Hi-Tech 2023

The High-Tech Sector In Serbia: From Challenges To Opportunities

The information and communications technology (ICT) sector is far and away the most promising sector in the Serbian economy. However, when it comes to the high-tech sector, the list of fields includes an innovation ecosystem that’s growing well, an ever-increasing number of start-ups, digital solutions in the agricultural and food sectors, precision medicine and the BIO4 Campus

The high-tech sector in Serbia is growing at an annual rate of more than 20 per cent, which provides a significant contribution to the country’s economy. It currently accounts for 10 per cent of Serbia’s GDP and is

among the top four export sectors, alongside the steel manufacturing, automobile and agriculture sectors. A total of 3,354 technology companies, employing 47,609 people, were registered in Serbia as of the first quarter of 2022.These companies

deal with the development of software solutions for a range of industries, including agriculture, medicine and testing, as well as cloud and cybersecurity applications, online games and call centre operations employing a workforce with varying levels

of ability. The importance of Serbia’s startup scene is also on the rise, with numerous companies having successfully piloted solutions in a range of industries.

In the face of high demand for competent ICT sector personnel among foreign companies operating in Serbia, as well as large companies and SMEs in the county that are entering into automation and digitalisation processes, but also applying AI in their business processes, the Government of Serbia is taking steps to resolve this issue by creating more places for students at universities offering relevant knowledge, but also by investing in technical infrastructure. The crowning glory of the progress achieved to date is probably the establishing of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia. This institute, which trains doctors of science in the field of artificial intelligence, is commemorating just the second anniversary of its work this year, yet it has already been recognised as a centre of excellence in the region. This special edition’s interview with Dr Dubravko Ćulibrk, acting director of the AI Institute, provides insight into

the Institute’s further plans and its role in Serbia’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.

Many of the challenges that remain ahead for Serbia in this transition fall under the jurisdiction of Jelena Begović, Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, who is herself a very talented

vation, digitalisation and education. These challenges include reversing the brain drain that deprives the country of tens of thousands of highly educated young workers each year, fostering innovation, adapting the regulatory framework and improving digital skills.

As the interview with Minister Begović suggests, the Government of Serbia is very well aware of these challenges and working consistently to improve the overall ambience and create an environment that will be conducive to innovation. The government implements various initiatives aimed at retaining and attracting highly qualified workers, such as encouraging the establishment and operations of startups and providing R&D support to the scientific sector.

researcher and former director of the highly regarded Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, but also other ministries that deal with inno-

It is worth noting that science plays an increasingly important role in this story. It has also received much better funding and support through the work of the government in recent years, but also through various EU initiatives aimed at encouraging top scientific breakthroughs that can be operationalised and commercialised.

Operationalising and commercialising solutions based in science can contribute to changing the structure of the Serbian economy, which is still dominated by traditional sectors. The Biosense Institute, as well as the long-awaited establishing of the BIO4 campus, are just two examples of these endeavours

CONTENTS

06 JELENA BEGOVIĆ MINISTER OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION GREAT CHANCE TO CHANGE THE WORLD

10 DUBRAVKO ĆULIBRK PH.D. ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE R&D OF SERBIA FORGING FUTURE AI LEADERS

14 VEDRAN JARIĆ PLANETSOFT OWNER AND FOUNDER PLANETSOFT ON THE ROAD TO SATISFACTION

18 DATA SCIENCE TEAM INSPIRA GRUPA SMART USE OF DATA MOST IMPORTANT FOR USER EXPERIENCE

STEVAN OSTROGONAC PH.D. SENIOR ENGINEER FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCEDEVELOPMENT

09 GORAN STOJADINOVIĆ DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SALES AND ICT SOLUTIONS AND LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER AT A1 FOCUSED ON CYBER SECURITY

IMPRESSUM

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Neda Lukić n.lukic@aim.rs

ART DIRECTOR

Branislav Ninković b.ninkovic@aim.rs

PHOTOS

Zoran Petrović

COPY EDITOR Mark Pullen mrpeditorial@mail.com

13 DARKO NAČIĆ DIRECTOR, E-BOX LOGISTIC ONE BILL, ONE MONTH, A PAN-EUROPEAN SERVICE

16 NENAD ALEKSIĆ VMWARE REGIONAL SALES MANAGER FOR SOUTHEAST EUROPE IT INVESTMENTS CONTRIBUTE TO GDP GROWTH

SRĐAN MIJUŠKOVIĆ, SENIOR MANAGER FOR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

PROJECT MANAGERS

Biljana Dević

b.devic@aim.rs

Mihailo Čučković

m.cuckovic@aim.rs

Renata Šteković Zagorac

r.zagorac@aim.rs

Bojana Nikolić

b.nikolic@aim.rs

OFFICE MANAGER

Svetlana Petrović

s.petrovic@aim.rs

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

HIGH TECH 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 THIS PUBLICATION IS FREE OF CHARGE

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MARIJA

25 JOBERTY OUR STORY

32 FEATURE THE IMPACT OF

HUAWEI AT MWC BARCELONA 2023 FUTURE 5.5G NETWORKS BRING 10 TIMES FASTER INTERNET

DANI RODRIK PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY AT HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL, PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION/ PROJECT SYNDICATE THE KNOWLEDGE MISMATCH

ROBERT MUGGAH AI AND THE GLOBAL SOUTH

THE FUTURE ARRIVES IN SERBIA

5G TECHNOLOGY ON BUSINESS

ROSANDA MILATOVIĆ SKORIĆ SAS ADRIATIC GENERAL MANAGER LEVERAGING TRUSTWORTHY AI FOR SERBIA’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

LJILJANA AHMETOVIĆ CEO, SHOPPSTER SRBIJA &SLOVENIJA THE BEST IS YET TO COME

STOJANOVIĆ HEAD OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS AT YETTEL DATA AND APP CREATION ARE CRUCIAL TO COMPETITIVENESS

Great Chance To Change The World

I believe that science must experience major change; that the ideas and solutions emerging from science should be materialised as concrete products or services, and should serve to improve the technological development of the country and bring benefits for every individual

Serbian Science, Technological Development and Innovation Minister Jelena Begović took on her ministerial position at a time when science, innovation, the fusing of innovation and business, but also innovation and economic development, are being discussed in Serbia more than ever before. Likewise, a much more robust system for financing science has been established over the last few years, prising open the door to the commercialisation of scientific discoveries.

From your position as minister, how much do you feel that you are able to open the door to this change?

When it comes to science, a major shift has occurred in the way society perceives the role of science, and science itself, over the past few decades. The economic potential of science is finally being noticed, but also its potential to be a resource for solving global challenges.

We all want better healthcare, in order for us to be able to extend people’s longevity and make life better, even in old age. Medicine has turned towards personalised medicine, which takes into consideration an individual’s genetics and specifics in order to be able to provide them with the best possible health service.

Furthermore, the topic of agriculture and food production is gaining a new dimension and importance at this time when major climate change is being discussed. Challenges related to the production of sufficient amounts of good quality food are also seeking answers in science.

Problems in the energy field and in the impact of energy production and transformation on the environment are also being solved through a sustainable approach: it is essential for us to have green energy and a healthier environment, as well as more efficient energy transformation

and production. Science is expected to provide an answer for each of these examples.

New technologies that are emerging, such as artificial intelligence, represent a major change to people’s lives.

It is for these reasons that I’m glad that science has begun to seek its own answers when it comes to solving those problems and thus improving quality of life for all people, but I also believe it must undergo its own change, because new ideas and solutions emerge from science, but they must also be made material in some way, which is why it is vital to have a methodology and a developed system that can help to develop an idea into a tangible product or service, and thereby influence the technological development of countries, of humanity, and thus bring improvements in life.

This is a complex process and, as you can see, our Government decided to form a Ministry responsible not only for science, but also for technological development and innovation, and representing an important segment within its scope is taking care of the startup ecosystem, i.e. companies that have the potential to develop much faster than classic companies thanks to their innovative and bold ideas, but that also require a specific type of support due to the high

CAPACITIES

We have extremely high quality scientists and need to provide them with the best possible ecosystem so that they can give their all

likelihood that they will fail during their first few years of doing business. The state has a very important role to play here, in terms of providing them with support to endure for as long as possible, to access the global market and sell their idea to the whole of humankind.

Both these companies and the state will thus earn, but we are also really changing people’s lives. This is precisely the role of our ministry: to provide support to science, to prioritise scientific excellence, but also to support the development of innovations in scientific and research organisations, i.e., in university colleges and institutes, to support them in developing their own innovations in the technology transfer process, to establish start-up companies, and that’s why the state invests a lot of resources in the construction of science and technology parks, which should be places for concentrating start-up ecosystems and from which they can grow and develop to move beyond science and technology parks and become major companies.

I think that the state, or rather our Ministry, can and should play a key role in this. I personally come from an institute and I dealt with these issues both at the institute and in the broader scientific community, and I think we can do a lot in that area.

If we observe the projects that are being dealt with by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, what does this change mean for you; how is it reflected the most?

COURAGE

When we pluck up the courage to try to explore and implement ideas that don’t seem logical, we will begin achieving great success

Change is multidimensional. I mentioned science and technology parks as places where the start-up ecosystem can develop, and that start-up ecosystem is really becoming a very important factor in the development of the economies of many countries, particularly developed ones. I consider Serbia as having great potential and the ability to make significant progress in this field, and that the start-up ecosystem can become a very important fac-

POTENTIAL

The start-up ecosystem can become a very important factor of exports from our country over the next decade, contributing significantly to developing Serbia’s economy

together all key players in the scientific ecosystem around the areas of biotechnology, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence, regardless of whether they will be physically located at BIO4 or will be members of the BIO4 campus. We would like to create a network in Serbia and bring together experts around these topics.

We also have great potential in agriculture, physics and chemistry, and new teaching centres

matter of the activities in which scientists engage.

tor of exports from our country over the next decade, but also that it can contribute significantly to developing the economy of the Republic of Serbia.

On the other hand, we should strengthen the position of science and scientific excellence. One of the major projects that I really believe can change the concept of the very existence of science in Serbia is the BIO4 campus. We will open the BioSense Institute in April, as one of the European centres of excellence for nanotechnologies, biosensors and digital agriculture, and this is a big step for science and applied science in Serbia. The BioSense project is really proof that we can do this.

We also have a lot of potential in other areas: the BIO4 campus is one of the state’s priorities, and its task is to bring

should continue springing up in Serbia. I would like to continue with this trend that we’ve started, but I think there’s no turning back once you’ve started. We have extremely high-quality scientists and need to provide them with the best possible ecosystem so that they can give their all.

It is said that science is as important as oxygen. However, looking at the budget that was previously allocated to the Ministry of Science, it couldn’t be said that the state shared this view. Do you now have sufficient funds to get what you want and achieve the goals you’ve set?

