The Accelerator's First Leadership Group Meeting

08 Feb 2023 News

Tirana hosted the First Leadership Group Meeting of the Western Balkans Competitiveness and Innovation Accelerator on February 21, 2020.

 

The Leadership Group Meeting of the Western Balkans Competitiveness and Innovation Accelerator was held on February 21, 2020 in Tirana, Albania. The Meeting was organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the World Economic Forum (Forum).

 

The Western Balkans Competitiveness and Innovation Accelerator (Accelerator) is a public-private leadership collaboration platform aimed at supporting the region to improve its competitiveness and ensure long-term growth. It is intended to identify, scale and accelerate selected initiatives that can contribute to increase the diffusion of innovative technologies and novel business models and direct innovation ecosystems towards more inclusive and sustainable techno-economic paradigms. The Accelerator has been launched in partnership with the RCC and is part of a global network of similar initiatives that facilitates exchange of insights and experience, hosted by the Forum.

This was the first meeting of the Leadership Group of the Accelerator. The purpose of the meeting was to:

  • Agree on key priorities for the development of the Action Plan,
  • Formalize the establishment of the Leadership Group and the role of the Regional Coordinator,
  • Outline 2020 activities and milestones for the Accelerator.

Below is the list of the Leadership Group Members who attended the Meeting:

Albania

Ms. Anila DENAJ                                Minister of Economy and Finance

Ms. Edlira MUKA                              CEO, Balfin Group

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mr. Staša KOŠARAC                         Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations

 

Kosovo*[1]

Ms. Rozeta HAJDARI                       Minister of Economy, Employment, Trade, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Investments

Mr. Agon GASHI                               CEO, Meridian

 

Montenegro

Mr. Saša IVANOVIĆ                         State Secretary for Innovation, Ministry of Science

Mr. Nenad NOVOVIĆ                      CEO, Amplitudo

 

North Macedonia

Ms. Nina ANGELOVSKA                 Minister of Finance  

 

Serbia

Mr. Mladen ŠARČEVIĆ                   Minister of Education, Science and Technological

                                                                Development

Mr. Srećko MIODRAGOVIĆ          Adviser to the President, Comtrade Group

 

Intesa Sanpaolo

Mr. Andrea FAZZOLARI                  Head of Special Projects and Governance System

 

World Economic Forum

Ms. Martina LARKIN                        Head of Regional Strategies – Europe and Eurasia, Member of the Executive Committee

 

Regional Cooperation Council

Ms. Majlinda BREGU                       Secretary General

 

The introductory session was moderated by Mr. Eduard Shalsi, the Albanian Minister for the Protection of Entrepreneurs, while the meeting participants were addressed by:

 

  • Mr Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania.
  • Ms Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the RCC
  • Ms Martina Larkin, Head of Regional Strategies – Europe and Eurasia, Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum.

 

After the introductory speeches, Ms Maja Jerala, from ABC Accelerator (Ljubljana, Slovenia), delivered the Impulse Talk. Its goal was to inform the participants about success stories from the Western Balkans immediate neighbourhood. Ms Jerala showed the developmental path of ABC Accelerator, including a number of pitfalls and learning by doing which eventually led to their regional successes.

 

Before reflections of the Leadership Group, the Project Leads (Mr Attilio Di Battista, Forum and Mr Sinisa Marcic, RCC) provided an overview of the preparatory analysis and main discussion points.

Ms Martina Larking highlighted this is the first time that the Forum received so much interest from private equity firms and business leaders around the world about the Western Balkans. Investors are looking for new markets with capacity of high growth and certain stability and predictability. The Western Balkans is increasingly seen as a big opportunity and policy makers and businesses together can create somewhat more stable business environment to attract major investors.

 

All Leadership Group members shared their views briefly and suggested the most important priorities for the future. During the reflection session among the Leadership Group members several key priorities stood out. They are listed below based on the number of endorsements:

  • 3.1. Establish coalitions of businesses, governments and financial sector to co-design innovative governance models, promote modern business practices, foster collaboration and support networks among different stakeholders – endorsed by Albania, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia;
  • 1.1. Scale up of existing success models piloted by national innovation funds and creation of a coordinated regional scheme – endorsed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia;
    • 1.1. Set-up dedicated programmes and co-design regular foresight exercises involving the business sector, universities and research centres – endorsed by Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia;
    • 1.2. Establish a “ring-fenced” WB6 science and research fund – endorsed by North Macedonia, Serbia;
    • 2.2. Transform the Digital Summit into the flagship event on innovation in the region with a truly connecting role for the ecosystem – endorsed by Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Apart from the seven proposed actions, the Leadership Group also emphasised the importance of education and skills for the region’s economic development.

The above list illustrates that two priorities (1.3.1. & 1.1.1.) gained overwhelming support, followed by three additional proposed actions. These priorities could serve as the backbone for the future Action Plan.

 

Conclusions

 

The Accelerator is an opportunity to build links and establish closer cooperation among the private and public sectors, academia and CSOs, and is welcomed by all economies. The meeting formalised the establishment of the Leadership Group and coordinating role of the RCC. In addition to this:

 

  1. Collected inputs will be summarised and shared within the Leadership Group and bilaterally,
  2. International financial institutions (IFIs) expressed interest in getting on board and shall be involved,
  3. The 2nd Leadership Group meeting should take place as soon as possible – perhaps on the margins of the forthcoming Digital Summit on 2-3 April, to be held in Tirana or the EU Zagreb Summit on 6-7 May in Zagreb or in Geneva, early June on the margins of the Forum’s larger platform event. The next meeting is an opportunity to clarify all possible outstanding issues before the official launch of the Accelerator scheduled for autumn 2020, and possible signature of a framework document (such as a memorandum or a protocol) to seal the regional efforts in developing the Accelerator,
  4. The first meeting of a working group on proposed action 1.1.1. may take place in Skopje within the next two months.