SMIC hosts its first international conference “Enabling Progress: Industry 4.0 in Western Balkans” with remarkable success

The “Enabling Progress: Industry 4.0 in Western Balkans” conference, held from June 12-13, 2024, at the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Novi Sad brought together over 100 participants from the Western Balkans region including key stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and international organizations, all committed to enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the manufacturing sector in the Western Balkans.

The event commenced with the Opening Ceremony and Inauguration of the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre (SMIC). Esteemed speakers included Srdjan Barac, Special Advisor at Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Serbia, Matjaž Han, Minister of Economy, Tourism, and Sport of Slovenia, Maja Tomanic Vidovic, Director of Slovene Enterprise Fund and Ciyong Zou, Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director of UNIDO.  The afternoon session featured an Organized Tour of the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre, providing attendees with an in-depth understanding of the facilities and capabilities of the newly inaugurated center.

The second day began with a session on “Transforming SMEs to Achieve Success in the Era of Industry 4.0”, featuring insights from Prof. Miro Govedarica of the University of Novi Sad and Rubén Carrandi from the European Business and Innovation Centre Network. This was followed by a Panel Discussion on the Innovation Landscape of the Western Balkans, where panelists, including Nataša Batrićević from the Ministry for Economic Development Montenegro, Sanja Popović – Pantić from the Mihajlo Pupin Institute, Rudi Pantjar, Competence center for advanced control technologies – KCSTV, Slovenia and Sinisa Marcic, Regional Cooperation Council, explored current technological challenges and opportunities in the region.

Prof. Niko Herakovič led a workshop on Smart Manufacturing and Digital Twins, delving into the key developments and technologies driving Industry 4.0.

The conference concluded with a B2B Matchmaking session, providing an opportunity for participants to engage in productive business discussions and forge new partnerships.

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