The budget for science has increased significantly over the course of the past few years and now amounts to 30 billion dinars. I don’t think it’s just a matter of money, but to an extent also a

The state established the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia as the main mechanism for financing science in Serbia. We also have the Fund for Innovation, which focuses on the part of the private sector that cooperates with science, so this is also among the mechanisms for financing science, while the state has of course also supported and provided opportunities – via funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe framework programme – for our scientists and the private sector to compete on Europe’s large scientific market, which means entering a very competitive race with the best in Europe and either being part of a consortium based on some exceptional ideas or the lead on those projects and thereby able to attract significant funds, for both research and development.

I don’t think budgets are so small at all any longer and that our science has been given a great chance, and people now have to get accustomed to competitiveness, which is indeed healthy and compels one to change and become better. Based on Horizon Europe’s preliminary results, we have indications that we are improving increasingly and are proving extremely successful in those calls from the European Union, which testifies to the quality of our science, our innovation and our scientists, but also our teams in the country.

During the pandemic, you had an opportunity to apply your knowledge very practi -

The role of our ministry is to provide support to science, to prioritise scientific excellence, but also to support the development of innovations in scientific and research organisations, i.e., in university colleges and institutes, and through the establishing of start-ups

cally in terms of setting up a virus testing laboratory. How significant was this experience for you and – viewed from this perspective – how much did Serbia have to offer the scientific community when it comes to the fight against pandemics, which many are expecting to become an everyday reality?

During the pandemic, the heaviest burden fell on the healthcare community and doctors. When it comes to testing, which was also an important weapon in the fight against the coronavirus, the scientific community proved exceptional. Our scientific workers engaged as volunteers in laboratories where mass testing was conducted, and that was where I felt the great strength that we have in people who worked in and developed laboratories primarily out of the purest empathy and altruism. That was a completely new and different experience for us. They showed how strongly they feel for their own community, society and country, and what they are ready to do in order to contribute and help in the really difficult moments that we faced.

With their work, fantastic expertise and great knowledge, they contributed to making laboratories operational in record time, in order to launch mass testing as quickly as possible, and all with the aim of us, as a country, knowing how many people were infected and with which variant. We certainly expect pandemics to become an everyday reality for us at some point, considering how aggressively humans penetrate nature and that we still have lots of unknowns in nature, and thus a great possibility for new epidemics and pandemics exists.

What is your top ambition when it comes to the BIO4 campus?

My ambition, but also the ambition of the Government of the Republic of Serbia as a whole, is for our country to be recognised for its scientific achievements in the field of biotechnology, and applied biotechnology in various aspects of life and industry, and for people to associate Serbia with the BIO4 campus, as a bio-economic hub, but also a place that produces fantastic ideas that change the world.

The idea is for the campus to be international, because it is only through cooperation and exchanges of experiences and ways of thinking that we can take big strides forward. I think Serbia has potential and deserves to take great strides forward.

We very often speak about how essential it is to connect the economy, the state and science. However, it seems that there are still a lot of unknowns on this road, because our scientific institutions and business have long since functioned in different worlds. In which areas

be found is through cooperation between all scientific fields.

When we pluck up the courage to try to explore and implement ideas that don’t seem logical, we will begin achieving great success. It is easy to define and seek answers to obvious things. However, in areas where there doesn’t seem to be any logic, and which are nevertheless being explored in depth, great strides are being made.

are scientists and businesses most quickly overcoming these barriers and finding ways to work together? Here the indicators are very clear. The IT industry represents the second largest export branch in our country, and that originates from strong colleges that have produced specialists who were ready to establish start-ups and enter the world of industry following graduation, and not to stay in college. Of course, this also carries a certain risk, because it is necessary to retain at colleges and institutions certain high-quality staff from these fields, so that we can further develop science in the area of IT.

We also have exceptional experts in the field of biotechnology – combining IT, AI and the natural sciences, but also social sciences that are increasingly gaining importance. Humankind is moving in a direction that will erase the divisions within science, because the only important thing is to find solutions for certain global problems, and the only way for them to

You’ve traversed all stages: from a young scientist to an experienced doctor of science and a scientific advisor. Is it today easier or tougher for young scientists in Serbia to take this path and become part of the world scientific community? I think the level of difficulty is always the same, and maybe the problems change. I believe the new generations are better able to articulate what the problems are and have the strength to tackle those problems and go public within the scope of their institutions and colleges and find their own place. I think we should give them a chance to do that as early as possible, in order for them to be a driving force that’s used for good. They should be given an environment in which they will have a choice: perhaps they will deal exclusively with science, or perhaps they have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to materialise their idea and test themselves on the market as soon as possible. Perhaps they want to lecture at a university or work at an institute. It is for these reasons that they should be shown that they have choices and shouldn’t abandon their ideas and desires, because you can only give your best if you work on something that you love and that motivates you. Everything else is a waste of time.

My ambition, but also the ambition of the Government of the Republic of Serbia as a whole, is for our country to be recognised for its scientific achievements in the field of biotechnology, for applied biotechnology in various aspects of life and industry, and for people to associate Serbia with the BIO4 campus

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SALES AND ICT SOLUTIONS AND LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER AT A1

Focused On Cyber Security

ICT has plenty of potential, and the entire A1 Telekom Austria Group has taken the strategic decision to currently focus on cyber security. A portfolio is being developed – primarily internally and in exchanges of experience with the Group and with A1 Digital and local partners – in order to offer users a broad palette of cybersecurity products

We spoke with A1 leadership team member Goran Stojadinović about the expanding of the A1 portfolio from telecommunications to ICT, data storage and preservation, and potential internet threats, but also the need to invest continuously in technical protection measures and the education of employees.

Your transition from a telecommunications company to an ICT company is noticeable. What would you highlight as the key segments of development and in which direction will the company continue developing?

- It was crucial for us to know precisely which direction we want to head in and to be ready to work consistently and in a structured to build a market position, because nothing comes overnight. Although we are currently focused more on cybersecurity, that is only a small segment of ICT. The broader perspective and direction we will move towards is in providing users with full coverage in entering cyberspace with the help of cybersecurity solutions and services, advanced connectivity, data storage and machine to machine communications. As a provider of internet and digital solutions, we have the ability to merge services and offer them all in one place, in accordance with the one-stop-shop principle.

You’ve placed a major focus on cybersecurity solutions and support for business users. How has the market response been and what results give you the greatest sense of pride?

- With a cyberattack occurring every 39 seconds, Serbia tops the world when it comes to the frequency of such attacks, while last year we ranked 13th worldwide when it comes to the number of cyberattacks on management systems and critical infrastructure. Although awareness of internet threats is higher than it

As a provider of internet and digital solutions, we have the ability to merge services and offer them all in one place, in accordance with the one-stop-shop principle

used to be, three quarters of people are still unsure about how to protect themselves. That’s why our approach was to act preventatively, to educate the market and offer adequate solutions. The market is responding very well for now, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. As much as a quarter of our user base uses A1 Net Protect, and just over the course of the last year this addition has stopped more than 165 million attacks. We are also recording the best results at the level of the Group, which is a consequence of the efforts we’ve exerted in continuously raising awareness through various channels. All of this served as inspiration for us to go a step further, and thus our portfolio will soon

include an even more advanced “all in one” solution for protection on the internet.

What should companies pay attention to today to ensure that their digital transformation is safe and secure?

- Digital transformation is like perpetual motion; every business will always aspire to render its operations more efficient and profitable. Data are among the most valuable resources that companies today possess, which is why it is necessary to protect them. This is achieved by developing an underlying cyber protection plan, which includes operational continuity, communications, a recovery plan and an incident response plan. It is important to have active data protection and backup at a daily level, such as, for instance, a Cyber backup solution, and to have employee education, which is often neglected. Security problems are today most commonly linked very closely to fraud activities, so major investments in technical protection measures won’t have their full effect unless employee education is at an appropriate level.

Forging Future AI Leaders

Two years after first launching operations, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence R&D of Serbia has managed to impose itself as a regional centre of excellence in its field of expertise and has a clear plan regarding how it wants to develop and help in the transformation of our economy

Here I’m referring to the broader field of computing-based operations and electrical engineering, which includes areas like robotics, mechatronics and parts of the creative industries. It seems to me that we can also expect these kinds of development tendencies in the field of biotechnology soon.

Where do you see the AI Institute’s place in this process?

Artificial intelligence represents technology that will bring future change to many aspects of life and business. If we succeed in understanding, accepting and applying this technology in the right way, we have a chance to improve the standard of living for every citizen of Serbia, but also of the region and even the world. This is the notion that guides the work of our interlocutor, Dubravko Ćulibrk Ph.D., acting director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence R&D of Serbia, who has been at the helm of this institute since it was founded. We caught up with him to discuss the Institute’s two years of work to date and its further development.

It seems that there is growing awareness here in Serbia of the need for the domestic economy to be based on knowledge and innovation. How much do you recognise these tendencies in the actual milieu of the economy and in which areas?

The Artificial Intelligence Development Strategy and action plan have proven to represent a realistically envisaged route for Serbia to enter the field of AI applications. Establishing the Institute was the most ambitious element, so its very existence provides proof of how realistic the strategy is

- My entire career has been focused on information and communications technology, and in that part of the economy there is a notable trend of development from services towards business oriented to the development of vendor products and – particularly over the last few years – towards the research, creation and commercialisation of intellectual property.

- We are a research & development institute and one of the basic elements of our vision is to become a mint that forges leaders in the domain of artificial intelligence. In practical terms, this means that we want to produce PhDs who possess research experience and knowledge at a level considered relevant on the global labour market, but also to educate them on how to protect the results of their research, and subsequently how to commercialise those results, through licensing or the creation of start-up companies. In this regard, our institute is – to the best of my knowledge – the only institution of this kind in the region to have an intellectual property protection policy and that maximally favours the people who created that intellectual property, while of course respecting legal limitations. We have implemented this through clear guidelines that regulate the protection of intellectual property at the institute, as well as the conditions under which the Institute supports the forming of new companies on the basis of that property. Moreover, within the scope of the Institute we also have the operational capacity to write patents, which isn’t the norm among our scientific research institutions. In this sense, we plan to lead by example in the process of developing

DUBRAVKO ĆULIBRK Ph.D., ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE R&D OF SERBIA

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

In the process of developing a knowledgebased economy, we are working actively to build an ecosystem of deep tech entrepreneurship in the domain of AI and its applications

a knowledge-based economy and we are working actively to build an ecosystem of deep tech entrepreneurship in the domain of artificial intelligence and its applications.

To what extent have the Artificial Intelligence Development Strategy and associated action plan proven to represent a realistically envisaged route for Serbia to enter the field of AI applications?

