures in the cloud and on their portals as soon as possible. I would remind all citizens that the parameters to activate the ConsentID mobile application are issued over the counter at 1,069 post offices, local government

units, local tax administration offices and commercial banks (Mobi Bank and Sberbank). Parameters for activating the ConsentID mobile application can also be obtained online, via the eGovernment Portal, by all citizens who have a qualified electronic certificate on a smart card or USB token. Applying to sign electronically in the cloud through the eGovernment Portal allows the user to select a pdf or xml document with which they want to sign an electronic certificate in the cloud, to review added documents, select a document for signature, start signing, position the graphical representation of their electronic signature and sign the document.

It wasn’t that long ago, during the pandemic, that Serbia positioned

itself as one of the countries with the largest number of innovations. How successfully has this momentum been maintained?

Digitalisation is an unavoidable process for every healthy, strong and modern country, and Serbia is absolutely one of them. I will remind you that this year’s edition of the UN’s unique global report known as United Nations eGovernment Development Survey 2022, which contains a review of the current state of affairs and conducts comparative monitoring of the development of eGovernment in 193 UN member states, Serbia found itself in the group of world countries with the highest index of eGovernment development for the first time ever. The Republic of Serbia’s eGovernment development index was rated “very high”, which is the highest rating. Serbia’s ranking has improved 18 places compared to the 2020 report, marking the eighth biggest rankings leap. According to the value of this index, Serbia’s eGovernment is currently 40th worldwide and the best in the region. Compared to the previous report, Serbia has advanced so much that it is now ahead of certain EU member states – Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Czechia and Slovakia. Thanks to the fact that the Government of the Republic of Serbia set digitalisation as one of its priorities back in 2017, at the initiative of Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, but thanks also to former Office for IT and eGovernment director Mihailo Jovanović, significant results have been achieved that are now also evident in this year’s UN report. We succeeded, in a short period, in contributing to the intensive development of eGovernment services and infrastructure, the digital transformation of public administration, the advancement of the digital economy, but also citizens’ recognition of, and trust and faith in, eGovernment. With the construction of the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, as well as the implementation of the electronic services Bebo, dobro došla na svet [Baby, welcome to the world], eVrtić [eNursery[, eUpis [eEnrolment], Moja srednja škola [My High School], eSanduče [ePostbox], the electronic signature in the cloud and many others, we have provided excellent foundations for the further accelerated development of the digitalisation of Serbia’s public administration.

The Office for IT and eGovernment secures and allocates AI Platform resources to science and technology parks, with the possibility of those science and technology parks sharing the resources with start-ups. That’s of great help to innovative start-up companies, because in order to develop their ideas they previously had to pay thousands, and even tens of thousands of euros to rent such resources

ALEKSANDAR BOGDANOVIĆ, Executive Commercial Director of Mobi Banka

New Era Of Digital Banking – BankID

Digitalisation has been an enduring trend for years already. And that’s especially the case in banking, where digital services are becoming the standard and are completely transforming one of the most traditional industries. From waiting in queues, being overburdened by administration and having to make frequent visits to branches, banks have adapted to society’s new needs and become an everyday ally to people that’s also within easy reach, in their pocket, available 24/7

The most important thing for a successful digital evolution in Serbia is the extremely supportive environment and commitment to the digital agenda that’s being fostered by the National Bank and the Government of Serbia. Thanks to this, the number of citizens using digital banking has grown over the past five years by an impressive 254 per cent, to 3.2 million users. Of these, as many as 21 per cent choose the first digital bank in the region: Mobi Banka. For us at Mobi Banka, 2023 is a year of great milestones. Our road to stable profitability is slowly coming to an end, and the positive business result that is now within reach opens the door to new investments and technological advances that will bring us even closer to our vision: the complete digital transformation of banking services in Serbia.

I believe that one of the biggest advantages of Mobi Banka is that we are part of the PPF Group, which nurtures innovation and technological progress, so we have the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the latest global practises first-hand, and then to offer them to our users. In the domain of banking, the concept of banking identity is attracting ever-more attention. In January last year, the Czech Government facilitated the simpler introduction of banking identity, which gave more than five million users the opportunity to access public administration services through preexisting banking identification tools. In this way, a unique identity of citizens is created, which can be used on all digital services following the first verification. This would mean that bank users still

I believe that one of the biggest advantages of Mobi Banka is that we are part of the PPF Group, which nurtures innovation and technological progress, so we have the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the latest global practises first-hand, and then to offer them to our users

use the well-known and extremely secure banking interface for authentication, but that now, after verification, they can also access other digital services of public importance, such as eGovernment. Introducing banking identity in Serbia in this way would be a kind of continuation of the exceptional project

of the Government and the National Bank of Serbia “My data for the bank”, within the scope of which Mobi Banka, as one of the first representatives of the private sector, issued as many as 8,000 credentials for eGovernment in a very short period of time.

According to data from the Czech Republic, the introduction of the banking identity has completely transformed the way society works. A similar concept has been applied in Norway, where this type of identification is used by almost 90 per cent of the working population, and as much as 97% of the population aged between 20 and 54. Bearing in mind that there is already a large base of 3.2 million digital banking users in Serbia, I am certain that the introduction of a banking identity would be a major step towards the complete digitalisation of the banking sector, and I’m sure that Serbia is once again ready to spearhead global innovations.

Focus On Fast & Innovative Solutions

NALED has left its mark on almost every word that starts with the letter e and relates to digital transformation. The priorities of this organisation over the next two years include strengthening information security and personal data protection, developing the digital infrastructure required to support the expansion of e-administration in Serbia, as well as popularising and increasing the use of e-services

NALED has always been focused on the introduction of fast and innovative solutions for citizens and the economy. During the previous period, with the help of its partners, NALED implemented numerous digital initiatives of significance. In this interview for CorD Magazine’s Beyond Digital special edition, NALED Managing Board President Vladislav Cvetković mentions just a few of these initiatives: the establishing of the new system of fiscalisation and eInvoicing; the introduction of mandatory company registration on the eAdministration portal and use of the eInbox; and the launch of electronic payments and eDelivery. Working together with the Office for IT and eGovernment, NALED implemented a project to popularise electronic services through the opening of counters in the offices of local governments, where officials are able to help all those interested in becoming eCitizens.

“We are particularly proud of the introduction of the electronic procedure for registering seasonal workers, thanks to which more than 73,000 seasonal workers have to date been effectively included in legal flows and, instead of working illegally, have gained rights for the days that they’ve worked,” notes Cvetković. “We are also proud of our participation in the creation of services and systems like ePermits, which has enabled the efficient issuance of more than 100,000 approvals for construction works annually, eCounter, which has cut the period required to make new entries in the cadastral register to just over five days, as well as eInspector, which has created a network encompassing almost all national inspections, while the next step is the inclusion of local inspections

in this system. These are all procedures that we are now also sharing with other countries in the region.”

We will also gain eAgrar as of next year. What can we expect from this service?

The establishing of the eAgrar platform will enable around 450,000 farms to register more simply and four times faster than before, with costs reduced by 80%. Through the medium of this platform, farmers will be able to apply for state subsidies and receive funds significantly faster, as the relevant institutions will be able to automatically access information from networked national registers, and officials will no longer be forced to process and review documents by hand, which they previously required more than six months to do.

You’ve said that all public administration “counters” should be available via mobile devices on one eGovernment application, with ac-

cess to each of them requiring just one login process. How close are we to realising such a future?

It is already a reality in some countries, and I believe it is the near future for our country. However, we are still awaited by a lot of work, as it is essential to digitise many services. The Office for IT and eGovernment has focused on the most important life events and is offering ten very important services that include the online enrolment of children in nursery or school, the scheduling of appointments for the issuance of personal documents, the obtaining of a driving license etc. The key to success in the popularisation and increased use of services lies in access to such services not being complicated for citizens. For example, one idea is for a single login to be sufficient to access all state portals and services, such as eHealth and eDiary, eTax, APR and others. Through the eCitizen project and the opening of counters in the offices of local governments, we wanted – together with the Office for IT and eGovernment – to help citizens register their personal profiles/ accounts on the eGovernment Portal, in the case that they are unsure how to do so themselves. Likewise, it is essential to educate and inform citizens if we want to increase the use of e-services, because the results of our research show that, despite three quarters of citizens being familiar with the possibilities of eGovernment, a mere 14% of them complete administrative tasks online. Increased interest is now being expressed by the business sector, because as many as 45% of businesspeople note that they prefer to service their obligations online.

One of the topics that you’re working on, and in which we – as citizens

VLADISLAV CVETKOVIĆ, President of the NALED Managing Board

COMMUNICATION

The eDelivery service will not only enable citizens to receive all documents from the state and local authorities electronically, but also to have two-way communication with the state and submit documents via the eOffice Clerk service

– have yet to see tangible progress, is eHealth. What stage has been reached with this extensive and complex reform?

Progress has been achieved, but those are still only initial steps, while we need to make much bigger and more significant strides. Registering for vaccination via the ePortal is one of the services that has motivated citizens the most to turn towards eAdministration, and it has showed that we can digitise the healthcare system. The state has adopted an Action Plan for Digital Transformation in the Healthcare System until 2026 and NALED is helping with its implementation. The eHealth Card has been introduced, while the next step is to also introduce digital medical records. The ePrescription service has been introduced for medicines included on the A list and it is necessary to extend this service to also include other lists. It is also necessary to introduce the services eReferral and eSick Leave, while it is particularly important to link the state, military and private health systems in order to ensure the more efficient treatment of patients, through the further development of the Integrated Health Information System (IHIS). In combination, this will all serve to speed up the route of citizens through the healthcare system, improve treatment results, and reduce waiting times, the unnecessary repeating of analyses and the need to return to a general practitioner for new referrals...

