A business summit held in Munich saw 99 Western Balkan suppliers, including 22 from Serbia, engage in productive discussions with 20 major German firms. This event is part of the ongoing “German Initiative for Finding Suppliers in the Western Balkans,” which has been fostering stronger business ties and increasing the representation of Balkan companies in German supply chains for a decade, as detailed by the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK).
The initiative specifically aims to bridge connections between German enterprises and suppliers from various sectors such as metalworking, automotive, and plastics manufacturing, with an emphasis on those from Serbia and its neighboring countries. The German companies participating are searching for reliable suppliers capable of handling both large and small scale orders flexibly.
Alexander Markus, a executive member of the AHK’s Board of Directors, lauded the initiative for enhancing supply chain frameworks in Serbia and throughout the region. He highlighted the initiative’s success in promoting supply diversity among German businesses, thanks in part to the geographic closeness and the ability to handle tailored and on-demand orders which have piqued German interest in Balkan suppliers.
Trade between Germany and Serbia has seen a consistent upward trend, with notable growth figures over the past years. Markus praised the Serbian partners for their reliability, noting that German companies have experienced minimal issues in their dealings. Nonetheless, he acknowledged certain logistical hurdles related to border crossings and discussed significant future challenges like the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which will profoundly influence future collaborations.
Adding to the discussion, Olaf Holzgrefe from the German Association for Supply Chain Management (BME) highlighted that the project is a component of the Berlin Process initiated in 2014. He revealed that over the past decade, approximately 5,000 B2B meetings have been arranged with leading companies from the Western Balkans, illustrating the enduring commitment to enhancing regional economic ties.