- The Strategy relies on several pillars. I think the strategy and action plan have proven extremely realistic when it comes to education and research. In the case of the latter, I would say that the founding of the Institute was the most ambitious element, thus its very existence provides proof of how realistic the strategy is. It is yet to be unequivocally demonstrated how realistic it is in the field of AI applications in the public sector and the development of an AI-based economy, but my personal opinion is that the effort exerted in this regard should be justified by the end of the period covered by the strategy and action plan.

Two years after the establishment of the Institute, do you think it’s on track to becoming a global centre of excellence?

- I think it is. I never thought that would be easy or that success was guaranteed, but I would say that now, after two years, we already represent a regional centre of excellence. That’s a good result for such a short period. We have established an organisation capable of implementing our vision and have a clear strategy for reaching our goal. Regardless of the fact that we still have a long way to go, when I look at our advisory board, I’m truly amazed at what a global “centre” of excellence it represents. These kinds of people wouldn’t waste their precious time dealing with something that has no prospects of becoming relevant globally.

DEVELOPMENT

In the ICT domain there is a notable trend of business oriented to the development of vendor products and towards researching, creating and commercialising intellectual property

PROGRESS

I think we’re on track to becoming a global centre of excellence. I never thought that would be easy to achieve, but I would say that now, after two years, we already represent a regional centre of excellence

An important aspect of the mission of our institute is to create an environment of worldclass excellence for researchers dealing with artificial intelligence in our country and to support the development of their personal excellence… We have endeavoured to set a regional standard in this regard from the very outset, and it seems to me that we’ve succeeded

To what extent is the thematic division of the work of your research groups determined by global trends in AI applications and to what extent does it depend on the potential needs of the domestic economy? Within the scope of the domestic economy, who are your main interlocutors when it comes to implementing AI-based solutions?

- Our groups are a mix of expertise that we were able to find in our country and our economy’s strategic development priorities.They are thereby fully aligned with global trends, though, of course, we lack the capacity to engage in research related to every global trend. We ended up establishing five groups. Two are focused on core technologies that deal with human-machine interaction and the field of computer vision, while three deal with applications that are attractive globally and locally: in medicine and the life sciences, smart manufacturing and environmental protection and responses to climate change. Many of our partners are the local representative offices of global companies that invest significant resources in the development of new technologies, amongst which is Japanese innovative companyTakeda.When it comes to domestic companies, we have RTS, MTS, Agromarket, JP Službeni glasnik [Official gazette], EPS, JP Pošta Srbije [Post of Serbia] etc.

How are Serbia’s capacities in terms of available personnel and how is interest among students when it comes to this area?

- Serbia has well-educated engineers at the level of bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and there is high interest among students. I think the latest statistic I heard is that we have 49,000 programmers, most of whom have good fundamentals to deal with artificial intelligence. We unfortunately remain significantly behind the global leaders when it comes to the level of doctoral studies and research. One important aspect of the mission of our institute is to create an environment of world-class excellence for researchers dealing with artificial intelligence in our country and to support the development of their personal excellence. Through an innovative structure for connecting our researchers with mentors around the world who have achieved a global level of excellence and introducing world-class criteria for evaluating research output, we have endeavoured to set a regional

standard in this regard from the very outset, and it seems to me that we’ve succeeded.

Resources in Serbia are invested in infrastructure, hardware and software, while these same resources should be utilised by research communities, colleges and start-ups. Is this already happening

and, if so, to what extent – if, for example, we compare Serbia to countries that have achieved an equal level development?

- I am perhaps biased, but I would say that – compared to other countries that have achieved an equal level of development – we are leading the way in this field. The mere fact that hardware intended for the development of AI solutions has been acquired, installed in the State Data Centre and made available to the research community and start-ups free of charge is itself truly exceptional. The software used in this field is itself usually available publicly, so it is access to adequate hardware that represents an elementary problem. This platform has been in use for over a year. There are problems, of course, due to the need to support a large number of users in a secure way, but engaging colleagues from the Office for IT and eGovernment and the wider community in resolving them represents invaluable experience for our community.

When it comes the allocating of funds for development in the field of artificial intelligence, the only exception in the region, which I think should be mentioned, is Bulgaria, where the parliament has allocated 100 million euros for the development of its institute for artificial intelligence at the University of Sofia. We can’t even measure up to that at the moment, and nor can other countries in the neighbourhood.

You have spoken very often to the media about artificial intelligence applications and your website has a large number of written articles about AI applications. Simultaneously, your institute also organises mini-symposia to discuss AI applications in specific fields. What are the main messages that you want to convey through these forms of communication?

- To be honest, this is more a consequence of the interest this topic enjoys among the general public and calls from the media than any desire we have to convey some particular message. We try to respond to such requests as much as possible, because familiarising citizens and businesses with achievements in this area is a basic prerequisite for AI-based solutions to be accepted.

The mere fact that hardware intended for the development of AI solutions has been acquired, installed in the State Data Centre and made available to the research community and startups free of charge is itself truly exceptional

One bill, One Month, A Pan-European Service

With its advanced software and hardware solutions, e-Box Logistic solves the problems of transport companies, contributing to cost reduction, flexibility, scalability, optimised business and simplified procedures

We offer our clients a unique payment system for road tolls in Serbia and the EU, GPS vehicle tracking and VAT refund for transport services. All of our services are paid monthly with one invoice, and with no bank guarantees ~ says Darko Načić, who explains the importance of these services in transport logistics.

In a relatively short time, e-Box Logistic has established itself as a reliable partner for transport companies? What else can be said about you?

- We started work at the end of 2018, and our first project was the payment of tolls in the POST-PAID regime in Serbia. Our first contracts were with major transport companies, and then 2020 arrived, a year of great challenges. Against all the odds, we launched a toll payment project in Western Europe with just one e-Box device.

The essence of our business is solving the problems of transport companies by providing them with advanced software and hardware solutions. We offer them unified services: a single toll payment in Serbia, Croatia, the EU, GPS vehicle tracking and VAT refund for transport services.

Your goal is to cover the whole of Europe with its 200,000 kilometres of roads, bridges and tunnels with just one onboard unit and your EETS platform?

- We have already launched our European Electronic Toll Collection System, our EETS service for Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Denmark and Sweden. The EETS aims to create a single and com-

prehensive OBU device for all EU member states, which would allow transport companies to pay tolls across the EU with only one subscription, one service provider and one device in the vehicle.

And will LogiMaps GPS be part of your offer?

- We acquired LogiMaps GPS along with its software for satellite vehicle tracking. It was created to satisfy its clients’ needs, since the real-time tracking of vehicles and goods abroad is the basis for well-organised logistics. This software provides precise information about the location of goods, allows real-time tracking of transport, driving style, vehicle and driver statistics...

In the second quarter of 2022, you launched a VAT refund service. How important is this for the transport business?

- Thanks to us, companies from Serbia and North Macedonia will no longer be exposed to complicated procedures when submitting doc-

uments for VAT refund from abroad, because we solve the bureaucratic problems in a quick and simple way at our offices in Belgrade and Skopje. Through us, companies can reclaim VAT related to transport (fuel, tolls and passenger transport), international fairs and hotels. We are the only company in Serbia that can issue a VAT refund within 15 days of receiving the documentation, minus our commission.

In general, e-Box Logistic makes the administration of transport a lot easier and is an irreplaceable partner for all those who want to improve their business and increase efficiency. We offer five services in one place and with one invoice per month for all our client’s vehicles. Our advanced software and hardware solutions, with the fastest VAT returns and outstanding customer support enable transport companies to achieve their goals and successfully position themselves in the market.

You can read more on our website: https://e boxlogistic.net

Planetsoft On The Road To Satisfaction

Planetsoft is this year commemorating its tenth birthday, having recorded increasingly better results and realised the goals it has set for itself during each of those ten years. This company’s recipe for success is top-notch management, a high-quality team, satisfied employees and maximum dedication to every client

With the establishing of Planetsoft GMBH Vienna, we have shown that we are ready to compete at the highest level, and to play in the big leagues you must have a good team, and we have built just such a team over the last 10 years, explains Planetsoft Owner and Founder Vedran Jarić, speaking in this CorD interview.

“Thanks to our high-quality and experienced personnel, we offer the EU market high-quality responses to requests,” he emphasises.

You are this year celebrating your 10th birthday as one of the region’s leading IT companies. How has your ten-year journey been and what is your recipe for success?

- That’s right, in December this year it will be 10 years since the founding of Planetsoft. We have strived from the very first day to grow gradually and organically, in terms of expanding the capacities of our teams, implementing our products, applying top vendor solutions and cooperating with satisfied clients. Many factors influence the achieving of market success, but what I can say with certainty is that it is maximum dedication and focusing on what you are good at, and a preference to be the best. Luck also represents an important success factor, and we’ve really had that throughout all these years.

What does your range of software solutions and applications encompass and in which areas are they applied?

- The range of software solutions that we’ve developed encompasses all spheres of the

Our solutions are applicable among clients from energy transmission and distribution companies, companies that deal with the planning and production of energy from renewable sources, telecommunications operators and regulators, utility companies and enterprises that handle the management of forests, traffic and transport infrastructure

use of geographic information systems, as well as intelligent traffic management systems and the optimising of the work

of teams on the ground. Our solutions are applicable among clients from energy transmission and distribution companies, companies that deal with the planning and production of energy from renewable sources, telecommunications operators and regulators, utility companies and enterprises that handle the management of forests, traffic and transport infrastructure.

You’ve remained focused on improving the operations of your clients from day one. And your professional approach, educated personnel and partnerships with leading global companies are all crucial to that. Which companies do you cooperate with and do you plan to establish new partnerships?

- We’ve developed two of our own solutions that we’ve offered to the market, and those are ITS and GIS. We are planning to this year develop and offer a new product that will be flexible and applicable to clients that are energy transmission and distribution companies, telecommunications operators and similar. Among our global partners, we are a partner of SAP [German multinational software company]. We implement and maintain it in large and important systems. We are also partners of Salesforce and Therefore - Canon. We recently became a partner of American company Aviat, where we recognised our shared potential to jointly offer clients the best services and solutions.

Planetsoft began its life in Banja Luka, but how far has it gone to date? Do you

VEDRAN JARIĆ, PLANETSOFT OWNER AND FOUNDER

plan to open new branches and expand to new markets and, if so, where?

- Planetsoft was founded in Banja Luka and quickly expanded to Belgrade. In October last year we founded Planetsoft GMBH Vienna and we are actually right now in the phase of signing a first significant contract with PSGMBH. We are also present in both Montenegro and Bulgaria. In the period ahead, we see potential in Switzerland, Poland and Czechia, but, as we’ve done so far, step by step.

Do you still believe that a group is only as big as the energy of its people?