Together with advancements in the field of digital transformation, the issue of information security is also increasing in importance. How far have we progressed in this area and what remains to be done in the period ahead?

Through implementation of the Local eGovernment Index (LEI) project, we gained insight showing that numerous challenges exist at the local level when it comes to the security of data stored in

COOPERATION

We are now also sharing many of the e-procedures that have been introduced with NALED’s help, such as ePermits, eCounter and eInspector, with other countries in the region

SECURITY

Through implementation of the Local eGovernment Index (LEI) project, we gained insight showing that numerous challenges exist at the local level when it comes to the security of data stored in their databases

Despite three quarters of citizens being familiar with the possibilities of eGovernment, a mere 14% of them complete administrative tasks online. Increased interest is now being expressed by the business sector, because as many as 45% of businesspeople note that they prefer to service their obligations online

their databases. Only half of all cities and municipalities possess licenses for all programs, while 14% of them don’t have licenses for any of the programs that they use. Only around a dozen cities and municipalities have their own web presentations on the .gov domain, while slightly less than half employ just one IT expert and 11% don’t have any such experts. Two thirds of them note that none of their IT experts have undergone training on this topic over the past few years. When all of this is taken into consideration, it is clear that we need to do more in this field. It is firstly necessary to improve the legal framework in this area, to strengthen capacities at the level of the state and local authorities, as well as among the businesses that manage

information systems, but also to connect them so that we have one team that’s ready to defend against cyberattacks. We will present the LEI index at the start of next year, which will help us – through the ranking of local governments based on the level of eGovernment development – to better understand who needs help and in which ways. We organised numerous training courses during the previous period for civil servants at the local level, on the subject of information security, in cooperation with RATEL. Participants were trained to make timely identifications of cyber threats and protect their system successfully. This kind of training will certainly be among the priorities of the NALED eGovernment Alliance in the coming years.

Year’s end is always a time to announce plans for the coming year. What will be in your focus in 2023 when it comes to digital transformation?

The priorities for the next two years are strengthening information security and personal data protection, developing digital infrastructure that will support the expansion of eAdministration in Serbia, as well as popularising and increasing the use of electronic services. When it comes to individual areas, we will focus will on digitalisation, primarily in the domain of healthcare, but also on the development of the eSpace system for the digitising of the drafting of spatial and urban plans, the further development of ePayments, as well as the vitally important eDelivery service, which would not only enable citizens to receive all documents from the state and local authorities electronically, but would also enable them to have twoway communication with the state, i.e., through the submitting of documents via the eOffice Clerk service. Some procedures have already been introduced but require improvement, and here I would single out the eSeal, cloud signature and eArchiving services.

DigitisingEnergyTowards A Greener And Better Future For All

The march towards carbon neutrality and the use of renewable energy sources have served to unite the world in a crucial mission: urgently reducing CO2 pollution.

As one of the world’s technology industry leaders, company Huawei is using its Huawei Digital Power (HDP) branch to strive to contribute to the better use of green energy and advance environmental protection levels.

HDP was established with the aim of easing the implementation and utilisation of sustainable energy infrastructure through technologies developed digitally. Huawei also wants to better integrate the technologies of digital and power electronics, in order to enable consumers to develop and digitise clean energy capacities.

In the firm belief that the key to carbon neutrality lies in a new energy system, Huawei aims to build that system exclusively on foundations of green energy. The production, distribution, use and storage of energy will be improved through the use of new technologies, such as Cloud technologies and artificial intelligence.

Unique innovations are created thanks to long-term investments in research and development. This has led to easing the digitising of all forms of energy, but also the improved adaptation of industry to numerous market changes. That’s why Huawei is endeavouring to enable the faster generating of clean energy, but also the opening of green transport lines and helping in the construction of sustainable data centres.

The company is developing new green technologies at 12 R&D centres in China, other parts of Asia and Europe, and had 1,600 approved patents by year’s end 2021. Working in this area are 6,000 employees, 60 per cent of whom participate actively in the research and development

sector, while all innovations are available in the 170 countries where this Chinese company operates.

By the end of last year, Huawei Digital Power solutions had helped consumers generate 482.9 billion kWh of clean energy, save 14.2 billion kWh of electricity and avoid emissions of as much as 230 million tons of CO2 – equivalent to planting more than 320 million new trees.

It is extremely important to stress that Huawei strives for an open ecosystem created with equal conditions for all those wanting to be part of it. That’s why it created the strategy “hardware

openness, software openness and multilevel cooperation with industries”, which enables both the company and its partners to jointly build – throughout the course of the entire process –an ecosystem for all industries, products and technologies.

Huawei solutions are not instant and fleeting, but rather enduring and available to all, and also confirming that the company is on the right track are the numerous awards it has received, including the WWF Climate Solver Award 2020 (WWF), the Best Show Award Interop 2021 (Japan), four DCS Award acknowledgements for various solutions (UK), the Scientific and Technological Progress Award (China), among many others.

By investing in the digital transformation of energy and enabling its faster acceptance everywhere, Huawei believes that it is helping transform the world into a better place to live for all, with reduced harmful CO2 and more good opportunities.

More than 6,000 people are working on new solutions to produce clean energy that help consumers switch to renewables, save electricity and reduce CO2 emissions

Huawei Digital Power solutions have helped consumers generate 482.9 billion kWh of clean energy and avoid emissions of as much as 230 million tons of CO2

Data Protection: ABusinessImperative

The region also suffers a lot due to the large lag in understanding the basics of data security, workplace behaviour and staff education, which is where the problems most often come from - says Mićović and insists that this must change.

Is Serbia far ahead with digitalisation?

Digitalisation is not a simple or short-term process, but it is indispensable in modern business. The digital transformation does not only mean the transition to digital storage of information, but the entire acquisition and application of digital services in all aspects of business. In this regard, I would say that we are showing enviable results, but also that we have much greater potential for advancement.

On the other hand, digitalisation brings with it the risks of digital business, cyber threats. Most companies do not have a clearly defined vision or a system to protect their business from modern threats. Compromise of confidential and sensitive business and personal data leaves not only financial and material, but also reputational consequences for the company.

The Information Security Act, Personal Data Protection Act, GDPR and international information security standards, which define obligations and provide recommendations regarding information security, help

a great deal in improving business processes. Better compliance with all these regulations and the immediate application of safety standards in all spheres of business largely ensure business stability.

What is the situation in the region, what challenges does it face in terms of the quality of information security?

In the region, the situation is similar to that in Serbia. The increase in the number of attacks is the result of many factors, including the increase

in cryptocurrency trading, working from home resulting in new IT vulnerabilities, the increasing expertise and sophistication of attackers who are further motivated after each successful attack, the political climate, and so on. All this has influenced the development of new services. For example, Sky MSSP (Managed Security Services Provider) provides exactly that, information system security management services and data protection for our users’ clients, for which our users do not have enough personnel or technical resources. Our company’s services are the protection of web applications, SAP systems, encryption of test data and protection of workstations.

Sky Express also provides cyber security education services. We have developed a program that enables a detailed and comprehensive approach to raising the level of knowledge and staff awareness of the need for and ways of protecting information and the rules of conduct in modern information and communication systems, such as problem detection and behaviour in the event of a cyber incident, procedures for hiring and firing, secure remote work, using e-mail, setting and changing passwords, etc.

A company should not passively wait for something to happen. The only real way to overcome security challenges and respond to modern threats is to engage a partner who is able to create a suitable strategy for the right business data security and implement it continuously.

Sky Express, a regional leader in the field of digital data protection, has been on the market for almost 20 years. In addition to continuously investing in the IT sector, they also provide MSSP and employee education services in the field of cyber security. They see the lack of qualified staff as one of the biggest problem in the IT field today

MAJO MIĆOVIĆ, CEO of Sky Express, IT security company and president of the Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce

Sky Express provides MSSP services such as web application protection, SAP protection, endpoint security and test data encryption

Fourth Industrial Revolution

The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we create, exchange, and distribute value. It is a technological shift merging our physical, digital, and biological worlds into one. The fast-developing technologies pushing it forward, such as artificial intelligence, genome editing, augmented reality, robotics, and 3-D printing, are promising smart solutions for intractable challenges. But this revolution also calls for governing these solutions in ways that empower, foster collaboration, and help build a more sustainable foundation for social and economic development.

Public

MIROSLAVA JOCIĆ, CEO, Secut

Much More ThanASecurityCompany

Although two decades ago they dealt exclusively with physical and technical security, Secut today offers clients services for security, health and safety at work, professional cleaning, fire protection, couriers, receptionists, secretarial services, waste management, minor repairs...

Our company has for years been working on improving its processes through the digital transformation - says the CEO of Secut, and points out that they are particularly proud of the various software applications that have been developed for their needs to facilitate and speed up their work processes in all areas of business.

Your company was founded to provide physical and technical security services, but you soon began to expand your business. How did your market position grow?

Our name gives us away, doesn’t it? Secut = security, but Secut is much more than a security company today. We have adapted to the market as quickly and well as we knew how, we have listened and been ready for every new task. With this approach, we have become one of the leading companies in services. Today, we are recognized on the market for security, professional cleaning, health and safety at work, fire protection, courier services, reception services, waste management, secretarial services, small repairs... We offer everything a company needs that is not its core business.

