How Swiss-Serbia public-private partnership is rewriting the growth playbook for Adria’s SMEs
In the Adria region, ambition has never been in short supply — structure has. Few people see that gap more clearly than Aleksandar Goračinov, Director of the SME HUB, Swiss–Serbian public–private partnership between the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and ICT Hub, where local companies learn what it truly takes to enter the world’s most demanding supply chains. He argues that the fastest way to unlock growth isn’t only a better product or a bigger market, but the discipline to build processes and organization that endure. This is where Switzerland’s business culture meets Adria’s entrepreneurial fire — and where companies discover whether they are ready for the next decade.
What is the single biggest obstacle holding back small and midsize companies in the Adria region — and what unlocks their growth fastest?
From our experience at SME HUB, the biggest obstacle isn’t just the market — it’s also the lack of clear internal organization structure. Many SMEs grow quickly and energetically, but their organizational processes don’t keep pace. The moment a company tries to enter serious supply chains, it becomes obvious that product quality alone isn’t enough; you need established processes, traceability and a level of predictability that large companies take for granted.
What unlocks growth fastest is a concrete roadmap: a clear vision of where the business is going and what standards it must meet. Once an entrepreneur understands what a major buyer expects — and which processes must be in place — transformation begins immediately. We see this every day at SME HUB: when companies get the right guidance, the speed of change surprises even them.
Which lessons from the Swiss business environment do regional entrepreneurs tend to overlook — especially those critical for entering stable supplier networks?
Consistency. In Swiss business culture, every agreement counts. Delivery times, quality, communication, documentation — all of it carries equal weight. In Serbia and the region we have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, but also the habit of solving problems ad hoc. That flexibility helps at the beginning, but not when you step into the orbit of global companies.
After years of working both with large corporations and SMEs, I can say that for a supplier, the real differentiator is whether the necessary standards and internal processes function like a Swiss watch. Big companies assume that organizational capabilities are already at the right level. Understanding — and adopting — that expectation is one of the key lessons that leads SMEs toward stable, long-term partnerships.
If you were advising a young founder on how to build a company that can withstand the next decade of change, what would you tell them?
Build the system from day one — and minimise improvisation.
That means having a clear vision of what you’re striving toward and a strategy for implementing your goals, while staying adaptable. Through SME HUB we see that the fastest progress comes from founders who strengthen their internal organization in parallel with growth.
My second piece of advice: treat partnerships as long-term strategic assets. Companies become more resilient when they work with major buyers, meet their standards and gain the chance to learn. Openness, trust and the willingness to adapt to market demands pay off far more in the long run than trying to do everything alone. That’s the path to sustainable growth in a world changing faster than ever.