- Absolutely! Every serious group and firm is composed of people, of their ideas, visions and abilities.

It is up to the management to introduce energy and real enthusiasm to a company, in order for employees to come to work satisfied, to convert ideas into reality, and to return home infused with positive energy. I am very satisfied with the management of Planetsoft and proud of each of them. A high-quality team and satisfied employees are the bedrock of healthy progress.

You stated recently that penetrating more competitive markets, such as the one offered by the EU, is crucial for you. Is Planetsoft Group ready to compete and what would you single out as your comparative advantages over the competition?

- With the establishing of Planetsoft GMBH Vienna, we have shown that we are ready to compete at the highest level, and to play in the big leagues you must have a good team, and we have built just such a team over the last 10 years. Appearing on the EU market offers significant potential to grow and learn. That which we can offer in the EU is certainly better prices for the client, greater flexibility, dedication to the project at hand and competitive quality. Thanks to our high-quality and experienced personnel, we offer the EU market high-quality responses to requests.

You begin every year with a plan to be better than you were in the previous year, and in this sense we believe that 2023 is no exception. Are you satisfied with last year’s results and that your

At year’s end 2022, we had recorded growth of 25% compared to the previous year. We achieved revenue of 18.5 million euros and EBIDTA of around 4.5 million euros. We are continuing the trend of growth and satisfaction at Planetsoft

expectations will be met with regard to further success in this and future years, despite potential challenges?

- How can you advance if you won’t set

higher goals every day?! The priority for 2023 is to penetrate a new market and gain new clients. I believe this year will be quite a challenging one for everyone, because - as we can see - the world is experiencing a crisis, and that certainly won’t bypass the IT market. However, I repeat, it is necessary to maintain a focus on that which you’re really good at.

We are satisfied with last year’s results of Planetsoft Group. At year’s end 2022, we had recorded growth of 25% compared to the previous year. We achieved revenue of 18.5 million euros and EBIDTA of around 4.5 million euros. We are continuing the trend of growth and satisfaction at Planetsoft.

BUSINESS OFFICE, VIENNA

TEAM BUILDING, KOPAONIK

IT Investments Contribute To GDP Growth

VMware has come a long way over the 11 years that it has been present in Serbia, from a pioneer in the field of server virtualization to a leading company in multi-cloud field. In the Adriatic region today, Vmware has over 1,200 users, around 160 business partners and 30 cloud providers that offer their services on VMware technologies

The benefits of technology aren’t only enjoyed by companies today, as they apply to all areas of society. Countries that provide good e-services are considered better places to live, with knowledge now more accessible than ever before and hybrid workplace models serving to significantly improve employees’ work-life balance and increase their chances of gaining better and higher paying jobs.

How did the growth of your team and portfolio look?

- When VMware first opened its office in Belgrade 11 years ago, I was the first and only employee. VMware was then already offering the latest technological solutions at the global level, but the level of technology uptake in Serbia was far behind that which was considered standard around the world. The team has expanded continuously throughout the years and I can today state with pride that VMware has a local Serbian team of top specialists, who – with their knowhow and expertise – have provided a huge contribution to positioning our country on the technological map of the world in the area of digital transformation. With the strong support of our partners, we have spent over a decade helping Serbian companies and public institutions to achieve parity with the region and to advance continuously. That’s something I’m extremely proud of, both personally and professionally.

VMware has a local Serbian team of top specialists who’ve provided a huge contribution to positioning our country on the technological map of the world

Something that seemed unimaginable eleven years ago is today being massively implemented in business. Are you satisfied with the speed at which digitalisation is developing and modern technologies are being applied in Serbia and around the region?

- We viewed the initial gap between the level of technological development in Serbia and the world as an opportunity for domestic companies and institutions. Those that recognised the importance of technological innovations at the time were able, with our technology and partner support, to leapfrog a few steps on their path to digitalisation, gain a strong competitive advantage and develop themselves into regional leaders.

Our users come from the financial and public sectors, industry and fintech. They use VMware technologies as the basis to build, operate and advance their operations,

as our solutions provide the flexibility and agility that’s essential to ensure they always keep pace with innovations and can offer their users the highest quality services. And perhaps the best testimony to the results of the digitalisation process are provided by the fact that the ICT sector today represents Serbia’s largest net export sector.

You are involved directly in numerous initiatives and technological development projects across the markets of Southeast Europe. Is that evidence that technology is today included in all business processes?

- Technology has gained precedence in such a way that today no business can be competitive globally, or even regionally, without digitalisation. The economic benefits of utilising technology to innovate and speed up business processes are irrefutable. According to our research, 97% of surveyed cloud-smart organisations say that their revenue growth has been improved by a multi-cloud approach. Moreover, the benefits of technology aren’t only enjoyed by companies, but rather apply to all spheres of society - countries that provide good e-services are considered better places to live, with knowledge now more accessible than ever before, while hybrid workplace models – also made possible thanks to modern technology - serve to significantly improve employees’ work-life balance and increase their chances of gaining better and higher paying jobs, because now, for example, you can very easily work for an employer located anywhere in the world from your home in Serbia.

Could it be said that VMware has provided a twofold contribution to Serbia’s development, give that you accelerate the development of the IT market on the one hand, while on the other you encourage the development of local IT companies that deal with the implementation of your solutions?

- We are proud of our contribution to developing Serbia’s IT market, as well as the fact that – via our developed partnership ecosystem and various initiatives and activities – we set development and advancement trends through technology in all branches of the economy and the public sector. Local companies recognise the benefits and want to implement the latest solutions, and we see the best proof of this at our annual VMware regional

events, which bring together representatives of our partner companies and users from all industry verticals. The next such event will take place this May in Šibenik, and we look forward to the opportunity to present new trends and excellent regional examples of the implementation of VMware technologies to experts and the general public, but also the business successes and contributions to the regional economy that have been created on the basis of our solutions.

merous services for citizens and institutions. As one of the Office’s strategic partners, VMware secured technology that enabled the fast and safe consolidation of various clouds that are used for the needs of the state administration. Given the fact that, at the time the partnership was formed, the Office had inherited systems that it wanted to harmonise in order to be able to provide the administration and citizens with the best possible services, while simultaneously ensuring the complete security of data and processes, VMware was – as a neutral vendor – in a position to provide technology that allows the user to make decisions in accordance with the applications they use and their business processes, while maintaining clear and meaningful control over their cloud environment.

Such an approach of the Office for e-Government has brought multiple benefits to the state and citizens. State bodies can now exchange data quickly, easily and securely, while citizens have numerous modern e-services at their disposal. We also have exceptional cooperation with the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, which was built in accordance with the highest technical and security standards, and which aspires to provide services not only in Serbia, but also across the region, as well as to develop into an innovation district.

Do you plan to expand your portfolio and conquer new markets?

VMware is also one of the strategic partners of the Serbian Government’s Office for IT and e-Government. What has your company been brought by that cooperation, and what did it bring to the Office, i.e., to the state?

- Since it was founded just less than six years ago, the efforts of the people staffing the Office have drastically improved the picture of the digital Serbia – from construction from scratch of the infrastructure required for e-government, to the development of nu-

- VMware’s plan and mission for the Adriatic region, but also the rest of the world, is to provide support on the road to digital transformation, provide education on the possibilities provided by technology, and provide cutting-edge solutions and resources. We live in such a time that there is no difference between our region and the rest of the world, because everyone can use the same top technologies to build and develop their ideas and business plans. Of course, some things happen sooner and some only come later, because investments in IT are nonetheless linked indirectly to the GDP of each country, but I’m pleased to say that the region has embarked on the journey to digital transformation in a big way, and the countries of this region are even leaders when it comes to the use of certain technologies, which serves as an example to other EMEA countries.

We are proud of our contribution to developing Serbia’s IT market and the fact that we set development and advancement trends through technology in all branches of the economy and the public sector

Smart Use Of Data Most Important For User Experience

Inspira Grupa is a pioneer in the field of internet-based business operations in Serbia and is among the rare domestic companies that are successfully developing their own digital products in as many as six areas: employment, the automotive sector, real estate, insurance and sales of tyres and auto parts. All businesses involved have their own development sectors, but also one common element in the form of a centralised data science team consisting of six employees. They are tasked with working together with businesses to develop products for each site, based on the intelligent use of data. Here CorD Magazine discusses the work of the team and the latest major project it created with P hD Stevan Ostrogonac, senior engineer for artificial intelligence, and Srđan Mijušković, senior manager for product development.

What’s the latest project to emerge from the work of the Data Science team?

Stevan: Over the course of the past two years, working with the support of the Innovation Fund, Inspira Grupa has developed a system for recommending content (the so-called Rekomender), within the scope of the Innovation Co-financing Programme.

The project itself was implemented within Inspira Grupa’s central Data Science team, with the great assistance of our businesses’ development and IT teams. The system has already sprouted in the businesses of Poslovi Infostud, HelloWorld and 4Zida. The Rekomender serves close to two million users, who receive personalised content selected from among tens of thousands of adverts.

In order to generate recommendations, the system utilises user activity data and content data, as well as textual descriptions of content. The concept solution received 1st prize in the Path of Nikola Tesla Award competition of the Union of Engineers and Technicians of Serbia, while it is currently in the patent process.

What is meant by content personalisation, specifically for users on sites within the group?

Stevan: The architecture of the system that we’ve developed encompasses various needs of individual businesses. As such, for example, the Poslovi Infostud site gains the greatest advantage from so-called collaborative filtering, which enables the user to find a job that they are qualified for despite that job being formally classified in a category that isn’t in the interest of that user. For instance, a GP may receive a recommendation for a job as a professor of medicine, despite that job being categorised under “education” and not “medicine”.

Textual description-based recommendations are particularly important for the site 4zida.rs, as the system extracts relevant information pertaining to real estate properties from texts and integrates that information into the process of generating recommendations.

How do you gauge the success of a product that functions on the basis of smart data management?

Srđan: In our approach to measuring the success of a product, we focus on key performance indicators like data management system efficiency, user experience, number of users, time spent using the product and returning customer rate. In cooperation with our businesses, we use a variety of methods

to gauge success, including collecting user feedback, analysing data on product usage, conducting market research and analysing competitors.

Specifically, at Poslovi Infostud the greatest importance is attached to the number of views of adverts, as well as the number of job applications generated accordingly. A comparative test conducted on this site showed that the number of views was 30% higher, and the number of applications 35% higher, for recommendations provided by the Rekomender compared to recommendations provided by the most similar adverts.

With more than 20 years of experience, previously as Infostud and now as Inspira Grupa, you are recognised among the public as a company that knows how to work with data. What are your plans with particular regard to the application of AI and similar systems?

