BELGRADE – Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Hub, a business incubator for technological entrepreneurs, officially opened on Tuesday, November 4, 2014.   ICT Hub is the largest start-up investment in Serbia, valued at USD 700,000, and the first USAID Public Private Partnership project designed in Serbia.  It is a co-investment by USAID and a consortia led by two Serbian companies:  Orion Telekom and DNA Advertising.  Other partners include the Serbian Association of Managers (SAM) and Serbian Private Equity Association (SPEA).

The event was attended by Ambassador Michael D. Kirby, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić, many other respected guests from the international, business, and start-up communities, including representatives from the largest IT companies in Serbia and the region. 

“The information technology industry is one of the most prosperous industries in Serbia.  The market for application software development, which is one of the fastest growing markets in the world, offers great opportunities for young Serbian developers,” said Ambassador Kirby.

The ICT Hub was created to foster technological entrepreneurship among young people in Serbia.  By adopting successful principles from the “Start-up Hub” of Silicon Valley, the ICT Hub provides full technological support, mentorship, and state-of-the-art working conditions for individuals who are ready to develop and launch their own business.  This incubator enables them to meet in one place, exchange experiences, make partnerships, start joint projects, and create new business opportunities.  Its methodologies serve as a model for innovation and creativity in the IT sector and beyond. 

“We expect that the ICT Hub will contribute to a greater number of IT companies in Serbia, and also to the development of entrepreneurship among young people.  The special significance of this project is that both youth and the IT sector were recognized as priorities for the country's development by the Government of the Republic of Serbia,” pointed out Dejan Ranđić, one of the founders of ICT Hub.