emerging-europe.com<https://emerging-europe.com/it-sector-in-focus-serbia/> IT sector in focus: Serbia Emerging Europe Staff 4–5 minutes ________________________________
With ICT exports at 5.02 per cent of GDP and value added at 8.51 per cent, Serbia has built the Balkans’ most export-oriented tech sector. Serbia has assembled one of the region’s most impressive tech sectors. ICT exports reached 5.02 per cent of GDP in 2024—the second-highest among surveyed countries after Estonia (excluding Cyprus)—whilst value added stood at 8.51 per cent, second only to Cyprus. Computer services exports tripled in absolute terms between 2020 and 2024. Value added doubled. These are not the metrics of an emerging sector. They represent a mature, globally competitive industry. The country ranks 56th globally in StartupBlink’s 2025 rankings, down three spots, and 14th in Eastern Europe. Social and leisure leads, ranking 43rd globally and 10th in Eastern Europe with 29 start-ups (12 per cent of the total). Between 2017 and 2025, Serbia attracted over 305 million US dollars in start-up investment. Remarkably, funding surged 705 per cent between 2023 and 2024, even as deal numbers fell 31 per cent—suggesting a few large rounds rather than broad-based growth. Belgrade dominates the ecosystem, followed by Novi Sad and Niš. Progress includes launching the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, focusing on biotechnology and AI in healthcare. Promising areas include blockchain, AI, and agritech, with start-ups like Agremo using AI to improve farming. Government support operates through the Serbia Innovation Fund, Serbia Ventures, and the Strategy for Startup Ecosystem Development, which integrates entrepreneurship into education. Serbia’s digital transformation follows EU-aligned priorities. Since January 2025, Serbia joined the European Digital Innovation Hubs network and participates in the Digital Europe Programme, EU Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans, EU4Digital, and Wifi4WB initiatives. The government service portal continues upgrading, with further e-government services expansion. Serbia launched the 5G frequency auction and has transposed the EU 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox, though full implementation including supplier risk assessments remains incomplete. Alignment with the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Network and Information Security 2 Directive, and European Digital Identity Framework requires continued effort. Reinvantage’s IT Competitiveness Index<https://reinvantage.org/future-of-it-report-2026/> places Serbia ninth out of 32 countries, above Greece by 1.42 points and below Czechia by 1.1 points. The country ranked 13th last year. Without new countries joining, Serbia would rank eighth—a genuine five-position improvement amongst the original cohort. Performance is strong in Future Technologies (seventh) but weaker in IT Infrastructure (16th). Average gross ICT salaries stood at 2,665 euros in 2024, representing 92 per cent growth since 2020—significantly above the 63.4 per cent average and the 64 per cent economy-wide wage growth. ICT employment reached almost 126,000, up 39 per cent since 2020, whilst total employment remained essentially flat (0.1 per cent change). ICT’s share of employment rose from 3.13 per cent to 4.35 per cent. Students in ICT-related fields are estimated to have grown 11 per cent between 2020 and 2024. Graduates increased almost 31 per cent, securing future labour supply. ICT exports surged from 2.94 per cent of GDP in 2020 to 5.02 per cent in 2024, with a significant spike in 2022. Value added climbed from 6.32 per cent (already high) to 8.51 per cent. Serbia benefited from Russian IT specialist immigration following 2022, visible in the export surge that year. The sector, however, was already well-developed and growing before external factors accelerated momentum. Serbia has built genuine capabilities: a large, skilled workforce; strong export orientation; competitive salaries; and improving rankings. Whether it can maintain trajectory depends on continued infrastructure investment and talent retention. You can find out more about Serbia’s tech sector, as well as those of 31 other countries, in the Reinvantage Future of IT 2026 report<https://reinvantage.org/future-of-it-report-2026/>. ________________________________ Photo: Dreamstime. -- http:www.antic.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SERBIAN NEWS NETWORK" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/senet/IA1PR84MB30366E9E45AE227A7865E63FAE57A%40IA1PR84MB3036.NAMPRD84.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM.