Srđan: Alongside the Rekomender, our focus is also directed towards innovating and creating new products based on machine learning. By carefully monitoring the needs of our users and industry trends, our aim is to continue pushing the boundaries and offering solutions that are always aligned with the latest technologies. In the period ahead, we will test new functionalities for the needs of the Poslovi Infostud website and we hope to present them to our users soon.

Stevan Ostrogonac Ph.D., senior engineer for artificial intelligence

Srđan Mijušković, senior manager for product development

Future 5.5G Networks Bring 10 Times Faster Internet

By year’s end 2022, the 5G network was being used by more than a billion people worldwide. Although the transition from 4G to 5G technology is still unfolding in many countries, the mobile industry is already well underway in preparing for 5.5G, which will be up to 10 times faster, with up to 10 times the range of connections and tenfold greater sustainable in terms of CO2 emissions

the best user experience, while they will be the first to receive an opportunity to advance their solutions with new ones.

GUIDE TO THE INTELLIGENT WORLD

ard Liu, president of the Huawei Cloud Core Network Product Line.

performance compared to 5G, specifically:

Huawei has been working since July 2022 on the planning and implementing of 5.5G networks, which represent an intermediate step to 6G and which had their most important solutions showcased in Barcelona recently, during Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, the world’s largest mobile communications trade fair.

By examining a cross-section of the state of 5G availability globally, research conducted by company Ookla [For the Q3-Q4 2022 period in the world’s 40 most developed cities with 5G networks] reveals that Huawei has played a vital role in building 5G networks in the world’s Top 10 most important cities. The networks constructed by this Chinese company in these cities were rated as the networks with

During MWC 2023, Huawei held meetings with the biggest operators, industry partners and key leaders from around the world to discuss the GUIDE to the Intelligent World initiative. This crucial topic will serve to lay the foundations for 5.5G networks and upgrade the existing 5G ecosystem.

It is interesting to note that 5.5G has its own five most important advantages, such as: 10 Gbps standard, full interconnection, integrated communication and detection, L4 networks for autonomous vehicles and green ICT.

Next-generation networks will bring more value to everyone and enable the creation of a truly open digital economy, explained Rich-

“Consistent and significant investments in ICT infrastructure stimulate growth within the digital economy. Indeed, a third-party report reveals that as new networks pass from one generation to the next, this is reflected in a 15% amplification in the digital economy. With a look to the future, therefore, the ‘GUIDE’ initiative, which combines 5G and 5.5G, can clearly illustrate both the direction that ICT progress will take and the value associated with it. Together with customers and partners, Huawei will continue to innovate, bringing intelligent connectivity everywhere and redefining computing,” said Liu.

5.5G WILL BE 10 TIMES BETTER THAN 5G NETWORKS

Technological innovations in the era of 5.5G networks will provide operators, users and businesses with a tenfold increase in network

- 10 times faster: users of mobile and home broadband services will enjoy increased speeds from one Gbit/s to 10 Gbit/s;

- 10 times more simultaneous connections : passive IoT technology (Internet of Things) enables an increase in the number of connected things from 10 billion to 100 billion;

- 10 times more deterministic: there will be a tenfold improvement in latency, positioning accuracy and network reliability

- 10 times higher energy efficiency : CO 2 emissions per terabyte of data transferred on a mobile network will be reduced by as much as 10 times

- 10 times more intelligent: Autonomous Driving Networks (ADN) will be upgraded from level 3 to level 4 autonomy, with 10 times more efficient network O&M.

People will use the new networks to access the Metaverse and other virtual systems, while some things that will become everyday norms include 3D online shopping centres, 24K VR gaming, watching videos in a 3D environment free of the need for special glasses, while a common feature of all of them will be the ability for us all to “immerse” ourselves in the digital world like never before, according to all standards of new digital infrastructure.

Richard Liu, President of Huawei

DANI RODRIK, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY AT HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL, PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION/PROJECT SYNDICATE

The Knowledge Mismatch

While economists and policymakers have long appreciated the economic significance of knowledge, they have paid insufficient attention to the conditions that make knowledge useful. Technologies, traditions, and ideas that work well in one setting may not when they are adopted elsewhere or maintained after conditions change

Knowledge holds the key to economic prosperity. Technology, innovation, and know-how all come from learning new ways to produce the goods and services that enrich us. Knowledge is also the archetypal “public good”: new ideas can benefit everyone; and unless governments or monopolies restrict their dissemination, usage does not diminish availability. This is especially important for poor countries, because it means that they do not have to reinvent the wheel. They can simply adopt technologies and methods created by richer countries

to drive their own economic development.

While economists and policymakers have long appreciated the economic significance of knowledge, they have not paid sufficient attention to the conditions that make it useful. Context matters: any mismatch between the conditions under which ideas are generated and the specificities of the environment where they are applied can significantly reduce the value of acquiring knowledge.

For example, corn is grown all over the world, but it is subject to different environmental threats, depending on the

local ecology. Research and development efforts have naturally focused on developing resistance to pests that are most common in North America and Europe. As a result, thousands of biotech patents are geared toward the European corn worm, but only five unique patents are for innovations protecting against the maize stalk borer, which predominantly affects Sub-Saharan Africa.

Having studied these and many other examples, economists Jacob Moscona and Karthik Sastry of Harvard University argue that the inappropriateness of technologies

developed in advanced economies can pose a significant obstacle to agricultural-productivity growth in low-income areas. According to their analysis, the technology mismatch in crop-specific pests and pathogens alone can account for 15% of the global disparity in agricultural productivity.

In a recent panel discussion organised by the International Economic Association, Moscona and other experts provided a wide range of illustrations of inappropriate technologies at work. Mireille Kamariza, a bioengineer at UCLA, described how the development of diagnostic technologies for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases that chiefly affect low-income countries has lagged far behind diagnostic technologies for rich-country diseases.

When COVID-19 hit rich countries, hundreds of diagnostic tests became available within months. By contrast, it took more than a century to achieve comparable progress with respect to tuberculosis. Moreover, advanced tuberculosis-diagnostics techniques still rely on trained technicians and a steady supply of electricity, which may not be available in low-income settings.

Mismatch can also occur within countries when technologies tailored to the interests of certain groups are deployed more widely. Automation and digital technologies, for example, can be inappropriate if they produce undesirable effects for many workers. As Anton Korinek of the University of Virginia notes, all innovations are double-edged: they can enhance productivity in the aggregate, but they can also generate sharp redistributive effects favoring capital owners over workers. And when the overall productivity gains are not very large, they can easily be outweighed (from a societal perspective) by the negative redistributive effects – a phenomenon that economists Daron Acemoglu and Pascual Restrepo call “so-so” innovation.

Robots provide the clearest example of this adverse shift against workers, and artificial intelligence is expanding the range of domains where distributional conflicts can become significant. As Korinek points out, chatbot software that replaces human workers enhances the

returns to AI engineers and firm owners, while displacing workers with less than a college education. The impact is magnified in developing countries where low-cost labor is the sole source of comparative advantage.

Moreover, knowledge is embedded not only in seeds or software but also in cultural norms. At the same IEA panel, economist Nathan Nunn talked about a different, temporal kind of mismatch where knowledge and practices that were appropriate for a society at one time can later become dysfunctional. Cultural traditions pass on useful knowledge to future generations. Religious rituals, for example, can help to coordinate crop planting, and

particular cooking techniques imparted by a family’s elders can protect against dietary toxins. But since cultural norms evolve slowly, rapid changes in society can produce an “evolutionary mismatch.”

Drawing on his work with Leonard Wantchekon, Nunn gives the example of Africa’s traumatic experience with transcontinental slavery. Communities in Africa that had the most extensive contact with slave traders developed a deep mistrust of outsiders, leaving them with a cultural inclination that is counterproductive for developing a flourishing market economy in today’s world. Similarly, Americans’ aversion to redistribution appears to reflect the country’s high degree of economic mobility in the past, rather than current realities.

Whether they take the form of inappropriate technologies or cultural practices, such mismatches need to be addressed if knowledge is going to benefit a society. One strategy is consciousness raising. That is how the environmentalist movement helped steer consumer demand away from fossil fuels and mobilise support for the development of renewables. A similar “technology for workers” movement could redirect innovation in a more labor-friendly direction. Enhancing the voice of relevant stakeholders – such as workers or poor countries – in decisions about innovation and technology would guard against the adoption of inappropriate technologies.

Public policies are also critical. The Green Revolution in the twentieth century was motivated by the explicit recognition that enhancing agricultural productivity in low-income countries would require developing high-yield seed varieties suited to tropical environments. Though we lack a similar multilateral effort to close global technology gaps today, Moscona points to several middle-income countries (India, Brazil, South Africa) that have the capacity to develop technologies more appropriate to developing economies.

But even in those countries, innovation tends to follow the norms and preferences of Silicon Valley, rather than local needs. Policymakers and innovators alike would do well to remember that it is not knowledge, but rather useful knowledge, that empowers us.

While economists and policymakers have long appreciated the economic significance of knowledge, they have not paid sufficient attention to the conditions that make it useful. Context matters: any mismatch between the conditions under which ideas are generated and the specificities of the environment where they are applied can significantly reduce the value of acquiring knowledge

The Best Is Yet To Come

As part of United Group, Southeast Europe's leading telecommunications and media company, Shoppster strives to bring change, to innovate and invest constantly, in order to ensure customers always receive more and better

In just three years, Shoppster has become the first Serbian “Amazon”, a place to buy everything from A to Z - says Ljiljana Ahmetović, before revealing how this platform, together with its users of all ages, have shifted shopping habits in Serbia.

Your aim was to make Shoppster a platform that brings together global brands and offers a wide range of products, as a “one stop shop”. Have you achieved all of that? When we presented the first and largest integrated online and TV platform to consumers in Serbia, we knew that we were doing the right thing and believed in its success. Three years later, it has been confirmed that we are innovative and unique; that we were the first to bring to Serbia the highest quality armchair shopping experience, with just one click, and that we have become a reliable partner to both consumers and suppliers, such that today Shoppster represents a place of safe and secure shopping. And here I’m also referring to the habit of shopping online that we all acquired during the pandemic, the introduction of the first parcel lockers, and the option of paying our couriers by card. We have become synonymous with a top offer adapted to users and we also keep pace with the trend of retail personalisation, while our enduring cooperation with numerous suppliers has provided us with a price advantage in many categories. Our focus from day one has been on ensuring we have satisfied users, and I’m proud of the fact that we grow with that vision every day.

Do you think you have earned the full trust of both consumers and suppliers?

That isn’t easy to achieve today, given that everyone has such high expectations. The numbers are rising constantly. We started with 20 categories, or with several thousand

groups of non-food products, while we’ve since enriched the range in all categories and expanded the offer to also include a packaged foods segment. We have been working the whole time to educate the market, particularly our suppliers. We have attracted a large number of domestic suppliers, while we secure part of our supply through imports.

