Speakers

President of the National Assembly of Serbia

Matjaž Han was elected deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia in six consecutive elections, and he has been the head of the Social Democrats deputy group since 2013. He has served two terms as Chair of the Committee on the Economy of the National Assembly. He graduated from the Upper Secondary School of Commerce in Celje and from 1992 to 2004 he was the managing director of a family business, which continues to operate successfully on the Slovenian and international markets today. He was first elected as a municipal councillor in 1998 and chaired the municipal Committee on the Economy until 2002. In 2006, he was elected Mayor of the Municipality of Radeče. The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia appointed him Minister of Economic Development and Technology on 1 June 2022. Due to the reorganization of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, he swore as Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sports on 24 January 2023.

Maja Tomanic Vidovic is a strategic leader dedicated to fostering growth and innovation of entrepreneurship, SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups across Europe. Holding a Master's Degree in Economics with a specialization in economic and business finance, Maja is recognized for her high level of responsibility and integrity, her results-oriented approach, and her long-term vision. She is committed to developmental and humanitarian efforts and excels in working within international and multi-cultural teams. Since 2007, Maja has served as the Executive Director of the Slovene Enterprise Fund in Slovenia. Under her leadership, the fund manages a portfolio of cca. EUR 900 million diverse debt, equity, and grants financed by the national budget and European structural funds. With over 20 years of professional experience, Maja has developed a robust international profile in finance and in European institutions. She has cooperated with the European Commission in Brussels in the field of investment banking and equity investments, in EU economic surveillance and state aid, and on key reforms in the entrepreneur sector in Slovenia and our region. She is also a university teaching professional in entrepreneurship and business finance.

Ciyong Zou is a Deputy to the Director General and the Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development The Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development oversees the Organization’s normative contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, in addition to supporting and advancing the application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development in the environment, energy, and SME areas. Advancing competitiveness and job creation are also key impact dimensions for the Directorate, in addition to the advancement of digitalization and artificial intelligence.  Mr Zou is also the Director General’s Special Representative for the G77 and China.  At UNIDO since 2013, Zou is the architect of UNIDO’s Programme for Country Partnership, and has guided the Organization’s field and strategic engagements.   Before joining UNIDO, he performed multiple roles, including as Deputy Director General of International Department at the Chinese Ministry of Finance, Alternate to the Chinese Executive Director at the World Bank, and Global Environmental Facility Operational Focal Point for China.   Zou holds a Ph.D. in Economics from China’s Ministry of Finance Graduate School, Research Institute for Fiscal Science. 

Dr. Popović Pantić is a Senior Research Associate at the Mihajlo Pupin Institute. Her expertise is entrepreneurship, innovation management, and research & development. She obtained PhD degree in female entrepreneurship in 2013 from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Belgrade. She is the head of the Science and Technology Policy Research Center, engaged in different EU-funded projects. She has been chairing the European Women's Entrepreneurship Group of Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) since 2015. She is the author of three books and first author in many papers published in respective scientific journals.

Prof. Niko Herakovič is the head of the Chair for Manufacturing Technologies and Systems as well as the head of Laboratory LASIM at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana. He received his Ph.D. at the RWTH Aachen, Germany. He is known for being closely linked to the transfer of knowledge to industry, especially related to Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing. Together with his team he developed and built the Smart Manufacturing Demo center, the only one in Slovenia and broader region, which includes all main technologies of the I4.0, including Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twins. In line with these activities, he was the initiator and conceptual leader in the design of the concept for the national smart factory demo center in Slovenia. For the Yaskawe Electric Corporation from Japan, he and his team of researchers planned the first robot factory in Europe - in Slovenia by using digital twin and AI technology before construction even began. He received the prestigious state Puch Award for his approach and achievement. Lately, he was a member of the experts involved in the conceptual development of the SMIC center in Novi Sad.