Is your reference list the best indicator of a successful business?

It definitely is. Our clients actually say the most about who we are. In the 20 years we have been in existence, we have acquired 850 employees, more than 200 satisfied customers and 500 premises that we service. The strength of our clients is our

strength and we are keenly aware of it. That’s why everything is dedicated to the client. We are their service, we are at their service 24/7, 365 days a year. We are happy to have clients who recognise our commitment and appreciate our approach.

There is a lot of competition, almost every day new companies are emerging that deal with similar business, but you not only survive, but also continuously acquire new clients. What makes you different?

I don’t know if we are different but I know we have our own style. We are not too big a company for a client to be just a number to us, and neither are we too small a company to dedicate ourselves to each client individually. I think we have chosen the right measure and that is the key to success. We are aware of both a client’s wishes and the possibilities open to us. The trust that has been built up over these years is important. Our clients know that we will always do our best to complete the task in front of us.

Do the jobs you do require constant learning, professional development, updating to international trends and standards?

Yes, we are constantly improving and learning and that is one of the ways to stay in the game, especially in the field of physical and technical security, risk assessment, fire protection and occupational health... We invest a lot in the development, first of all, of people, and after that of processes. People like to learn and develop, we recognised this and have enabled our employees who have been working in the company since its inception to develop with the company. There is no successful company without successful people, that is the only truth.

The digital transformation has brought you a lot, including “smart cleaning” and Ecobot robots. What are Ecobot robots? Can they replace people?

We are happy to have clients who recognise our commitment and appreciate our approach. Because everything is dedicated to them

Ecobot robots are only the more visible part of our transformation. The Secut company has for years been working on improving the process through the digital transformation. Various pieces of software that has been developed according to our needs have facilitated and accelerated work processes in all of our areas of business, and we are very proud of that. By shortening the time for certain processes, we have not reduced the volume of work nor the number of people. On the contrary, it has just helped us to move on and develop.

Ecobot robots are autonomous floor-cleaning machines. The machine is told what it should wash and when, and it does this entirely by itself. It moves and returns to its station, where it throws out dirty water, takes clean water, plugs in to the charger to recharge its battery and continues cleaning. I am fascinated by their performance, their way of working, precision and reporting. Very intelligent machines. However, they do not replace people,

but they free people from routine work and send them to better jobs.

You often point out that investing in Ecobot robots has greatly reduced the operating costs of the company and that the capitalization of the investment increases the value of the company. What does that actually mean?

By using robots, not only do we reduce operating costs but also other, hidden costs that are not immediately visible, which is the management time spent on finding suitable workers, their training, the procurement and servicing of traditional cleaning machines... There are many factors that influence the decision to invest in the Ecobot machine. The return on investment is very short, depending on how well the machine is engaged, the return is from eight months to two years, which is better than excellent.

You have a low staff turnover at all levels. Is that rare for companies in your business?

Yes, for today’s conditions, we have very little fluctuation, which is a very interesting fact, especially for the business we are engaged in. We are fair to all our colleagues, open and honest. What we agree on - we fulfill. Both us and them. And that is the key. Trust.

DARKO LUKIĆ, Nelt Executive Vice President

TechnologyCanCreate New Jobs

As a large company that has a portfolio containing more than 300 brands and that serves 26,000 customers, Nelt possesses a huge amount of data. At the start of 2022, Nelt Group completed and announced its new strategy, “Accelerate2025”, which assumes accelerated revenue growth

Nelt’s strategic initiatives, all of which are in the domain of digital transformation, are key sources of competitive advantage for the Group. They make Nelt more “future proof” by building capabilities that are hard for others to copy and that will keep them “ahead of the pack” for years to come.

For Nelt Group, 2022 proved to be a very successful year marked by increased revenue, new investments and the expansion of operations. Despite unfavourable circumstances, you managed to achieve growth of 14 per cent.

At the start of 2022, we completed and communicated our new strategy, “Accelerate2025”. As the title suggests, this strategy assumes accelerated revenue growth. The first year of implementing our new strategy has been successful, as the revenue growth of 14% is the highest growth rate at Nelt over the last six years. As part of our strategy, we exerted quite a bit of effort to define not only our strategic goals and the segments and markets where we want to compete, but also the enabling factors necessary to implement this strategy successfully. We have worked and invested throughout the year to build these enablers, first and foremost investing in our organisation by developing internal talents and acquiring external ones.

How do you preserve and fortify your position as the region’s leading distributor?

Indeed, our strategic initiatives, all of which are in the domain of digital

transformation, are key sources of our competitive advantage. They make Nelt more “future proof” by building capabilities that are hard to copy and that will keep us “ahead of the pack” for years to come.

All of these initiatives have several common goals: Improve the customer and employee experience; Simplify, automate and accelerate processes; Accelerate revenue growth; Optimise costs; Reduce the environmental footprint of operations.

Is it an accurate stat that as many as 60% of the projects that you’ve implemented since 2018 have included new solutions in the domain of digital transformation?

That is correct… and going forward

I expect this percentage to be even bigger. At Nelt we have a “healthy dissatisfaction” with the status quo. One recent example has been the design and implementation of new software to optimise our sales and delivery routes. This has resulted in us optimising our routes by approximately 700,000 km at an annual level, while in the process reducing fuel consumption by 100,000 litres and reducing our CO2 emissions by 265 tons.

What are all the areas encompassed and which segments of operations are included in the scope of your ACCELERATE2025 umbrella strategy?

Our strategy has three layers. The first layer consists of our strategic goals, as well as the focus markets and segments where we want to compete. The second layer of our strategy encompasses our five strategic initiatives: data management and analytics; omni-channel sales platform; trade funds management; route optimisation and; paperless delivery. Comprising the third layer of our strategy are the enablers, which will help us be winners in our targeted segments and markets, and to implement our strategic initiatives. Those enablers are grouped into four categories: organisation; processes and capabilities; infrastructure and technology and; sources of competitive advantage.

Our omni-channel sales platform is one of our strategic initiatives. It caters to our customers’ expectations that they will be able to communicate with, order products from, and

exchange documents and data with Nelt at any time via different channels – whether our salespeople, our call centre, or via the Nelt Market B2B application. During 2022 we successfully launched the first element of this new platform, our Nelt Market B2B app, on the markets of Zambia and Mozambique. The first results have been very encouraging and we look forward to expanding the launch to include other countries in 2023.

This year also saw us expand the implementation of our paperless delivery initiative. This project simplifies the delivery process, eliminates the need for corrective documents in the case of errors, and digitalises the exchange of documents. After a year of implementation, around 40% (~9,100) of our customers in Serbia have adopted this way of working with Nelt, helping us issue 47% (around 900,000) of our invoices in an electronic format.

You’ve invested two million euros in data management architecture and tools that you jointly develop with companies Microsoft and SAS?

Data is the core around which all of our strategic initiatives revolve. Nelt, as a large company with more than 300 brands in its portfolio and 26,000 customers that it serves, possesses a huge amount of data. The goal of the data management project is to better utilise this data to create new value for all stakeholders in our value chain.

The first goal of this project is to ensure quick and easy access to all of our data. This is why we have created new cloud-based system architecture, where we are storing all relevant data. The second goal of the project is to “clean” and standardise all the data that we possess – both internal and external. This was no easy task, due to the sheer quantity and diversity of the data we have. We are now about to launch our automated reporting, while we are also in the process of developing advanced algorithms both in our supply chain and sales operations.

Is there any truth to the claim that automation and digitalisa-

tion will lead to the eliminating of more jobs than last year?

Automation and technology are not about eliminating jobs and reducing the number of people. If used intelligently, technology can help eliminate inefficiencies, thereby securing much needed “fuel” to fund new growth, which in turn can create more jobs. We are using technology in parallel to eliminate inefficiencies, but that also helps us invest in new growth and create new jobs. One example is the investment of 20 million euros in our newly opened Candy Factory in Angola, which alone has created close to a hundred new jobs at Nelt.

Expanding your operations to new markets is one of your strategic priorities. How achievable is that?

As mentioned earlier, volatile times are times when larger and more capable companies have an opportunity to further strengthen their market

position. This year has proven that, as we have secured new distribution partnerships with reputable companies like Chipita (Mondelez) in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mondelez in Mozambique, Colgate in Zambia, Chips Way in Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo, and Dijamant and Jamnica in North Macedonia. We also have new logistics partnerships with Podravka, Molson Coors, Aleva, Inditex and Frezenius Medical Care.

How much importance do you attach to environmentally and socially sustainable operations?

Environmentally and socially sustainable operations represent one of the strategic imperatives of Nelt Group. This past year, we issued the 3rd edition of our Sustainability Report that highlights our impact on the economy, the environment and the community using the globallyrenowned GRI methodology. The top enabler to becoming more sustainable is not technology - it is developing a mindset that sees sustainability as being everyone’s job, and that is part of all our activities and operations.

We also invested in solar energy this year, thus further reducing our environmental footprint.

If used intelligently, technology can help eliminate inefficiencies, thereby securing much needed “fuel” to fund new growth, which in turn can create more jobs

BY DEJAN ĐUKIĆ, Director Of The Serbian National Internet Domain Registry Foundation (RNIDS)

Can There Be Digitalisation WithoutCooperation?

In a digitalised and digitally connected world, indeed, no man is an island. Systems aren’t islands either. Not only information and technology systems, but also organisations – local, regional, and global. Connection and cooperation are hardly a matter of choice, but rather represent an imperative, particularly in industries that are dependent on swift adjustments under the weight of shifting habits and the burden brought by rapidly innovating technologies.