We today have 180,000 products and more than 3,500 brands in 25 different product categories. What also differentiates us from the competition is our Shoppster TV channel, where you can familiarise yourself with selected products in detail at any time, while for suppliers this means that their products can be seen by more than two million viewers at any given moment.

Does the fact that around four million Serbian consumers already shop online indicate the great potential for e-commerce to develop further?

Our team, which brings experience from Amazon, Allegra and other similar companies, worked diligently for two years to prepare the project prior to launch, and has since spent the three years after the launch working around the clock to educate consumers and build awareness of all the possibilities and benefits of online shopping, including specific Shoppster benefits for customers.

We are also innovative in our communication with consumers, through all channels at our disposal. The detailed regulating of e-commerce is an excellent way to counter the grey economy and protect customers, but also to support small businesses and entrepreneurship, and to create new jobs.

Are you satisfied with the impact you’ve had on the business environment in Serbia? When it comes to the transformation of the market, we are just part of a big wave. It is actually the rapid development of the internet over the past 20 years that has enabled the kind of e-commerce services that we have today, but I believe it’s crucial to realise the right ideas in the right way. I’m satisfied with our progressive growth over the previous three years, and that motivates us to work even harder and better. The best is yet to come.

LJILJANA AHMETOVIĆ, CEO, SHOPPSTER SRBIJA & SLOVENIJA

We today have 180,000 products and more than 3,500 brands in 25 different product categories

Data And App Creation Are Crucial To Competitiveness

Data are among the most valuable assets for businesses in today's world. This is particularly relevant when it comes to the development of apps, in which data play a crucial role in creating a successful app that meets the needs of its intended users

We spoke with Marija Stojanović, Head of Digital Platforms at Yettel, about ways to create apps that deliver a superior user experience and drive business growth.

What have you been creating lately in the ecosystem of your digital services?

- We have prepared the Yettel Shopping platform – not just for Yettel customers, but for all those seeking the best offers and great discounts when shopping online. Customers can access our platform in two ways: via the Yettel App or by finding it on the web via shopping.yettel.rs. Customer can then check out available discounts and after simple registration download coupons that interest them. Unlimited number of coupons can be downloaded, saved and used during the period of coupon validity. The coupons can be shared via social media, so if a user doesn’t want to use a certain coupon, they can give it away to friends or family.

What distinguishes your platform from others?

- The data we have about customers allows us to offer them personalised benefits in line with their interests. We have the tools that allow us to segment customer base and then, for example, give the younger female population in a specific location a certain type of offer, while giving someone else something completely different. Companies we partner with can choose whether to go for the whole population or to approach a small market segment from our customer base. The user experience is extremely important to us at Yettel, which is why our experts negotiate with partners the best discounts for app users. In a nutshell, our platform is based on

an idea of quick and easy access to desired products and services at affordable prices supported by discounts Yettel negotiates for the customers. That’s why the name is simply: Yettel shopping.

How did you come up with this kind of idea? Did you have some previous knowledge or data?

- The platform was created after the great success of Yettel Friday, innovative digital scratch card. Yettel Friday, has been used by more than 600,000 users on a weekly basis for three years now. Alongside telco prizes customers get every Friday, we partnered with several partners from different industries to enrich pool of prizes. We saw substantial customer engagement on the app, thus it was time to scale the innovation. Yettel Friday was born from an internal hackathon, a popular initiative in the IT industry that brings together

developers from marketing. They are given a task they have to resolve within 24 hours. That’s how our team of three colleagues designed a scratcher and we decided to launch it.

What are your future plans?

- Yettel shopping is currently used by about half a million users. So far, we partnered with nearly 400 companies, half of them being active continuously, and with ads in over 10 different categories. We cooperate with big companies, but also provide an online solution for advertising and increasing sales to small businesses. Our intention is to provide small companies with a comprehensive online business solution based on our knowhow and available data. I believe that data and app creation are crucial for remaining competitive in today’s digital economy, as is creating apps that make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

Leveraging Trustworthy AI For Serbia’s Digital Transformation

SAS is the founder and future of analytics and a world champion for Responsible AI and Data Ethics. In the 16 years of its presence in Serbia, SAS enables data-driven digital transformation for public agencies and business organisations, while actively promoting digital literacy as an integral part of human-centered innovation

Here SAS Adriatic General Manager Mrs Milatović Skorić explains for CorD Magazine how to scale human observation and decision-making, and how to leverage automation to enable the kind of real-time decision making that’s essential in the digitalised modern world.

In which industries and areas of life do you have the strongest presence? Where is it easiest to see your contribution?

- Since it was founded in 1976, the mission of SAS has been to help governments and businesses make timely and informed data-based decisions. The need for the optimisation of decision-making processes is recognised in many areas of the Serbian Economy – in financial services, telecommunications, retail & supply chain management and energy, but also in public agencies.

Promoting intelligent decision-making is more important today than ever before, as we are now creating data that is outpacing human capacities. This is where Artificial Intelligence becomes an integral part of the future of our businesses and our communities, for data preparation, automating modelling processes and routine tasks, for models to cope with the increased volume of small-scale decisions that are necessary due to customers’ expectations for real-time transactions and personalised offerings.

Research shows that only 35 per cent of companies apply analytical models fully in their operations. Why is this percentage so small?

- If we measure AI’s current effectiveness in terms of accurate and scaled decision-making, then I’m afraid the research you cite is correct: more than half of the models developed never

make it to production; and 90% of those that do take more than three months to deploy, while 40% take more than seven months.

The cloud is the missing link in the AI value chain for organisations, for scaling decision-making and human observation. However, in order for the cloud to fulfil its potential, organisations need to think outside the box of the “cost reduction” imperative that often accompanies decisions regarding cloud-based operations and begin considering ways that cloud-based analytics can

provide them with a competitive advantage, in terms of agility and resilience.

At the same time, it is important for organisations to adopt technological solutions that support innovation ecosystems across cloud providers, data formats, and even full open-source integration.

How important is it to know how to collect, interpret, understand and utilise data?

- Data literacy is a fundamental concept for companies and communities to pursue human-centred innovation through AI. In order for people to trust AI, they must understand AI and data. In this notion, we actively promote data literacy among Serbian people through strategic partnerships, such as the one we’ve forged with the University of Belgrade. At the same time, for countries like Serbia, it is important to create the conditions that would permit our nation to fully leverage AI capabilities. For example, large language models, such as OpenAI GPT, have great capabilities for natural language processing. However, they are not well adapted to the Serbian language, and even less to the specific uses of our language (like those present in law, medicine, finance and media). That’s why we are proud to support the NLP project that was initiated by Slobodan Marković from UNDP, Vuk Batanović from ICEF and Dr Tanja Samardžić and that will be implemented by the Innovation Centre of the School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, and ReLDI (Regional Linguistic Data Initiative). This project aims to create quality data sets and AI models adapted to that data, which would be publicly available to everyone under permissive licenses, thus creating space for wider and better applications of language technologies for the Serbian language.

Enabling wider and better applications of language technologies for the Serbian language is vital for the country to fully leverage modern AI capabilities

Our Story

Founding team: two Software Developers, one Product Manager and an HR Expert with the help of a small development team, created Joberty in June 2019. Just four years later, over 75,000 developers and 2,000 companies in 6 markets joined our mission to create a better IT world

Nikola Mijailović, CEO, co-founder, and originator of the idea behind the creation of the Joberty platform, explains how it all started: “I have worked in the HR industry for a long time. Over the years I noticed the problem of HR when filling tech positions, and at the same time I recognised the need of programmers for first-hand information about IT companies in Serbia. The trend in which candidates were the ones actively looking for an employer was replaced by a new wave where companies became the ones competing for candidates, and this first became noticeable in the IT industry. That’s where I saw our window of opportunity and decided to use it to launch our product. The dev team was in charge of building the MVP (minimum viable product), which according to my guidelines created the first version of the product in less than six months.”

Dušica Lukić, Product Manager and co-founder points out that in the process of creating the product, they were guided by certain assumptions, which they confirmed with their product in Serbia.

“We assumed that users need information about what it’s like to work in an IT company, and that this information can only be provided by someone who works or has worked in that company. Such information is a very important factor in making a decision on further involvement in the selection process with the employer.”

Nikola tells us where this development took them:

“After Serbia, in September 2021 we decided to launch operations on the Croatian market. Croatia has a market that is similar to ours and we believed that the product would be a great success there as well. However, we came to Croatia with a product that has as many as 7 types of reviews and we were trying to confirm the hypothesis that developers do not want

Joberty must become a regional centre for all IT developers who want a transparent community. To achieve this goal, Joberty is expanding to six more countries in the region

only positive or negative information about the company, but information about what it is like to work there: the culture, team, projects, which technologies are used and what are the opportunities for personal development through the job.”

But the development did not stop here, continuous work on improvement led to two key conclusions - the region needs Joberty, and all developers need information not only about working conditions, but whether the work done by developers has a purpose.

That led to the first decision – Joberty must become a regional centre for all IT developers who want a transparent community. To achieve this goal, Joberty is expanding to

six more countries in the region. But we are going one step further, becoming a one-stopplatform for all IT business, a place where you can research everything about a potential employer, look for a new job, ask for help from the IT community, and even educate yourself through blogs and webinars.

And now that it’s been some time since our launch onto all six markets, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia and Slovenia, we have realised that reaching that initial goal was necessary for the IT communities of this region. Those first positive reactions gave us confirmation that what we are planning and doing meets the needs of the market, but also gives us wind in our sails to further improve our platform.

A lot of work and effort has gone into the development of the Joberty platform. The IT market is changing, and our product adapts to changes and new trends. We continue to build an ever more transparent IT community. The mission remains the same, but our responsibility is now even greater.

MEMBER OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM’S

GLOBAL FUTURE COUNCIL ON CITIES OF TOMORROW/PROJECT SYNDICATE

AI And The Global South

Predictive analytics are being developed and deployed at an unprecedented pace and scale, including in developing countries that are still in the midst of their own digital revolutions. Yet, for all the promise that these technologies hold, many risks have yet to receive the attention they deserve

Recent months may well be remembered as the moment when predictive artificial intelligence went mainstream. While prediction algorithms have been in use for decades, the release of applications such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT3 – and its rapid integration with Microsoft’s Bing search engine – may have unleashed the floodgates when it comes to user-friendly AI. Within weeks of ChatGPT3’s release, it had already attracted 100 million monthly users, many of whom have doubtless already experienced its dark side – from

insults and threats to disinformation and a demonstrated ability to write malicious code.

