S4AI Hub at the Western Balkans Digital Summit 2025 in Skopje
At the prestigious Western Balkans Digital Summit (WBDS) 2025, held from October 1 to October 2 in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje, Science and Technology Park Niš and S4AI Hub had prominent participation as representatives of Serbia in the field of digital transformation and development of artificial intelligence.
On behalf of S4AI Hub, which is coordinated by STP Niš, Ivan Pavlović, project manager, participated in the WB6 EDIH Cooperation panel, where he presented Serbia’s perspective in the context of economic transition and regional development. In his presentation, Pavlović pointed out the cause-and-effect relationships between uneven development, distribution of capital and human resources, as well as limited access to investments and research and development capacities. He emphasized that these factors, especially in the southern and western parts of Serbia, led to slower progress in the process of digital transformation compared to more developed regions such as Belgrade and Vojvodina.
Through the work of the S4AI Hub, Pavlović pointed out that the network of RISC centers enables the decentralized provision of digital transformation services, which ensures more even access to advanced technologies in different parts of the country. As a driving force behind the development of the innovation ecosystem in the Southern and Eastern Serbia region, STP Niš successfully integrates the needs of the society and the economy through the S4AI Hub consortium, providing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as public institutions, with support in the digitalization process based on artificial intelligence solutions and the principles of Industry 5.0.
WBDS 2025, koji su zajednički organizovali Ministarstvo za digitalnu transformaciju Severne Makedonije i Regionalni savet za saradnju (RCC), okupio je više od 800 učesnika, među kojima su bili predstavnici vlada, Evropske komisije, ITU-a, akademske zajednice i poslovnog sektora. Ovogodišnji samit bio je fokusiran na tri ključne oblasti:
- Digital wallet – safe and simple access to public and private services;
- Interoperability – connecting systems and registers for the development of regional e-services;
- Cyber security – protection of personal data and critical infrastructure.
Current topics such as artificial intelligence, 5G and optical infrastructure, digital skills, and access to the EU’s single digital market were discussed at the Technology Stage. The active participation of S4AI Hub contributed to the recognition of the Science and Technology Park Niš as an important actor in connecting the region and spreading the influence of digital transformation beyond Serbia’s borders.