From the perspective of an average user, DNS is static, IP addresses have a purpose to serve, the whole universe behind the use of the internet is regarded as something that just is. And yet, just like any other field in information technology, this part also changes, adjusts and progresses to serve the needs of billions in a digitalised world, and that is the part where cooperation is irreplaceable.

During the year that’s now behind us, international, regional and local meetings and conferences returned to their physical form, although internetenabled technologies made continuous communication possible the entire time. Belgrade was the hotspot for internet professionals last autumn, as the host of major events and meetings.

RNIDS had the pleasure, along with SOX, to be the local host of the fiveday RIPE 85 conference in October. RIPE is the Regional Internet Registry, serving Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, providing global internet resources and related services (IPv4, IPv6 and AS number resources). However, over 500 experts from all over the world gathered in Belgrade not only to discuss possible improvements to protocols and IP policies, but also cyber security, internet and digital policies, and even the environmental impacts of modern technologies. Such events not only provide lessons of best practices to take home, but their meetings also

Hosting such events is invaluable for a national domain name registry, not only in terms of the advocating of Serbia’s digital capacities, but also as a way of reconfirming our strategic approach to cooperation – as a means to learn, grow and succeed in turbulent times

result in recommendations and the introduction of action plans. To have under one roof so many engineers and

businesspeople, but also policymakers, is to witness all over again how forceful the community is and to confirm that the tower called the digital world would not be built so quickly without exchange and cooperation.

It wasn’t only RIPE members that met in Belgrade. Members of DNSOARC, an organisation with high authority for matters of DNS operation, analytics and research, attended a meeting hosted by RNIDS and SOX in Belgrade during October. Over the course of this two-day meeting, the hottest topics related to DNS security and operation were discussed by high profile experts from Europe and United States. RNIDS’s dear guests also included members of the CENTR community engaged in the technical development of European national domain registries, who also joined the meeting and shared their insights and progress achieved to ensure the domain name system operates smoothly across Europe. And even this was not the end: as national internet, network and telco operators gathered in November at the RSNOG conference, which was supported by RNIDS for the eighth time.

Hosting such events is invaluable for a national domain name registry, not only in terms of the advocating of Serbia’s digital capacities, but also as a way of reconfirming our strategic approach to cooperation – as a means to learn, grow and succeed in turbulent times.

BOJAN POKRAJAC,

Our Goal Is To Be The Leading Digital Bank In Serbia

Banking services consumers are increasingly demanding independence in their work, without the obligation of going to a branch. The tendency is that branches will remain the dominant channel for somewhat more complex banking products, as well as a place where clients will mostly consult a bank officer. It is also favoured by the increasing number of self-service devices, which are more and more present in our branches. Digitalisation of so-called background services within the bank certainly preceded this.

In terms of this, OTP banka has launched the VKYC project that will enable potential clients to become Bank’s clients, without visiting the branch, in just a few minutes of video call. They just need to have with them a personal document and mobile device or computer with a camera and Internet connection. The ultimate goal is to provide them with such a comfort of doing business with the bank, without ever showing up in a branch.

their bank in a simpler, quicker and intuitive way.

Although this process is not visible to the user, it largely impacts his/her experience with the bank. Our approach in OTP banka “Digital where the Client is”, represents an additional challenge for the very enhancement of processes, which dominantly functioned according to analogue principles until recently. Clients expect from us to enable establishment of a business relationship with the bank without visiting a branch, which implies account opening, applying for a cash loan, opening a savings account, as well as purchase of insurance policy.

On the other hand, implementation of the Cloud certificate will round up the VKYC process, since it will enable remote conclusion of contracts on realising banking product in line with the recently amended regulation. In addition, “Digital where the Client is” also means that users will have the possibility to sign all documents in branches and receive them by e-mail, whereby OTP banka also contributes to environmental protection and reducing the carbon footprint.

In accordance with the high service standards to which we strive, we have recognised the need to change the work organisation that can respond to the development dynamics our clients expect. In terms of this, OTP banka applies the agile work manner within the team we have named the Digital factory, primary task of which is to listen to the needs of our clients, as well as to enhance applications and processes that will enable them to receive solutions they expect from

We largely support the approach to “talk in a digital plain language”, because we believe that digital should mean that things are completed in a simpler and faster way, without unnecessary technical terms. This is especially important in a situation where our Digital factory produces numerous enhancements on a monthly basis, thus the importance of communication is even greater. Our goal is to be recognised by clients as the leading digital bank in the Serbian market and all our efforts are precisely in that direction.

CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT OF SERVICE QUALITY – FROM DARK MODE TO SAVING GOALS OPTIONS

We constantly strive to improve the service quality in OTP banka, whether it is the Dark mode functionality – screen visibility in dark more, which is less eye straining, all up to the possibility that the client alone manages his/her data through the m-bank application. When it comes to savings, we plan to commission the functionality Saving Goals in the upcoming period, purpose of which is to assist users to set a savings goal through regular allocation of maybe smaller funds, and in time realise their goal. This functionality is a continuation of the approach where we manage our finances by ourselves.

Head of Digital and Online Channels Department OTP banka Srbija

EPMSoftware:FromSpreadsheets ToOne-ClickPlanning

In the digital world, there is an inextricable link between business processes and the technologies that support them. The modern work environment creates a need to jump to the next level. One of these processes is planning and budgeting. For this process, a large number of organisations still rely on good old Excel spreadsheets. On that note, we have something to tell you…

Maybe it’s time to replace Excel with software

Before you mutter: “but I’ve been using it for years...”, we’ll also say this: Excel is undoubtedly a useful tool for organising data in smaller companies. If, however, your business is a complex system and you’re looking for a way to simplify processes like planning and budgeting, it’s probably time to say goodbye to spreadsheets.

In the context of business planning in large systems, the manual arrangement of data makes processes cumbersome, slow and prone to errors. Given that these are activities with a large number of participants from various departments, who use data from various sources, manual planning can result in a chaotic situation: untrue, outdated and difficult-to-verify information. To add to the headache, with each exchange of documents within a department, the reconciliation of versions becomes more and more difficult.

Countless tables: many versions of the truth

For decision makers, disjointed planning means that there is no single version of the truth. Instead of a consolidated review, over time, many “truths” are created, which call into question the correctness of decisionmaking at the level of the entire business system. An additional problem is the lack of efficiency.

Statistics show that the largest part of working time is spent on manually arranging and adjusting data - up to

70%. Employees could devote this valuable time to a key aspect of planning: data analysis.

How can EPM software help?

The fact is that Excel, despite its fame, was never intended as a tool for planning, budgeting and reporting at the organisational level. Today there is a comprehensive, specialised solution for an integrated planning process: Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) software. This is the most effective tool for synchronising organisational departments that participate in planning, automating and improving the process of consolidation of business results. Or in short: for networked planning.

Unlike off-the-shelf tools and software, EPM solutions improve and facilitate the entire planning cycle - from data collection to modeling, analytics and reporting - by consolidating it on

a single platform. Some of the main advantages for business are:

•centralisation of data located in different applications and systems, which are used for planning and for creating reports for monitoring plans

• detailed, holistic overview of data from all lines of business for efficient implementation of quarterly, halfyearly and annual plans

• “driver-based” planning - based on activities (drivers) that affect business values, such as price per product unit or larger investments in marketing

• possibility of active monitoring of KPIs

• possibility of active planning (rolling forecasts)

• accuracy and timeliness of data - no possibility of error or using the wrong formula

• saving employees’ time and greater agility of the company to adapt to market changes with a shorter planning process.

All business sectors, one planning strategy

Using EPM solutions, companies can strengthen cooperation between various lines of business, make them more agile and direct them towards common goals. For example, the launch of a new product requires the collaboration of the production, sales and marketing departments. Good coordination of these departments, which are often based in separate locations, will speed up planning and enable more efficient use of company resources, and thus a competitive advantage.

The main thing is not what the software enables, but what you need.

If you are planning to introduce a new solution for the automated management of planning and budgeting processes, it is important to have a complete picture of the current situation, and of the goals. The design of the application should address the weaknesses of your processes and the desired situation. Flexibility to adapt to your requirements goes hand in hand with intuitiveness. Even the best, customised EPM solution will remain “the tool they forced on us” if it is not easy for employees to use.

One of the EPM software packages that combines all of the above is Oracle Hyperion. It is a world-renowned system that is used in finance and controlling, and for operational planning and budgeting in large companies - in sales, marketing, human resources, IT and other business functions. Depending on the company’s needs, Oracle Hyperion can be set up on local infrastructure

or in the cloud. It is characterized by exceptional flexibility that can be used when implementing dedicated modules, so that users get exactly what they want. That is the key point. Also, this is where expertise comes in.

A team of certified experts with deep knowledge of EPM solutions, experience in customisation, implementation and integration with the rest of the IT ecosystem for optimal information flow adds value to the application of technology. This kind of team and experience is brought by the company AIGO. As a development partner, not just an implementer, AIGO is here to help you choose the optimal EPM software, implement and customise the desired modules and integrate the solution with the systems you already use, such as ERP. Of course,

all this is not possible without good cooperation. Therefore, the AIGO approach is based on jointly finding solutions that will put applications from global manufacturers at the service of your business.