The chatbots that are generating headlines are just the tip of the iceberg. AIs for creating text, speech, art, and video are progressing rapidly, with far-reaching implications for governance, commerce, and civic life. Not surprisingly, capital is flooding into the sector, with governments and companies alike investing in startups to develop and deploy the latest machine-learning tools. These new applications will combine historical data with machine learning, natural

language processing, and deep learning to determine the probability of future events.

Crucially, adoption of the new natural language processing and generative AIs will not be confined to the wealthy countries and companies such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft that spearheaded their creation.These technologies are already spreading across low- and middle-income settings, where predictive analytics for everything from reducing urban inequality to addressing food security hold tremendous promise for cash-strapped governments, firms, and NGOs seeking to improve efficiency and

ROBERT MUGGAH, CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL OF THE SECDEV GROUP AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE IGARAPÉ INSTITUTE;

unlock social and economic benefits.

The problem, however, is that there has been insufficient attention on the potential negative externalities and unintended effects of these technologies. The most obvious risk is that unprecedentedly powerful predictive tools will strengthen authoritarian regimes’ surveillance capacity.

One widely cited example is China’s “social-credit system,” which uses credit histories, criminal convictions, online behavior, and other data to assign a score to every person in the country. Those scores can then determine whether someone can secure a loan, access a good school, travel by rail or air, and so forth. Though China’s system is billed as a tool to improve transparency, it doubles as an instrument of social control.

Yet even when used by ostensibly well-intentioned democratic governments, companies focused on social impact, and progressive nonprofits, predictive tools can generate sub-optimal outcomes. Design flaws in the underlying algorithms and biased data sets can lead to privacy breaches and identity-based discrimination. This has already become a glaring issue in criminal justice, where predictive analytics routinely perpetuate racial and socio-economic disparities. For example, an AI system built to help US judges assess the likelihood of recidivism erroneously determined that Black defendants are at far greater risk of re-offending than white ones.

Concerns about how AI could deepen inequalities in the workplace are also growing. So far, predictive algorithms have been increasing efficiency and profits in ways that benefit managers and shareholders at the expense of rank-and-file workers (especially in the gig economy).In all these examples, AI systems are holding up a funhouse mirror to society, reflecting and magnifying our biases and inequities. As technology researcher Nanjira Sambuli notes, digitalisation tends to exacerbate, rather than ameliorate, pre-existing political, social and economic problems.

The enthusiasm to adopt predictive tools must be balanced against informed and ethical consideration of their intended and unintended effects.Where the effects of powerful algorithms are disputed or unknown, the precautionary principle would counsel against deploying them.

We must not let AI become another domain where decision-makers ask for forgiveness

rather than permission. That is why the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and others have called for moratoriums on the adoption of AI systems until ethical and human-rights frameworks have been updated to account for their potential harms.

Crafting the appropriate frameworks will require forging a consensus on the basic principles that should inform the design and use of predictive AI tools. Fortunately, the race for AI has led to a parallel flurry of research, initiatives, institutes, and networks on ethics. And while civil society has taken the lead, intergovernmental entities such as the OECD and UNESCO have also got involved.

nologies developed by and for markets in advanced economies are often inappropriate for less-developed economies.

If the new AI tools are simply imported and put into wide use before the necessary governance structures are in place, they could easily do more harm than good. All these issues must be considered if we are going to devise truly universal principles for AI governance.

Recognizing these gaps, the Igarapé Institute and New America recently launched a new Global Task Force on Predictive Analytics for Security and Development. The task force will convene digital-rights advocates, public-sector partners, tech entrepreneurs, and

We must not let AI become another domain where decision-makers ask for forgiveness rather than permission. That is why the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and others have called for moratoriums on the adoption of AI systems until ethical and human-rights frameworks have been updated to account for their potential harms

The UN has been working on building universal standards for ethical AI since at least 2021. Moreover, the European Union has proposed an AI Act – the first such effort by a major regulator – which would block certain uses (such as those resembling China’s social-credit system) and subject other high-risk applications to specific requirements and oversight.

To date, this debate has been concentrated overwhelmingly in North America and Western Europe. But lower- and middle-income countries have their own baseline needs, concerns, and social inequities to consider. There is ample research showing that tech-

social scientists from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe, with the goal of defining first principles for the use of predictive technologies in public safety and sustainable development in the Global South.

Formulating these principles and standards is just the first step. The bigger challenge will be to marshal the international, national, and subnational collaboration and coordination needed to implement them in law and practice. In the global rush to develop and deploy new predictive AI tools, harm-prevention frameworks are essential to ensure a secure, prosperous, sustainable, and human-centered future.

The Future Arrives In Serbia

Serbia no longer lags behind the developed world thanks to a large number of local and foreign technology companies, but also to the strategic decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia to continuously encourage the development of the knowledge-based economy and solutions based on artificial intelligence, to encourage the development of robotics and automation, and to support the development of cutting-edge technologies in many other ways

SERBIA JOINS THE RANKS OF THE ‘SMARTEST’

Belgrade ranks third in Europe for the development of artificial intelligence, surpassed only by London and Vienna. In this field, Serbia has prominent representatives in the largest and most respectable organisations around the world, in companies such as Google, DeepMind, YouTube, AWS, IBM, Microsoft and others. The same applies to the world’s most recognized universities and international organizations. In November 2022, Serbia became a member of the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence and was thus included among the 29 countries that have access to the latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence and the opportunity to contribute to the development of technology that will shape the future of the economy, as does today the hyper-topical ChatGPT.

Among the 29 member states of the GPAI, which include the UK, U.S., Israel, Singapore, Germany, Australia, Brazil, India and Japan, Serbia is the first in Southeast Europe to join this initiative and, along with Slovenia, is the leader in the region.

CHATGPT HAS A BRILLIANT FORECAST FOR OUR COUNTRY

ChatGPT, a program that simulates dialogue with the help of artificial intelligence, was launched in late 2022 and was seen by many as “the beginning of the artificial intelligence revolution”. And since it has been a real attraction here for some time, many have already become familiar with its possibilities. The results, it turns out, can be very interesting.

KRAGUJEVAC DATA CENTRE TO GET AN INNOVATION DISTRICT

In addition to the existing two state-of-the-art facilities of the State Data Center, which were built according to the highest technical and security standards, the future Innovation District is emerging in Kragujevac, the first in Serbia and the only one in this part of Europe. The innovation district will cover 56,000 square metres and is designed as an innovative digital centre with entertainment and sports facilities. The centre will be intended for members of the IT community, but will also be open to the public.

The National Centre for Information Security will have a special place, and there will also be separate areas for IT, then a smart city centre for the development of smart energy systems, networking of smart infrastructure, a centre for the promotion of digitalisation, a section for bio-informatics and bioengineering with research space and laboratories, and an educational centre for training students.

The Innovation District will also house the fifth science and technology park in Serbia, meaning more new jobs for engineers, IT workers and for residents of Kragujevac and the surrounding area.

When asked by one of our daily newspapers what Serbians can expect in 2023, ChatGPT was very optimistic.

“In 2023, Serbians will have a vastly improved life,” said ChatGPT. “The economic situation will stabilise and most people will be able to earn enough money for their basic needs. Infrastructure

will be improved, with stronger and faster networks, which will make everyday life easier. In this regard, digitalisation is in full swing, with an increasing number of services being offered online. The quality of health care will greatly improve, with new and advanced technologies becoming available. Progress will also be seen in education, with a stronger emphasis on innovation and adaptation to new technology. The political system will be reformed, with stronger respect for democratic principles. The judicial system will be improved, with more respect for certain rights. In 2023, the people of Serbia will have the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of a better life.”

SERBIA HAS A 2020-2025 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

The Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in Serbia from 2020 to 2025 defines three key areas in which artificial intelligence can contribute to the public good and the provision of higher quality services. These are public administration, health and medicine and urban transport, road infrastructure and mobility. As part of public administration reform, progress has been made in establishing user-oriented electronic administration, but the further development of electronic services requires the application of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence. In the healthcare system, artificial intelligence significantly improves early diagnostics, ensures better availability of all resources and equipment and optimizes their use, and contributes to improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare services.

And finally, the application of artificial intelligence can improve traffic planning and flow, enabling the optimisation of traffic signals and real-time traffic management.

WE SHALL SOON BE ABLE TO DETECT RARE DISEASES FASTER

The Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Novi Sad is creating an algorithm that will detect rare diseases, and as it develops it should improve diagnostics for chronic diseases too. In cooperation with the University Clinical Centre of Serbia, the University Children’s Clinic of Tiršova and the Clinical Hospital Centre of Zemun, this Institute is developing a project that should detect rare diseases at an early stage, which is often crucial to combat them. The Institute’s researchers are currently collecting data and medical expertise, and developing an algorithm to create a rapid and reliable diagnostician.

“We are creating an algorithm that will be more stupid than any human, but will be able to process a huge amount of data in a very short time and thus perhaps identify a rare disease. For the first tests, we chose Fabry disease, after that we will also study Hunter syndrome”, says Dr Branka Rakić, leader of the AI in Healthcare and Lifescience research group. Scientists will develop the algorithm for the next year to a year and a half, after which it will be tested in the participating hospitals.

WE SHALL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

By 2030, the development of artificial intelligence will affect more than 15 percent of the growth of GDP, which is why the Government of Serbia, as announced several times, will continue investing in this branch. Prime Minister Ana Brnabić also announced the adoption of guidelines for the ethical use of artificial intelligence so it can be exploited for faster growth of our economy and industry, with greater productivity and competitiveness on the market. What is encouraging is the fact that today in Serbia the entire government, public administration and local governments, the public sector from healthcare to energy to social protection, uses artificial intelligence, and thanks to this, people can enjoy better services.

BELGRADE SCHOOLCHILDREN SHARE A DESK WITH A ROBOT

What we could only see in science fiction movies until a few years ago is now a reality for the pupils of a Belgrade primary school – they spend their classes and long vacations with a real humanoid robot. This is a ‘child’ of modern technology, and thanks to the artificial intelligence that drives it, it plays an important role in the educational process.

The robot is a valuable teaching tool that allows teachers to greatly improve the quality of their lessons and gain a better insight into the progress of their students. With the help of this little friend, students can more easily acquire a knowledge of STEM subjects, programming and robotics and become familiar with technology that will be an important tool for their career success tomorrow.

Thanks to the sophisticated technology that drives it, the robot establishes contact with each child, recognizes their emotions and adapts to them, helping them in their schoolwork and selflessly sharing knowledge with them.

DRONES IN AGRICULTURE SAVE TIME AND MONEY

Farmers from Čurug and the surrounding area who attended a promotion of the latest technological achievements were convinced that drones can have many uses in agriculture and that, in addition to better yield and healthier fruit, it can also provide large savings.

