Sep72025
News
On September 4, a presentation of the new consortium of the European Enterprise Network of the Republic of Srpska (EEN RS) for the 2025–2028 programming period was held in Banja Luka. On that occasion, priorities and work plans were presented, and training for consortium members was organized, led by colleagues from EEN Serbia, with the aim of strengthening the team’s capacities and improving the services that will be available to domestic small and medium-sized enterprises. The new cycle, as emphasized, brings stronger support to companies in the areas of business internationalization, digitalization, innovation and sustainable development. According to data from the European Commission, companies that enter foreign markets achieve 20–30% faster revenue growth and up to 15% higher productivity compared to those that operate exclusively locally. Also, companies that invest in digital transformation record up to 25% higher productivity growth, while the introduction of green technologies can reduce operating costs by up to 20% within three years. This makes internationalization, digitalization, and sustainability key drivers of competitiveness and long-term economic growth of the Republika Srpska.

 

The RS Entrepreneurship European Network Consortium consists of:

  • Digital Innovation Hub ONEX – coordinator, with a focus on digitalization and access to finance,
  • University of Banja Luka – innovation, sustainability, intellectual property,
  • University of East Sarajevo – business resilience,
  • Science and Technology Park of Republica Srpska – support for startups and scale-up companies,
  • Union of Employers of Republika Srpska – advisory support,
  • Chamber of Independent Entrepreneurs of Republica Srpska – support for entrepreneurs.

 

Bojan Cudic, coordinator of the EEN RS Consortium, told reporters that the network has received a mandate from the European Commission to implement the program in the Republika Srpska over the next three and a half years.

“According to our work program, support is planned for around 1,400 domestic business entities. The focus of the work is on digitalization, improving the innovative capacities of companies and internationalization of business,” said Cudic.

He added that a call for applications has been opened for the EEN Academy for Internationalization of Business, intended to connect domestic companies with partners in the region, Europe and beyond.

“This year, we will organize ONEX Connect in December and we will gather EEN partners from the region, Europe and beyond,” added Cudic.

Zlatan Klokić, Minister of European Integration and International Cooperation of the Republika Srpska, also announced support for the EEN network.

“In addition to institutional support, it will also have financial support from the Government of Republika Srpska. The new Prime Minister’s statement itself stated that a fund would be established to support projects financed by the European Union, that is, for those projects that require co-financing,” said Klokić.

 

Marija Stancu Miroslavljev, representative of EEN Serbia, confirmed that this is a globally important initiative.

“It exists in almost 60 countries around the world, and more than 600 institutions are involved, and the network employs nearly 4,000 experts who share their knowledge with each other and direct it to small and medium-sized enterprises and researchers,” she said.