As we said at the beginning of this text, today the connection between business processes and technologies is stronger than ever. Just as an insufficiently efficient tool can make processes more complex than they need to be, a suitable solution has the power to raise their efficiency to a new level. This choice is strategically important and can create many challenges for companies. With the right support, all these challenges can be overcome and, along the way, new opportunities can be opened: for optimisation and improvement of the payment process, risk reduction and faster adaptation to change.

MARKO PETROVIĆ, Director, Visaris

SideBySide With The Best

Visaris is a local company that has been providing digital radiology products and services of the highest quality, safety and reliability for two decades. They have good experience in the world’s largest tenders for the procurement of equipment, because in open competition they occupy a very high place in terms of price and quality

Judging by the views of our guest, their business policy so far has paid off and they believe that the satisfaction will be even greater when they achieve their medium and long-term goals – to make the best X-ray in the world and to be one of the pioneers in the application of artificial intelligence in radiology.

When you started, did you think that you would leave world-famous companies and brands i the dust?

My brother Vladimir, father Slobodan and I, the founders of the company, believed in success from the very beginning. It is hard to say that we have left all the world’s brands behind us, since some of them still dominate the market, but the fact that we are increasingly getting contracts for “high end” equipment in the strongest competition of rich markets shows that we are doing well. Apart from during the pandemic,

it is a sufficient indicator for us that we are growing faster than others, especially in the number of licenses that we also sell to other manufacturers and users. Every year, about 400 new medical institutions start using Visaris software for acquisition and processing of digital images.

Since the X-ray has been in use for over a hundred years, the market is mature and thoroughly served. But the digital transformation only started at the end of the 20th century and we are one of the pioneers in that field, so it is not surprising that some of the world’s brands have a shorter experience than Visaris, even though they are older and much better-known companies.

In 2003, we were blown away by Vladimir’s idea of forming a team in Serbia that would make a digital X-ray, and the first such device was installed in Belgrade already in 2004, when there were only about 3,000 of them in the

world. At that time we weren’t thinking about the competition, but about the possibilities of the technology on which Vlada got his doctorate. On the other hand, we also had in the team the experience of local experts who built their careers in the famous Jugorendgen.

In addition to our common belief in the idea, Vladimir’s vision (today he is the technical director) and Slobodan, who already had a serious business resume with initial investments, had a decisive influence on our success. More important than the money was the fact that Bob (now the president of the company) had the courage to trust his then young sons and provided them with unreserved support in terms of knowledge, advice and contacts. In such an environment, it was not difficult for me to invest all my resources in Visaris.

Visaris has conquered the world market where there is no protection,

rigging and nepotism. Is your success is due to a superior product at a fair price?

You can have all the support and protection you want, but if the product isn’t good, you won’t do anything. Visaris is proof that if you have a high quality and reliable product at a fair price, you will have your audience even without a big sponsor. We have good experience in the world’s largest tenders for the procurement of equipment, because it turns out that in open competition we occupy a very high place in terms of price and quality.

We conquered the technology really quickly, but to conquer the market it is not enough to have only a great offer, it also requires the test of time and recommendations. Fortunately, the first users have already confirmed to us that our products give a top-rate image, which encouraged us to dedicate ourselves to improving the user experience. We started exporting only in 2014, and today our exports to more than 30 countries around the world account for more than 90% of revenues.

What are the advantages of digital cameras and recordings in digital format?

In addition to better resolution on modern medical monitors, digital X-ray images are obtained with lower doses of radiation, can be read at a distance and do not produce harmful waste. A printed recording is valid for five years, while digital recordings are archived permanently. The most modern devices have the possibility of dynamic recording, which literally brings the recording to life in front of the doctor and provides much more information. Perhaps the most important value of digital recordings with a description is their use for machine learning or the popular AI (artificial intelligence).

The application of increasingly powerful devices, computers and algorithms in radiology opens up new opportunities for the development of science, disease prevention, and improvement of the quality of life. In the current international scientific project INCISIVE, Visaris and the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad are working with 24 other eminent partners in Europe on

the early detection of cancer through the use of artificial intelligence.

Do digital recordings facilitate, for example, obtaining a second independent opinion or conducting a consultation with a doctor located on the other side of the world? It creates a new dimension of treatment?

In the U.S. today, there are already large companies that deal exclusively with reading thousands of radiological images that arrive from hundreds of locations a day. This used to be both unrealistic and impractical due to the need for recordings to be physically available. The agreement on the DICOM

technologies, Visaris can challenge the most talented experts, and for them the possibility of training with us acts like a magnet. Other working conditions, although competitive, are usually not the primary issue for most employees. In a team of about 80, development counts 30, of which there are more than 10 people who have been with us between 16 and 19 years. We strive to create an environment in which we transfer and increase knowledge through continuous improvement, which is especially important for young talents.

Is it rare that a private company in Serbia invests so much in its own technology and staff?

Having our own technology is our biggest comparative advantage over the competition, and good solutions do not exist without good people. The field in which we operate is highly specialized and regulated, which means that the number of qualified experts on the market is extremely small, and for practical reasons detailed training and education is an inevitable part of the integration of every employee.

format, mandatory for all manufacturers of radiological equipment, has enabled the easy availability of digital images to everyone who has access to the Internet

Do you have a problem finding staff?

Unfortunately for us is that it is not enough to be a good IT engineer to get into Visaris’ prestigious development team. Since we work in a multidisciplinary environment, additional knowledge of physics, mathematics, electronics or the like is desirable. Due to its complexity and work on advanced

I think that in Serbia there are more and more companies that invest in the same way as us. What we know is that this policy has paid off and we believe that the satisfaction will be even greater when we achieve our medium and long-term goals, which are to make the best X-ray in the world and be one of the pioneers in the application of artificial intelligence in radiology. In four of the 12 countries that have x-ray production, the market is dominated by family businesses, which means that we are not alone in our approach and we expect that our example will encourage others.

The application of increasingly powerful devices, computers and algorithms in radiology opens up opportunities for the development of science, disease prevention, and improvement of quality of life

DataArt Strengthens The Net

DataArt is a global software engineering company that has a unique, people-centred approach to problem solving. With its teams of highly trained engineers worldwide, this firm delivers high-quality solutions to clients that include Unilever, Priceline, Ocado and Flutter Entertainment

The company currently has 230 employees in Belgrade and 30 in Novi Sad, and it has taken less than a year for it to establish excellent cooperation with universities, the business community, chambers of commerce and local governments.

DataArt Balkans, which was founded in March 2022, follows the best business practices of global software engineering firm DataArt. The company currently employs 230 people in Belgrade and 30 in Novi Sad. Many business partners were invited to commemorate the expansion of the company’s office space in Belgrade to 1,300m2 and they were greeted and hosted by DataArt Balkans directors Marina Varzar and Neboša Simić.

“We are proud that we are part of a global software network headquartered in New York, which has existed for more than 25 years and which employs 6,000 people in more than 25 locations across Europe, the United States, Latin America, the Middle East etc. We collaborate with renowned companies like Nasdaq, Skyscanner, Unilever and Ocado. We employ 260 people and our plan is to grow and develop on the local market,” said Simić on this occasion, emphasising that DataArt Balkans is oriented towards people, because there can be no success without satisfied and motivated employees.

DataArt Balkans director Marina Varzar welcomed those in attendance and noted that, in less than a year,

We are proud that we are part of a global software network headquartered in New York, which has existed for more than 25 years

this office has established excellent cooperation with universities, the business community, chambers of commerce and local governments.

“With its people first approach, DataArt integrates our engineering excellence with deeply human values that drive our business and approach to relationships: curiosity, empathy, trust, honesty, and intuition. These qualities help deliver high-value, high-quality solutions that our clients depend on, and lifetime partnerships we believe in”, added Marina Varzar.

As a reliable partner to the world’s leading brands and most discerning clients, DataArt applies its huge technological expertise and sector-specific knowledge to the development of significant applications, because it combines the reliability, stability and experience of a large multinational company with the adaptability and dedication of small firms.

“The IT community in Serbia is growing constantly, and will gladly provide our own contribution and share our global knowledge and experience,” stressed Varzar.

MARINA VARZAR, director DataArt Balkans, NEBOJŠA SIMIĆ, director DataArt Balkans

ProtectingEvery AspectOfBusiness

Cisco defines security resilience as being able to protect the integrity of every aspect of business so it can withstand, not just survive, unpredictable threats or changes and emerge stronger. This is the ability to anticipate, withstand, recover from, and adapt to adverse conditions, stresses, attacks, or compromises on systems that use or are enabled by cyber resources.

In the latest global Cisco security study conducted among 4,700 participants, security resilience was top of mind for 96% executives. As many of 62% of them reported having already suffered major security incidents that impacted their business operations, mainly network or data breaches, system outages and ransomware events. Organisations that foster a culture of security identified increases in resiliency, especially with a mature, zero-trust approach.

In today’s business environment, work is done from anywhere, which means security must exist everywhere in order to fully protect the business. Traditional security approaches that trust anything (devices, users, infrastructure etc.) inside the corporate network can’t deliver that required level of protection. This has led to the emergence of an approach that eliminates blind trust. A zero-trust model establishes trust in users and devices through authentication and continuous monitoring of each access attempt, with custom security policies that protect every application.

The critical factors include employees, who should be treated as part of the solution, rather than a problem, as the study shows. This comes from executives and leaders who understand business operations and the importance of security resilience. They should endeavour to cultivate a culture of security throughout the organisation, because Cisco data

shows that organisations that are able to do so will see a 46% boost in resilience. Security staff understand their role in the context of the organisation, while non-security staff know that they also have a role to play. This can be seen

by the regular reporting of phishing attempts, potential malware, and other incidents. Security isn’t a negative topic in employee satisfaction surveys or exit interviews. Conversely, frequent security policy violations and workarounds are evidence of a poor security culture.