When the use of agricultural drones in the cultivation of wheat and barley was held at the end of February, it was emphasised that drones can be used in connection with artificial fertilisers, spraying, irrigation, crop control and terrain mapping. The main advantage of drones is that there is no trampling of crops. In conditions of heavy rain, when agricultural machinery cannot enter a field, drones can be used at the right time, which leads to savings of fertilisers and better protection of plants. This is especially true for emerging infections, as it allows for immediate treatment.

Spraying one hectare with a drone takes five to seven minutes, depending on the type of treatment. Using a drone, fuel savings can be 100% and there is no pollution of crops with the by-products of burnt fuels. Also, 100% savings are achieved on the depreciation of tractors and attached machinery, and about 60 per cent of the time spent in the field is saved.

The Impact Of 5G Technology On Business

5G is one of the latest technology buzzwords in the business world. It sets the scene for advanced remote control, intelligent transportation, and workplace automation. 5G technology is developing rapidly to enable the next generation of wireless communications and power the metaverse. It is paving the way for more than just super-fast data transfer. The question is, what does that look like?

THE NEW GENERATION OF NETWORKS

Since the first mobile phone call was made in 1973, the mobile industry has seen breathtaking advances. On 1st December, 2018, South Korea became the world’s first 5G country. Ever since, mobile devices have changed our world by reshaping how we communicate, engage in business, and access information. Following this event, many countries started adopting 5G technology in 2020 and are set to increase data usage exponentially as more people get on board with all the benefits this

technology has to offer.

To understand where we are today, due to the inevitable rise in wireless standards from 1G to 6G, it is useful to chart their unstoppable spread across the globe.

1G TECHNOLOGY (1979)

NTT introduced the first generation of mobile networks to Japan in 1979 and, by 1984, had expanded coverage throughout its home country.

The first generation of mobile telecommunications technology, which went into

operation in 1983, made it possible for users to make and receive calls on handheld devices such as the Motorola DynaTAC. Canada was among the countries that adopted 1G shortly after its introduction.

But 1G technology suffered from several drawbacks: poor coverage, low sound quality, and the lack of roaming support between various operators. As different systems operated on different frequency ranges, they had no compatibility. When switching carriers or travelling internationally, making

or receiving calls was extremely expensive.

Furthermore, the calls were not encrypted, so they could easily be intercepted. Despite its drawbacks and hefty price tag, DynaTAC still managed to rack up an astonishing 20 million global subscribers by 1990. The success of 1G paved the way for 2G –appropriately dubbed such due to technical advancements like better processing power.

2G TECHNOLOGY (1991)

The second generation of mobile networks— known as 2G—was first implemented in

Finland under the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard in 1991. With this system, encrypted calls were possible for the first time, and digital voice calling was significantly clearer with less static or background crackling than traditional analogue services had been able to provide.

But 2G was about far more than just making phone calls; it also enabled the transmission of text messages and multimedia content, transforming communications in ways no one could have foreseen. By the time 2G came along, 1G was already well-es-

tablished. This meant that people enthusiastically adopted 2G—and it became hugely popular among consumers and businesses.

Although the transmission speeds in 2G networks were slow at first—around 237 kbps (0.2 Mbps)— mobile-phone operators invested heavily in building new infrastructure such as mobile cell towers since there was so much demand for the service.

Despite relatively sluggish speeds, 2G revolutionised the business landscape and changed the world forever. Moving from snail-paced dial-up Internet connections to blazing fast mobile broadband (relatively speaking compared to what we are used to today, of course) was like going from cave paintings to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel—in just a few years.

3G TECHNOLOGY (2000)

In 2001, NTT DoCoMo launched 3G and standardised the network protocol used by vendors. This meant that users could access data from any location worldwide—as long as their phones were equipped to use it. No longer would travellers be limited to their home country’s phone services when travelling abroad.

The increased speed of data transfer made possible by 3G networks allowed for the proliferation of new services such as video conferencing, streaming media, and voice-over IP (such as Skype). In 2002, the Blackberry smartphone was launched—many powerful features of this device were enabled by its ability to connect via 3G.

4G TECHNOLOGY (2008)

The transition from 2G phone networks to 3G was simple: users just needed new SIM cards. However, making the leap up to 4G was a more complicated matter as it required that phones be built with this capability in mind.

This change made it possible for device manufacturers to scale their profits dramatically and was one factor behind Apple’s rise to become the world’s first trillion-dollar company.

According to Statista, approximately 4.7 billion users will use 4G/LTE by 2023, becoming the standard worldwide.

A CLOSER LOOK AT 5G AND ITS CURRENT IMPACT

The development of 5G technology dates from 2008, with the aim to make better use of the radio spectrum and enable many

To understand where we are today, due to the inevitable rise in wireless standards from 1G to 6G, it is useful to chart their unstoppable spread across the globe

devices to be connected simultaneously. It uses higher frequency waves with shorter wavelengths than previous generations.

5G is much better at handling thousands of devices simultaneously, meaning that a single network can handle mobile phones and equipment sensors—among many other forms of hardware—without slowing down.

The higher-frequency radio bands in which 5G operates - 3.5GHz (gigahertz) to 26GHz and beyond - have much greater capacity than their predecessors. Still, some infrastructure issues are created because cell towers must be spaced more closely to achieve a good signal. In addition, 5G wireless technology is designed to deliver much higher peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, and greater reliability and capacity than previous networks—allowing more users per cell and better performance in dense urban areas.

For 5G to work, the most important cellphone companies in the world will need to install many more transmitters and receivers near homes. It is a significant investment, requiring these companies to be wholly committed to the technology; further negotiations with small towns and municipalities over placing smaller boxes may also be necessary.

Nowadays, of the countries that have begun the 5G rollout, China and the United States lead with a combined 652 cities where 5G is available. The Philippines has been able to roll out active connections in 98 cities—making it closest in terms of its rollout schedule.

As leaders focus on building new opportunities and compelling technologies, including the WiFi 6E standard and private 5G networks, they will shift their attention away from simply staying operational.

Executives can benefit from the increasing value that wireless infrastructure and applications unlock by leveraging new location-based services within their networks. In other words, organisations are capable of developing entirely new services and insights that can support their evolving business objectives.

Already, 5G has impacted many organisations, so let’s look at a few examples:

MAKING REMOTE WORK POSSIBLE

With the advent of 5G wireless, people no longer have to be tied down by a mandatory location. With high-speed internet available anywhere, people have the freedom to live anywhere they wish. In fact, as carriers upgrade the network, people living in rural areas and other broadband dead zones will gain access to high-speed internet. This will significantly help the local economy and connect more populations that have traditionally been isolated due to a lack of access to fibre optics that would allow them to connect to more populated areas.

BRINGING EDGE COMPUTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

5G will enable the creation of new edge computing systems that augment cloud infrastructure. By using advanced networking technology, businesses that engage in frequent transactions (such as FinTech companies and mobile banking) or need real-time interaction with their users (such as online gaming providers and live sports broadcasters) can now offer incredibly fast services in sub-10ms latency.

IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF APPS

5G already provides substantial improvements over its predecessors in predictability,

As mobile networks increase bandwidth and enhance the quality and quantity of content delivered to mobile devices— such as smartphones or tablets— 5G’s benefits will be even more evident for a more user-friendly experience

which translates into reliable application performance for business users. As mobile networks increase bandwidth and enhance the quality and quantity of content delivered to mobile devices—such as smartphones or tablets—5G’s benefits will be even more evident for a more user-friendly experience.

USING AI AND AUTOMATION TO ENABLE NEW INNOVATIONS

Many companies like Amazon, through Amazon Web Services (AWS), have already begun using new automation and artificial intelligence technologies that depend on faster download speeds.

As businesses prepare for the future and modernise, 5G’s lower latency and faster speeds will be difficult to ignore-especially when combined with automation.

ANALYSING PRODUCT AND PROCESS PERFORMANCE

5G technology makes data a commodity that everyone can access. With the ability to collect so much data in real-time with low latency (almost 100% uptime), we can gain insights into product and process performance that were never before possible. Understanding trending data helps us recognise patterns or issues, allowing for better predictions and therefore improving internal processes, services, and products, among many other things, for optimisation of enterprises and organisations.

A FEW EXAMPLES OF 5G TECHNOLOGY

5G technology will enable new types of intelligent devices to communicate with one another and with their users. These devices can be integrated into various systems, allowing them to self-organise to address a broad spectrum of applications and services. Here are some examples.

SMART CITIES

One of 5G’s primary uses is for smart city applications, such as the Alba Iulia Smart City in Romani. This smart city has traffic monitors, parking sensors, and waste management systems. With the advent of 5G, factories will accommodate an influx of robots on assembly lines and drones for lastmile deliveries. Cars will communicate with one another to avoid hazards or accidents and become fully automated.

Alba Iulia is a relatively small city, but it is an excellent example of the potential of WiFi and IoT connectivity powered by 5G to transform how citizens interact with the government — as well as businesses and visitors — could improve everyone’s lives.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

The automotive industry is poised to experience significant changes in the future with connected and autonomous vehicles— including driverless cars on 5G networks. With the advent of 5G technology, we will see a new wave of business models. The faster response times made possible by low latency data streams means businesses can deploy more complex applications—and get back to their customers faster.

integrate with gNB (5G NodeB) and operator networks. These innovations make it easier for operators to implement 5G technologies in their connected-car and cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) applications—and provide mobile hotspots as an additional source of revenue in nonroaming markets.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

Recently, T-Mobile and Qualcomm have partnered to build augmented reality (AR) applications for smart glasses (such as the Niantic Planet-Scale AR Alliance powered by 5G). The new participants will work alongside other developers and entrepreneurs to build immersive AR experiences for smart glasses using T-Mobile’s 5G network.

With its gigabit speeds and next-generation technology, T-Mobile’s new 5G network is ushering in a new era of mobile computing. And with the Snapdragon Spaces XR developer

Ford and Mercedes-Benz and companies such as John Deere rely on intelligent technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) to power smart factories. Now they are looking at how 5G can drive further innovation in their facilities

A U.S.-based start-up, Movandi, develops 5G ecosystems for connected vehicles. All 5G mmWave bands are supported by the company’s integrated antenna modules and radio-frequency chips. Movandi’s algorithms and systems enhance signal coverage while eliminating self-interference.

Furthermore, Movandi BeamXR technology allows smart repeaters to seamlessly

platform, you can create augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), or other immersive experiences that transform smartphones into powerful pocket computers.

SMART FACTORIES

Ford and Mercedes-Benz are using 5G technology to build smarter factories. Ford and Mercedes-Benz and companies such as John Deere rely on intelligent technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) to power smart factories. Now they are looking at how 5G can drive further innovation in their facilities.

Private 5G networks—networks that don’t share traffic with other cellular networks in the vicinity—play an important role in these factories as they are gaining traction around the world since regulators allocate more spectrum to enterprises.