Rudi Panjtar, a distinguished figure in the technology landscape, boasts a multifaceted career spanning several industries. With a foundation in electrical engineering, he has navigated through roles encompassing software development, project management, and strategic leadership. Panjtar's journey includes significant contributions to companies ranging from laboratory equipment manufacturers to software firms, where he played pivotal roles in driving digitalization, innovation, and market expansion. His expertise extends across diverse domains, from embedded systems and barcode technology to network infrastructure and computer vision. Panjtar's leadership has been instrumental in steering companies through transformative phases, from conceptualizing and executing large-scale projects to forging strategic partnerships and securing funding from entities like the European Union. Notably, Panjtar has been deeply involved in shaping national and European agendas, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and process control technologies. His leadership of SRIP Factories of the future with proactive engagement in Slovenian Smart Specialisation Strategy and initiatives like the Slovenian AI Strategy, his leadership roles in technological networks underscore his commitment to driving technological advancement at both regional and global levels. As Managing Director of KC STV, Panjtar continues to spearhead initiatives at the forefront of advanced control technologies, integrating AI into industrial processes and solidifying his reputation as a visionary leader shaping the future of technology in Europe.

Professor, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Department of Computing and Control

Dr. Miro Govedarica, a Full Professor at the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Science, Serbia, is a leading figure in geoinformatics. With a prolific publication record and leadership roles in international and national research projects, he's at the forefront of innovation. His expertise spans software engineering, Geospatial Databases, and the development of Geoinformation Systems. Additionally, he's deeply involved in advancing Spatial Data Infrastructure and exploring emerging geoinformatics trends such as geoservices, geosensor networks, geoAI, and big data analytics in education and industry. Dr. Govedarica's work not only shapes academia but also influences the practical applications of geoinformatics.

Mr. Aleksei Savrasov is an Industrial Development Officer in the Division of Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence Strategies at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Based in Vienna, he is responsible for coordinating technical cooperation projects with a focus on applying AI and other advanced technologies for industrial development. His work entails enhancing value chains, fostering innovation ecosystems, developing industrial clusters, and formulating national and sectoral strategies, and legal frameworks to support technology transfer and capacity development in manufacturing sectors of developing countries. Prior to his current role at UNIDO, Aleksei led a section of the international business cooperation department at the World Trade Center Moscow, coordinating sectoral initiatives across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. His professional background spans a variety of roles in the private sector, business associations, and academia in the UK and the Russian Federation, concentrating on international economic and technological development, including intellectual property commercialization.

Ema Hujić is a distinguished software and system engineer with expertise in automation and electronics. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Sarajevo, specializing in mobile robot motion planning. At ATech BH, Ema leads the software development of a solution that coordinates the execution of manufacturing operations (MESBox). Additionally, she works on the development of innovative software for microcontroller-based displays. Previously, at BS Telecom Solutions, she worked on a design, development and delivery of ITS (Intelligent transportation system) software. This software serves as the central system for controlling and supervising motorways across multiple countries. With proficiency in various communication protocols and many programming languages including C, Java and Python, Ema excels in GUI development, control algorithms, and data management, driving significant advancements in automation technology.

Rubén Carrandi is Senior Project Manager at EBN, the European network of business incubators and accelerators, created by the European Union in 1984, which today is an independent association with more than 165 members worldwide. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economy and another one in Business Management, and a Masters Degree in International Business Management. At EBN, Rubén works in the design and implementation of projects that support business accelerators and entrepreneurs. He has led EU and non-EU innovation and digitalization projects with a focus con Europe, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Currently, among other responsibilities, he is the project manager for EBN of the EU-LAC Digital Accelerator, a project to connect corporates and startups from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean through Open Innovation.

Sinisa Marcic is a Senior Expert on Human Capital Development covering innovation, research and development at the Regional Cooperation Council, an intergovernmental organisation based in Sarajevo. Alongside research and academic experience from Australia and Europe, he worked on several assignments in the Western Balkans. As a senior policymaker, he was in charge of designing policies and furthering international cooperation in the field of science, innovation, technology development and higher education. He holds a PhD degree in International Politics from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Natasa Batricevic is a Senior Adviser for Industrial Policy and Development within Ministry of Economic Development of Montenegro. Her field of expertise is entrepreneurship and SMEs, industry and innovation. She has been engaged in strategic planning and designing of several strategies and policies such as Industrial Policy, Smart Specialization Strategy S3, Innovation Strategy, as well as Law on Innovation activity, Law on Incentive Measures for Research and Innovation, etc. As member of working group for Chapter 20 Entrepreneurship and Industrial Policy, she is involved in thematic part of Innovation and Technological Development and has experience in designing and implementing several financial scheme programmes for industry and innovation.