The simplification of the hybrid cloud environment supports a security resilience approach, as well as the protection of the whole network end-to-end.

Cisco Secure is built on the principle of better security, not more. It delivers a streamlined, customer-centric approach to security that ensures it’s easy to deploy, manage, and use — and that it all works together.

www.cisco.com

Cybersecurity is one of the hot topics for every business and organisation. There are many threats, but just one security breach for any company is enough to turn a threat into a successful attack

In the latest global Cisco security study conducted among 4,700 participants, security resilience was top of mind for 96% executives. Organisations that foster a culture of security identified increases in resiliency, especially with a mature, zero-trust approach

Modern Bank For Modern Times

Digital wallets and mobile and electronic banking applications are innovations without which it would be impossible to imagine daily life in the 21st century. Over the past few years, maintaining a trusted relationship with clients while also providing them with the safest possible payment methods has been a real challenge. HALKBANK a.d. Belgrade can state with pride that it is one of the first banks in Serbia that has justified that trust, by keeping pace with technological trends and monitoring clients’ needs, and provided numerous innovative services

HALKBANK Mastercard cards can receive cashback up to 5,000 dinars if they pay with Garmin Pay until the end of December or Google Pay services until the 7th of January. With such a varied selection of payment method options, every purchase is made quick and easy,

For HALKBANK, 2022 has been marked by contactless payments via mobile phones and smart watches. Paying with the help of digital wallets, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Garmin Pay, is an innovation that eases life. It is also important to note that HALKBANK is the first bank in Serbia to have enabled payments via HALKBANK Mastercard cards and Garmin smart watches, while it is also the only bank to have enabled its clients to add Mastercard and Visa payment cards to the digital wallet on their smart watch. Digital wallets are available to everyone who has an account with the Bank, a smartphone

HALKBANK is the first bank in Serbia to have enabled payments via HALKBANK Mastercard cards and Garmin smart watches, while it is also the only bank to have enabled its clients to add Mastercard and Visa payment cards to the digital wallet on their smart watch

with an IOS or Android operating system, a Garmin smart watch and any HALKBANK Mastercard or Visa payment card. Those opting to pay with

and primarily secure.

Mobile and electronic banking applications proved themselves to be a practical and irreplaceable solution during the uncertain times of the pandemic. When it comes to digital services, HALKBANK strives constantly to recognise clients’ needs and provide them with high quality services accompanied by advanced options. The bank’s clients have at their disposal the improved SmartHALK eBanking and mBanking applications for private individuals and also, as of recently, SmartHALK Pro eBanking and mBanking for companies.

Digitalisation is today’s main trend, and one that has infiltrated all spheres of society and business, and the banking system is no exception. With the help of a capital increase of 50 million euros, HALKBANK will continue to keep pace with innovations, improve ways of doing business and take care of the needs of its clients and employees, as it always has.

NENAD NIKOLIN, founder and director of Fractal Dimension and CCS Solutions

Super-AdminsAreHeroes From The Shadows

The Super Admin Days initiative was created to improve the knowledge of system administrators, whose merits are little written and rarely spoken about, but also to learn about the solutions that vendors offer through their products through direct communication with sys admins

Interest among system administrators has been strong every time, as has the attention during the presentation, and what the organisers are particularly pleased about is the interactivity, the discussions that followed each of the presentations. This is why they are already working hard to organise a new event.

How did the Super Admin Days initiative come about? Tell us more about the idea itself.

Super Admin Days is an initiative that arose spontaneously, and the idea was surprisingly well received by both system administrators and vendors. I came up with the idea after the TOP100CIO meeting organised by Digital Dreams, because I then realised that very little is written and spoken about the heroes from the shadows, as I called the system administrators. They are the ones who make sure that all the lights on the servers are green. The daily challenges that system administrators face are very often impossible missions that they solve with incredible resourcefulness, so that users who log on to the system at 9 a.m. have no idea what the system administrator had to do during the previous night to get all the services enabled for the company’s work by 8:55.

On the other hand, there are vendors who try as well as possible to present their innovations and solutions that should facilitate the daily work of system administrators. We can say that we have enabled a new way, I would say direct communication between system admins and hardware and software manufacturers.

How many events have you held so far?

The first Super Admin Day was held in Vienna at the beginning of June, the second in October in Novi Slankamen, and the third in Mala Remeta in November 2022. Every time we have had an enviable number of participants, system administrators who gathered for education, presentation and demonstration of modern solutions of renowned IT companies.

After the multi-day Super Admin Days event in Vienna at the beginning of June, we decided to add a new format to the gathering of system administrators, that is, super-admins. We realised that it is not enough to gather once a year, since technology undergoes daily changes, to which administrators often have to react promptly. The latest developments in terms of frequent cyber attacks on companies and institutions in Serbia have forced the topic of information security, so the vendors who supported Super Admin Day had the opportunity to present the latest information on how to prevent attacks,

but also how save data if an attack occurs. So far Super Admin Days have been supported by Commvault, Wallix, NetApp, VMware, Check Point, Radware, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Allied Telesis, Energy Logserver and Ingram Micro and Mondist.

The interest among system administrators has been great every time, as has the attention during the presentation. What we organizers are particularly pleased with is the interactivity, the discussions that have followed each of the presentations.

What impressions do super-admins leave Super Admin Days with?

System administration is becoming increasingly complex as digitalisation gains momentum, and continuous education is necessary. The common impression of all super-admins is that their expectations of the event were fully met. They feel fulfilled because they have acquired new knowledge and acquaintances that will help them to better respond to the challenges of the job ahead of them.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/super-admin-days/

The daily challenges system administrators face are very often impossible missions that they resolve with incredible resourcefulness

Advanced Solutions For Better Health Care

Serbians have been using the advantages of digitalisation in a number of areas of life and work, and as digitalisation is also spreading to the health system, it is providing us with the same opportunities: at one click to make an appointment with a selected doctor, to have all medical reports and analysis, to gain insight into the health card of your child or other family member.

THE UNIQUE ELECTRONIC HEALTH CARD

The unique electronic health card is a system that connects health institutions in Serbia that have digitalised data (there

are currently around 285). It records patients’ visits and provides a doctor’s report, laboratory findings, radiological recordings (X-ray, scanner, …), discharge notices,

vaccination reports, access to the list of prescription medicines and all other data recorded in the patient’s health card. The system covers primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions, general hospitals, special hospitals, Covid hospitals and institutes. The importance of unified health data lies primarily in timely disclosure, treatment and prevention of disease.

The unique electronic health card provides insight to a patient in the health system and allows access to the patient’s documentation at any time. Besides patients, electronic health cards are also valuable to medical workers,

Digitalisation of health has improved patient treatment and enabled doctors to work more efficiently

Thanks to all these systems, a space is opening for the use of even more advanced solutions in the field of artificial intelligence in diagnosis and treatment of patients and further development of tele-medicine

because selected doctors have insight into data from other health institutions through this system. They can very quickly access the patient’s medical history without the use of paper analysis and recordings that until now patients have had to carry with them.

PARENTS AND CHILDREN

On the patient portal, a patient is automatically connected to their coinsured, so a parent or guardian who is the main insured person is approved access to the records of their child, and can make an appointment with a selected pediatrician, download evidence of immunisation, inspect all analysis, medical reports, X-rays...

SPECIALIST DOCTORS

Access to a unified electronic health card will soon be enabled for specialist doctors with the electronic consent of the patient. It is planned for a message to be delivered on the patient eHealth portal notifying the patient that a particular specialist doctor wants to access the electronic health card, and asking whether the patient agrees to give access to the requested data.

ACCESS TO THE HEALTH CARD

Each patient registered on the eHealth portal with a high authentication level can access their health card created in the system. We can share data from electronic cards with people from the contact list on the eHealth portal (family members, friends, doctors) on the basis of specific authorization for the data we want to share. You can obtain insight into your health data in 2 steps:

1. Register as an e-Citizen on the e-Government portal, opening a user account - eID (a mobile app)

2. Users of a qualified electronic certificate using the eID service may also access the eHealth portal. This can be obtained free of charge from the police, if you have an ID card with a chip.

eHealth IN NUMBERS

During the Corona virus epidemic, more than three million accesses were registered on the eHealth portal: the

system has about 1.5 million registered users, and about 250,000 users have an account registered with electronic signature or two-factor authentication, and a mobile application now available for more than six months has about 30,000 users.

EPRESCRIPTION

In Serbia, eight million prescriptions on average are issued monthly, and about 6.5 million of them are used. Every day, as many as 400,000 prescriptions are issued, and the value of the

NATIONAL MEDICAL PLATFORM FOR PREVENTION AND DIAGNOSTICS

One of the active and most comprehensive digitalisation projects in Serbia also includes the national medical platform for prevention and diagnostics, consisting of: an image archive, a central radiological information system, eRadiolology (radiological diagnostics), mammography (breast screening), cervical screening, the eHealth Patient portal and a large number of local systems.

THE CENTRAL RADIOLOGICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

The platform has enabled huge benefits to all participants in radiological diagnostics. Patients have experienced great benefits by establishing tele-radiology between large diagnostic centres and small establishments; During the pandemic and today, doctors have been able to work remotely with faster decision-making, and to hold remote consultations. The number of repeated examinations and unnecessary radiation of patients has been reduced. The system now holds more than 200 million radiological images and more than four million reports.

