Cluster

Why to Become a Member of ICT Cluster of Central Serbia?

A business association, ICT Cluster of Central Serbia Kragujevac, has been established as an actual need of Central Serbia IT Sector for MSPP that they augment their visibility on the global market and improve business operations through the joint appearance. Members can have a financial gain directly through the Cluster’s access to domestic and foreign funds, which cannot be the case individually or can be with great difficulty. Direct business contacts, data exchange on events in ICT sector and programs are additional important advantages and benefits as for membership in the Cluster.  More favourable and free-of-charge participation in educational programs, trainings from up-to-date fields, B2B meetings and other programs organized by the Cluster directly affect the elevation of competitiveness level and the increase in the range of company services. With joint appearance, members can achieve significant financial benefits in the sphere of purchasing, innovations, marketing, financial, legal and other services. Overall costs independently set aside by the company for promoting, increasing and improving of business operations are in many ways higher than investing by means of cluster’s monthly membership fee.

Direct Financial Gain

ICT Cluster of Central Serbia renders assistance in projects preparation, providing funds for their accomplishments and gives possibility for profit increase through new business opportunities. Membership in Cluster offers direct possibility for participation in national and EU projects. The process from company’s concept/need, finding the suitable program, often inclusion of partners in greater projects, safe inflow of money, lobbying, hiring of consulting companies and new staff for conducting the project requires a lot of costs and precious time. The Cluster’s member has direct gain from the Cluster’s services and program with augmenting and expanding the services offered by the company, making of own products, investing in training and education of employees. Focused on its business operations and work with clients, the company saves the spared time and money for setting the position and increasing the competitiveness on the market.

Be Visible on the Global Market

ICT Cluster as Central Serbia Entrepreneur Association, the member of the Cluster Network in the territory of our country and Clusters networked across other geographic regions, offers direct visibility of your Company on the world map. The Cluster’s network is developer and has direct contacts with the state institutions in the Republic of Serbia, foreign embassies and organizations that invest in our company’s economy development. On the occasion of visits to expert assemblies, trade shows and IT conferences, the Cluster directly promotes its members and offers direct link for networking towards new clients and partners. Organizing B2B meetings assisted by the Cluster’s partners offers the opportunity for direct matching and meeting customer’s needs.

Jointly Networked

ICT Cluster of Central Serbia is in direct cooperation with three respected ICT clusters of the Republic of Serbia: Vojvodina ICT Cluster from Novi Sad, ICT Network from Belgrade and NI-CAT from Niš with whom it cooperates on the improvement of IT sector on the level of the Republic of Serbia. ICT Cluster of Central Serbia is also one of the founders and member of Serbian Cluster Association Board of Directors - ASKA, whose goal is to improve formation of clusters in Serbia and stimulate cross-cluster and cross-industrial cooperation. ASKA was established by seven partner clusters:

  1. ICT Cluster of Central Serbia ICT – CS
  2. Vojvođanski IKT klaster – VOICT 
  3. ICT Network – ICT Net
  4. Niš Cluster of the advanced technologies - NI-CAT
  5. Serbian Automotive Cluster – AS
  6. Vojvodina Metal Cluster – VMC
  7. Fashion Apparel Cluster Serbia - FACTS
     

In addition to above mentioned, ICT Cluster of Central Serbia is the member of NALED, National Alliance for Local Economic Development by which it also wants to provide the constant presence on the national level and participate in activities directed towards IT industry development and the development of corresponding climate for its development. ICT Cluster of Central Serbia also has a representative in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Cluster Council, which represents advisory authority of the Chamber with the aim of achieving better position of the Cluster and assisting in making the legislation on the national level.

It is the esteemed partner of regional clusters initiative in the Balkans with the aim of regional export boost, IT experts educations and connecting the regional institutions with West Europe, North America and Middle East.  The Cluster is the member of Balkan and the Black Sea ICT Clusters Network BBSICTN with 27 members from 14 countries, covering the territory inhabited by more than 350 million citizens.

On the other hand, Balkan and Black Sea ICT Clusters Network, whose ICT Cluster of Central Serbia is an active member, has become a member of European Digital SME Alliance with head office in Brussels and more than 20.000 IT companies at the moment. The goal of being present in this organization is direct access to data sources and funds available for IT on the EU level.

The Cluster has direct contacts with:

  • Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications,
  • Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
  • Ministry of Trade,
  • Serbian Development Agency,
  • Serbian Chamber of Commerce,
  • National Employment Agency
  • Business and Technical Incubator of Technical Faculties, Belgrade – BITF
  • Belgrade Science and Technology Park,
  • Startit centrom,
  • ICT Hub
  • German Technical Cooperation Agency – GIZ
  • USAID
  • German Baden-Württemberg  Business Bridge - BWBB
  • Serbian-Swedish Business Association – SSBC
  • Swedish Embassy in Belgrade and other institutions that assist to the development of IT sector in the country

Keep Yourselves Informed 

The Cluster provides internal communication to its members and cross-sector connection as well as public communication and promotion via Cluster’s website. Members are duly notified on news and opportunities in ICT sector, new projects and programs, regulations, initiatives and invitations to tenders and competitions, as well as information on IT conferences, trade shows, meetings of entrepreneurs and similar events in the country and abroad. All events at which the Cluster participates are accompanied by the report with the gathered information that are processed, filtered and sorted out, after which forwarded to members. Following the economy of size, the Cluster is the first step: speaking of contact with companies which have a need for IT products or services, foreign companies that are opening representative offices, searching for partners on projects, arrivals of investors etc. Get to know best practices and concepts from the country and abroad, along with opportunities and possibilities for their achievement. 

Stable and Safe Business Operations

The risk of entering on new markets, collection of services from clients, finding the safe partner, limited financial funds and other problems commonly encountered by the company, are neutralized with the very membership in the Cluster. Partners and clients networked across regional and international cluster networks guarantee for the business safety and bear liabilities of mutual business behaviour. Constant need and liability for introducing innovative programs, global trends monitoring, correct and safe launching of ideas, are being set on healthy foundations by means of membership in the Cluster. Members directly augment their influence through participation in making measures for business operations in ICT sector by means of direct contacts on higher level. 

Make use of the membership in ICT Cluster of Central Serbia as an actual and verified recipe for success.