Switzerland to donate EUR 95 million for development of entrepreneurship and youth employment in Serbia – Expert support in sustainable energy as well

In the next four years, Switzerland will donate EUR 95 million in Serbia for programs in the field of employment, economic development, management and sustainable energy, Ursula Laubli, Director of Swiss Cooperation Office Serbia, said this Friday, April 20, 2017, in Kragujevac.

She specified that EUR 45 million was meant for employment and economic development, that EUR 36 million was meant for management and that EUR 14 million was meant for sustainable energy.

Ivo Germann, Head of Operations of the Economic Development Cooperation Directorate at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), told the press that the young and innovations were in focus of the support to entrepreneurship in Serbia, which is to be realized with the help of experts.

– The enterprise program is designed to indirectly provide support and support the development of an enterprise ecosystem and various organizations which provide further support to enterprises. The idea is to strengthen those organizations, through the strengthening of their capacities and by bringing in international experts and consultants to help entrepreneurs. This way, hundreds of people are developing and improving their business ideas – Germann told the press.

He announced the program in the field of energy efficiency in Serbia, where Switzerland will attempt to implement its concept of energy cities, which has existed in the country for 20 years.

As for agricultural production, it was announced that Switzerland would continue helping family businesses for the production and processing of fruit and vegetables in Serbia.

A pilot program for access to finance is also being prepared, as these are the biggest obstacles that agriculturists in Serbia have been facing so far.

Švajcarska kancelarija za saradnju u Republici Srbiji

Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

SECO

Ursula Laubli

Ivo Germann

sustainable energy

energy efficiency

energy cities

youth employment

innovation

production of fruit and vegetables

processing of fruit and vegetables

family companies

financing of agriculture

financing of agriculturists