EDC

Electric Death Certificates have been digitalised and to date 45,000 have been issued.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIGITALISATION FOR SERBIAN PUBLIC HEALTH

prescribed medicines is 250 million euros a year! Before the introduction of the system, doctors were reduced to the level of administrative workers due to the huge number of prescriptions issued but with the introduction of ePrescription services they now have a lot more time to dedicate to their patients. Today, there is absolute control over the issuing of prescriptions, because they are all issued digitally. Thanks to the ePrescription, considerable savings are achieved each month.

Digitalisation provides health workers valuable insight into patient health, helps to to draw conclusions about public health and to devise prevention and treatment programmes thanks to the huge database. All of the Serbian health systems provide a huge base of knowledge for health workers, students and future radiologists. The systems are constantly improved through cooperation in accordance with the needs of patients, health professionals and world trends in healthcare, and are in constant communication with the republic health insurance fund. Thanks to all these systems, a space is opening for the use of even more advanced solutions in the field of artificial intelligence in diagnosis and treatment of patients and further development of tele-medicine.

The unique electronic health card provides insight to the patient in the health system and allows access to the patient’s documentation at any time. Besides patients, the electronic health card is also valuable to medical workers, because selected doctors have insight into data from other health institutions through this system

By Yanis Varoufakis / Project Syndicate

The Techno-Feudal Method To Musk’s Twitter Madness

Immediately after taking over Twitter and pronouncing himself Chief Twit, Elon Musk affirmed his commitment to safeguarding the platform as the “public square” where anything and everything is debated. It was a smart tactic, because it successfully diverted the public’s attention from what Musk is really up to

Elon Musk had good reasons to feel unfulfilled enough to buy Twitter for $44 billion. He had pioneered online payments, upended the car industry, revolutionized space travel, and even experimented with ambitious braincomputer interfaces. His cutting-edge technological feats had made him the world’s richest entrepreneur. Alas,

neither his achievements nor his wealth granted him entry into the new ruling class of those harnessing the powers of cloud-based capital. Twitter offers Musk a chance to make amends.

Since capitalism’s dawn, power stemmed from owning capital goods; steam engines, Bessemer furnaces, industrial robots, and so on. Today,

it is cloud-based capital, or cloud capital in short, that grants its owners hitherto unimaginable powers.

Consider Amazon, with its network of software, hardware, and warehouses – and its Alexa device sitting on our kitchen counter interfacing directly with us. It constitutes a cloud-based system capable of probing our emotions more deeply

than any advertiser ever could. Its tailor-made experiences exploit our biases to produce responses. Then, it produces its own responses to our responses – to which we respond again, training the reinforcementlearning algorithms, which trigger another ripple of responses.

Unlike old-fashioned terrestrial or analogue capital, which boils down to produced means of manufacturing things consumers want, cloud capital functions as a produced means of modifying our behavior in line with its owners’ interests. The same algorithm running on the same labyrinth of server farms, optic fiber cables, and cell-phone towers performs multiple simultaneous miracles.

Cloud capital’s first miracle is to get us to work for free to replenish and enhance its stock and productivity with every text, review, photo, or video that we create and upload using its interfaces. In this manner, cloud capital has turned hundreds of millions of us into cloud-serfs – unpaid producers, toiling the landlords’ digital estates and believing, like peasants believed under feudalism, that our labor (creating and sharing our photos and opinions) is part of our character.

The second miracle is cloud capital’s capacity to sell to us the object of the desires it has helped instill in us. Amazon, Alibaba, and their many e-commerce imitators in every country may look to the untrained eye like monopolized markets, but they are nothing like a market – not even a hyper-capitalist digital market. Even in markets that are cornered by a single firm or person, people can interact reasonably freely. In contrast, once you enter a platform like Amazon, the algorithm isolates you from every other buyer and feeds you exclusively the information its owners want you to have.

Buyers cannot talk to each other, form associations, or otherwise organize to force a seller to reduce a price or improve quality. Sellers, too, are in a one-to-one relation with the algorithm and must pay its owner to complete a trade. Everything and everyone is intermediated not by the disinterested

invisible hand of the market but by an invisible algorithm that works for one person, or one company, in what is, essentially, a cloud-fief.

Musk is perhaps the only tech lord who had been watching the triumphant march of this new technofeudalism helplessly from the sidelines. His Tesla car company uses the cloud cleverly to turn its cars into nodes on a digital network that generates big data and ties drivers to Musk’s systems. His SpaceX rocket company, and its flock of low-orbit satellites now littering our planet’s periphery, contributes significantly to the development of other moguls’ cloud capital.

But Musk? Frustratingly for the business world’s enfant terrible, he lacked a gateway to the gigantic

Cloud capital has turned hundreds of millions of us into cloud-serfs

– unpaid producers, toiling the landlords’ digital estates and believing, like peasants believed under feudalism, that our labor (creating and sharing our photos and opinions) is part of our character

rewards cloud capital can furnish. Until now: Twitter could be that missing gateway.

Immediately after taking over and pronouncing himself Chief Twit, Musk affirmed his commitment to safeguarding Twitter as the “public square” where anything and everything is debated. It was a smart tactic which successfully diverted the public’s attention to an endless global debate about whether the world should trust its foremost short-form forum to a mogul with a history of playing fast and loose with the truth in that same forum.

The liberal commentariat is fretting over Donald Trump’s reinstatement. The left is agonizing over the rise of a tech-savvy version of Rupert

Murdoch. Decent people of all views are deploring the terrible treatment of Twitter’s employees. And Musk? He seems to be keeping his eye on the ball: In a revealing tweet, he confessed his ambition to turn Twitter into an “everything app.”

An “everything app” is, in my definition, nothing less than a gateway into cloud capital that allows its owner to modify consumer behavior, to extract free labor from users turned into cloud serfs, and, last but not least, to charge vendors a form of cloud rent to sell their wares. So far, Musk has not owned anything capable of evolving into an “everything app” and had no way of creating one from scratch.

For while he was busy working out how to make mass-produced electric cars desirable and to profit from conquering outer space, Amazon, Google, Alibaba, Facebook, and Tencent’s WeChat were wrapping their tentacles firmly around platforms and interfaces with “everything app” potential. Only one such interface was available for purchase.

Musk’s challenge now is to enhance Twitter’s own cloud capital and hook it up to his existing Big Data network, while constantly enriching that network with data collected by Tesla cars crisscrossing Earth’s roads and countless satellites crisscrossing its skies. Assuming he can steady the nerves of Twitter’s remaining workforce, his next task will be to eliminate bots and weed out trolls so that New Twitter knows, and owns, its users’ identities.

In a letter to advertisers, Musk correctly noted that irrelevant ads are spam, but relevant ones are content. In these techno-feudal times, this means that messages unable to modify behavior are spam, but those that sway what people think and do are the only content that matters: true power.

As a private fief, Twitter could never be the world’s public square. That was never the point. The pertinent question is whether it will grant its new owner secure membership in the new techno-feudal ruling class.

FEATURE

Digital Trust Is The Challenge Of The Decade

The World Economic Forum brought together representatives of the world’s largest technology and commerce companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Mastercard, Walmart, IKEA, PayPal and others, along with representatives of the governments of the US and European countries, to restore the shaken digital trust

Today, there is no doubt, more than ever before, it is extremely important for every citizen, every consumer, to be sure of the reliability of the digital services and digital products they use every day in their homes, workplaces and in all public spaces. Previously, there was not much thought about it, little was known and talked about cyber attacks, and then they became a reality in the past two or three years. But even then, the issue of digital security and digital trust did not gain much importance, because it was understood that technology is unreliable, that malfunctions happen and that the common man does not have to protect his data, because “he really has nothing to hide”. Citizens

of devices lead to, what is the security of personal data, how reliable is algorithmic predictions - which undermine citizens’ trust in modern technologies at an unprecedented speed. Also, numerous studies register a decline in trust in science and technology from year to year, but at the same time, there is an accelerated growth in the number of users of modern technologies, as well as the percentage of people who rely on digital networks.

To reverse this alarming trend, the World Economic Forum gathered representatives of the world’s largest technology and trade companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Mastercard, Walmart, IKEA, PayPal and others, along

and consumers agreed to all kinds of surveillance, gave and left their data to anyone who asked for it, unaware of the possibility of misuse. Only when the public is more aware of the risks of cyber security breaches and the unethical use of digital technologies, has the issue of digital security and digital trust received the attention it deserves.

TRUST IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IS FALLING

Today, many controversies are associated with digital technologies - what is the purpose of artificial intelligence, what can the connection

with representatives of governments from the US and European countries.

“Digital trust is the expectation of individuals that digital technologies, and the services and organizations that provide them, will protect the interests of all stakeholders and support societal expectations and values,” according to a new World Economic Forum report. The report “Earning Digital Trust: DecisionMaking for Trustworthy Technologies” written in collaboration with Forum partners Accenture, KPMG and PwC, describes how linking cybersecurity, privacy, ethics and other business functions can restore

citizens’ trust in technology. Citizens and consumers expect companies and technology creators to take seriously their responsibility to protect privacy and use data responsibly. Those companies that cannot meet this challenge, it was concluded, will have problems in business.

COMPANIES ARE ALREADY LOSING A LOT OF MONEY

PwC recently reported that only 10% of executives show a willingness to comply with cybersecurity transparency requirements, while

learning, are bringing cybersecurity and ethical issues to the fore.

