Academician Muamer Zukorlic addressed the assembly at the beginning of the hearing emphasising the importance of holding public hearings, especially outside the National Assembly seat, attended, in addition to MPs, by representatives of the executive branch and relevant institutions participate.

The idea of opening science and technology parks in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Kragujevac and Cacak proved to be an excellent solution, especially in terms of attracting investors from around the world, as well as creating opportunities for the citizens to get acquainted with modern technology developed in them, Zukorlic said.

Mentioning the planned construction of a science and technology park in Novi Pazar, he stressed that these experiences and knowledge are invaluable in that sense.

Referring to the topic of today's public hearing: "Digitalisation in the Economy: Potentials and Challenges" Muamer Zukorlic opined that digitalisation is extremely important for businessmen because it expedites the realisation of economic processes. He said that digitalisation provides greater efficiency and better quality in business by facilitating communication between state bodies and the economy. He also added that digitalisation would allow every citizen who is a consumer of the economy, easier communication with business entities.

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Dr Vladimir Orlic congratulated the Committee on successfully organising public hearings on digitalisation in various fields. “That is one more proof that we did a good thing when we set this type of modernisation as a priority goal in our society, especially in the policy shaping said society and whose task it is to improve it. Policy the Serbian Government has been pursuing in the past few years and continues to do so with great success today, personally designed, set up and personally politically led by the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vucic. Everyone involved in pursuing this policy has the right to the word: pride. To feel true pride for something that is a historic change for our country and our society”, he concluded.

The Chairperson of the Subcommittee on the Information Society and Digitalisation Marina Ragus also addressed the attending saying that previous public hearings were organised to present to all interested parties the results of digitalisation achieved in various fields. She praised the Office for IT and eGovernment, internationally recognised for the successful implementation of the vaccination process as well as for other services it offers to the citizens. She also mentioned the successful implementation of digitalisation in the data centre in Kragujevac, where all of the Serbian citizens’ data is stored, which does business with some of the largest IT companies in the world. Ragus pointed out that digitalisation and artificial intelligence will transform the everyday life of the state, society and individuals and announced the Committee’s coming public hearings in Novi Sad, Nis and Novi Pazar.

The attending were then greeted by Vladan Milic, Deputy Mayor of Cacak, who wished them successful work and expressed satisfaction that the National Assembly’s Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society had recognised Cacak as a city that keeps pace with the times in terms of digitalisation.

Dr Mihailo Jovanovic, Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Slavisa Antic, Assistant Director of the Office, and Mirko Pesic, Acting Director of the Science and Technology Park, spoke about the activities of the State Data Centre and the Science and Technology Park Cacak viz. the results achieved so far and future plans.

Prof. Dr Sasa Stojanovic, Assistant Minister for Digitalisation in Education and Science, and Prof. Dr Milos Cvetanovic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, also spoke about digitalisation in the economy, the potentials and challenges.

Nenad Milivojevic, Head of the Industrial Development Department, Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, presented the Industrial Policy Strategy of the Republic of Serbia from 2021 to 2030 and the Action Plan for its implementation for the period 2021-2023, with an emphasis on the strategy’s special goal: "Improved digitalisation of industrial manufacturing business models."

Predrag Nikolic of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, viz. the Centre for Digital Transformation of Serbia, also spoke about digitalisation in the economy, and Dragan Filipovic, member of the Cacak City Council, also addressed the attending.

The public hearing was attended by a large number of members and deputy members of the Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society: Vladica Maricic, Milijana Sakic, Prof. Dr Ljubisa Stojmirovic, Milica Dacic, Biljana Jakovljevic, Natasa Jovanovic and Bratislav Jugovic, who took part in the discussion following the presentation of the results achieved by digitalisation in the economy.

The public hearing was held with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).