Due to the weakening of digital trust, companies are losing a lot of money, and what is even more alarming, this technological mistrust spills over into all social institutions. Unless the creators of the technology begin to earn trust, this trend will continue.

McKinsey found that 85% of consumers surveyed want to know a company’s data privacy policy before making a purchase, while 72% want to know an AI company’s policy. After all, where companies are unable

ers in all sectors and industries. It is for this reason that he believes that one of the tasks of the World Economic Forum is to help leaders make the right decisions that lead to the introduction and application of more reliable and responsible technologies.

RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IS IMPERATIVE

“The most important decision we can make in the 21st century is whether we will work together to build trust, or whether we will watch

Accenture indicated that a growing lack of trust cost US organizations $756 billion in 2017 alone, and that today more than 76% of CEOs say that citizens’ trust is crucial for business competitiveness. KPMG said that increased trust can lead to better profitability, but at the same time more than 75% of executives believe that new technologies, such as artificial learning and machine

to produce technology that meets the expectations of consumers and citizens, they can no longer expect widespread support.

Jeremy Jurgens, Director General of the World Economic Forum and Head of the Center for Cyber Security, believes that the issue of developing reliable technologies is a matter of decision and that the responsibility for this lies with lead-

innovations fail because they are not used.” By focusing on the values and expectations of individuals, devoting ourselves to safety and reliability, accountability and oversight, inclusive, ethical and responsible use of technology, we can make the technology we develop more reliable,” said Daniel Dobrygowski, Head of Governance and Trust, World Economic Forum).

Forum participants agreed that the introduction of reliable technology should be the goal of all organizations that treat their work in a responsible manner.

“I am happy that as a member of the Board of Directors I was able to introduce Microsoft to the conclusions and help my company in aligning privacy, digital security and artificial intelligence. The findings from the World Economic Forum will help companies and other organizations gain digital trust,” said Julie Brill, Chief Privacy Officer, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft.

Judging by the dominant tone from the Forum, there is no doubt that it is in the interest of every company and organization to increase the level of digital security, because it provides it with a good reputation. In fact, it is clear to everyone what would happen if someone compromised the data security of a large digital service provider or caused a stoppage in its work of just a few minutes. This, in addition to enormous financial damage, could cause unfathomable consequences for reputation and reputation if the confidentiality of certain data was threatened or if certain databases fell into the wrong hands.

CONSUMER RIGHTS

COME FIRST

A high level of digital security, i.e. paying great attention to the protection of data of consumers, clients, citizens or patients indicates high standards of control. This avoids the retroactivity of investments in eliminating defects and spoiling a good reputation if it existed before. And Nuala O’Connor, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Digital Citizenship at Walmart, believes that improving digital trust is vital to restoring citizens’ and consumers’ trust in technology.

“Without trust in digital systems, the financial services ecosystem we have today could not exist. The Forum’s Digital Trust Initiative plays a key role in defining the importance of trust in the digital world,” said

Ajai Bhalla, President, Cyber and Intelligence Solutions, Mastercard.

Helena Leurent, general director of Consumers International, believes that consumer trust is built when companies put the needs and rights of their consumers first, before their own interests.

“As a champion of consumer rights around the world, Consumers International is delighted to be part of the Digital Trust Initiative, which calls on companies to inform and empower consumers.”

TRUST MUST BE EARNED

Users of technology, all Forum participants agreed, expect companies that provide them with digital services and products to keep and protect their personal data. If a service or product does not work in a predictable, reliable and secure way, users will refuse to support that company.

“IKEA believes that trust must be the basis of our relationship with every consumer, whether it is about our products or the way we store data. Trust has to be earned and we see it as a joint effort. IKEA is a proud partner of the World Economic Forum’s Digital Trust Initiative and

we look forward to contributing to the creation of a shared vision of digital trust between citizens, governments and organizations,” said Noža Boujema, Global Vice President, Digital Ethics and Responsible Artificial Intelligence, IKEA Retail.

Citizens and consumers are demanding that companies and technology developers take their values of privacy, data use and inclusion seriously, but unfortunately, companies seem unwilling to provide the assurances that customers, citizens and governments need.

As the general loss of trust in technology threatens to further erode trust in companies and state institutions and institutions, whose relations with citizens increasingly rely on technology, it is necessary to work more intensively on preserving and gradually strengthening trust. Otherwise, if this trend were to continue, the damage would be irreparable and trust would be irretrievably destroyed. Precisely for these reasons, and in order to stop the current free fall of digital trust, the leaders of companies that create and apply digital technologies must make more reliable decisions about these technologies, because the world cannot do without digital trust.

By Ljubivoje Radonjić, Public Policy Research Center

Ever-More Platform Workers From The Region OnThe Global Labour Market

The project Gigmeter aims to identify systemic characteristics of the gig work market in the region of Southeast Europe. This market includes Romania and Serbia, two countries that particularly distinguish themselves in global statistics with respect to the concentration and number of talents in the domain of gig work. North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina also stand out in relative terms (according to the gig workers/population ratio). In addition, Regional Gigmeter also includes Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Hungary, forming a set of 9 countries where the trends and characteristics of gig work are being analysed

the most represented platform in all countries.

Largest increase in the number of gig workers per capita is recorded in Albania, while North Macedonia maintained the dominant position in the region according to this indicator (331 gig workers).

The leading global platforms in Southeast Europe in terms of the number of registered gig workers are Upwork, Freelancer, and Guru. In the latest measurement,

130,612 workers were registered in the observed 9 countries of the region.

In the distribution of gig work, the dominant regional position is still held by Upwork with a market share of 45%. Freelancers

and Guru follow with 30.6% and 24.4%. Upwork continues to dominate and it is the most popular platform (in 7 out of 9 countries), but there is a significant change compared to the previous measurement when it was

In the most recent measurement, Albania is the second country in the region in terms of the relative number of gig population thanks to the growth of this indicator by 22% – with 222 gig workers/100,000 inhabitants, which pushed Serbia to the third/fourth place, which has 208 gig workers/100,000 inhabitants, as much as Montenegro. Other countries in the region, with the exception of Bosnia and Herzegovina to some extent, have a much smaller population of gig workers.

In the latest measurement, there were certain changes when it comes to the distribution of workers by individual professions. In the two dominant areas – creative services

and multimedia and software development, there was a further decline in the relative participation of gig workers, and a further decline in the share was recorded in the domain of professional services. On contrary, the most dynamic growth in most countries of the region was recorded in the field of writing and translation (4 out of 9 observed countries).

A decreasing trend in software development was recorded in the previous two measurements, which may have significant implications for the observed further relative decrease of the gig population in the most lucrative jobs, i.e. jobs that are the best paid on a global level. This may be a consequence of both the limited supply of this labor force in the observed region, as well as the trends in the domestic labor markets, where the demand, especially in the field of software development, is high.

The average employment of gig workers, which is defined as the percentage of

gig workers who worked on specific projects at the time of measurement in relation to the total population, was 15.4%. Serbia, as in previous measurements, has the most active gig population (20.2%), while the lowest number of working people, was engaged in Albania –9.4%. In other countries, the percentage of employment varies between 12.3% and 17.1%. The absolute differences between the countries are even more pronounced – according to the employment of the workforce, Serbia has a 5 times bigger number of gig workers working at the time

of measurement than in Albania.

Out of 100 workers who were working at the time of measurement, 25 had the first job (first “gig”) they got. The countries with the highest share of workers who got a job for the first time are Albania (36 out of 100) and Hungary (32 out of 100). Serbia had only 20 gig workers for whom it was their first job out of a total of 100 workers who were working at the time of measurement.

The latest measurement brought a change in the trend when it comes to the gender structure of the digi-

FEATURE: GIGMETER

tal labor market. There has been a decline in the share of female gig workers and now there are 358 women for every 1000 gig workers. The gender structure by country is presented in the Figure above.

Croatia is no longer the country with the most expensive workforce ($23.7/h), but Hungary ($23.8/h). This is the result of two factors: a smaller part due to the drop in the average labor price in Croatia and a larger part due to the increase in wages in Hungary. North Macedonia not only remained the country with the cheapest labor force in the region on average, but it is one of

the 3 countries where the average hourly labor price has fallen (apart from the mentioned Croatia, this is also the case with Bulgaria). How big the differences are is best evidenced by the fact that a gig worker from Hungary works half a month to achieve the average monthly salary (measured according to the number of possible working hours in a regular employment relationship and the average price of gig work per hour in Hungary) earned by a gig worker from North Macedonia.

Convergence in earnings between men and women continued: on av -

erage, women in the region earned 85.3% of the average earnings of gig workers. According to this indicator, the region is significantly ahead of the global average: the global average is 82% globally according to the Payoneer survey, that is, only 52% according to the Bloomberg survey in the USA, country with the most developed digital labor market. While convergence in earnings is present at the regional level, differences appear at the level of individual countries. A more detailed analysis by countries is available in the latest edition of the Regional Gigmeter.

GigmetarTM is the first instrument that describes the geography of digital work in Serbia and the region in terms of gender, income, and most common occupations. It is a result of the efforts made by the Public Policy Research Centre (CENTAR) to shed the light on the work on online platforms.

Recommended citation: Anđelković, B., Jakobi, T., Ivanović, V., Kalinić, Z. & Radonjić, Lj. (2022). Gigmetar Region, October 2022, Public Policy Research Center, http://gigmetar. publicpolicy.rs/en/regionen-2022-2/.