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The participans of the Summit100 2017 – Skopje, Macedonia

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Business leaders’ Summit100 is a unique business gathering, the first of its kind in the region. It has become a strong brand of regional business cooperation and important platform for ideas and projects of cooperation that would bring the region including Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania a step closer to a competitive region, with strong economic growth and with better quality of life for all the people in the region.

Vision of Summit100: Through collaboration and cooperation make the SEE Region one of the most innovative and competitive regions in the world.

Summit 100 in 2018 will be in Serbia on October 1-2.

Background

The first annual Summit100 which was organized in October 2011 in Serbia gathered 100 top business leaders from the region, over 30 special guests from the most prominent international institutions, together with Presidents of Serbia Boris Tadić and Slovenia Danilo Turk and over 80 media representatives from all over the region. First tangible result of the Summit100 is the establishment of the first regional construction consortium Feniks, gathering more than 40 companies from Serbia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina with the mission to jointly act in the region and on third markets.

During 2012 and 2013, the importance of the Summit100 initiative was recognised by high-ranking officials of the regional countries: Prime Ministers of Montenegro Milo Djukanović and Serbia Ivica Dačić, President of Croatia Ivo Josipović and Slovenia Borut Pahor, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegović and President of Macedonia Gjeorge Ivanov. They all accepted to act as patrons of the initiative.

The second annual Summit100 which was held in May 2013, gathered again 100 top business leaders from the region in Montenegro, and Summit100 hosted prime ministers of Serbia Ivica Dačić, Montenegro Milo Đukanović, Bosnia-Herzegovina Vjekoslav Bevanda, special envoy of the Prime Minister of Slovenia – Minister of Economic Development and Technology Stanko Stepišnik and Deputy Minister of Economy of Macedonia Hristian Delev. The second annual Summit100 also attracted more than 50 special guests from the international institutions and diplomatic chore and more than 70 media representatives from the region.

The third annual Summit100 which was held in Croatia marked a historical moment in July 2014 when all Heads of State of the Countries of the region met in Cavtat, and discussed with business elite of the region the projects of co-operation with a key purpose to improve competitiveness of the regional counties.
The Summit100 was attended by Ivo Josipović, President of Croatia, Tomislav Nikolić, President of Serbia, Borut Pahor, President of Slovenia, Members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegović, Željko Komšić and Nebojša Radmanović, Filip Vujanović, President of Montenegro, Gjorge Ivanov, President of Macedonia, Atifete Jahjaga, President of Kosovo, Bujar Nishani, President of Albania and more than 100 business leaders of the region.
The identified projects of cooperation were within the following industries: energy, food and agriculture, tourism, construction, transport and logistics, ICT and pharmacy and healthcare. The Sumit100 2014 hosted more than 100 top business leaders from the region, over 80 media representatives and special key note guests as Harry Van Dorenmalen, IBM Chair for Europe and Elin Flyngering of Norden, Nordic Council of Cooperation.

The fourth annual Summit100
In order to undertake their own responsibility for enforcing better regional cooperation and for improving competitiveness of companies, national economies and region as a whole, business leaders gathered around Summit100 2015, and at its 4th annual event, held on June 1-2, 2015 in Portorož, Slovenia, organized six thematic workshops on digital economy, energy agenda, food and beverages, infrastructure and transport, knowledge based economy, tourism. Summit100 2015 gathered more than 180 participants including special guests EU Commissioner for Transport Ms. Violeta Bulc, European Investment Bank’s President Werner Hoyer, the Nordic Council of Ministers (Norden) General Secreatry Dagfinn Hoybraten, Presidents of all the countries from the region, Ministers, Mayors, etc.
The Summit100 was attended by Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, President of Croatia, Borut Pahor, President of Slovenia, Presiding Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanić, Filip Vujanović, President of Montenegro, Gjorge Ivanov, President of Macedonia, Atifete Jahjaga, President of Kosovo, and Željko Sertić, Minister of Economy of Serbia as a special envoy of President Tomislav Nikolić.
Overall conclusion of the 4th Summit100 is that the region needs significant investments in infrastructure and transport, but also it needs to implement digitalization in all aspects of economy to ease the access for consumers and businesses to goods and services. On top of that we as the region need to work on TRUST that is the basis of a fruitfull relationship but also to start investing energy and time into branding the region as a good quality food origin area, attractive tourist destination, excellent talent provider, especially in ICT domain, with strategic position to act as a transport hub, etc.

The fifth annual Summit100
Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina hosted the fifth annual gathering of this unique business initiative that brings the region back together. More than 130 participants from throughout the region but also special guests from EU, Norden, etc. and with more than 100 media representatives covering the event. Summit100 hosted Heads of State of regional countries, with the key message being the importance of building trust, further business integration and consolidation in Southeast Europe. Regional projects that can further improve competitiveness of the region and national economies were presented to the political leaders and the ways how to move forward were discussed.
Summit100 in Sarajevo hosted all Heads of State of the Countries of the Region – Bujar Nishani of Albania, Bakir Izetbegović, Mladen Ivanić and Dragan Čović of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Filip Vujanović of Montenegro, Hashim Taci of Kosovo, Gjorge Ivanov of Macedonia, Borut Pahoer of Slovenia and Tomislav Nikolić of Serbia, and Ministers of the Governments throughout the region. Summit100 also hosted high delegation from Norden and Ambassador Antoine Grassin of the France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was in charge of organizing Western Balkans Investment Summit in Paris on July 4, 2016.
Inspiration that you can globally succeed on your own from the region was shared with Summit100 2016 participants by Samo and Iza Login, founders of Outfit7 and creators of Talking Tom application. Outfit7 has been recently sold to Asian investors for US$1 billion.

Sixth SUMMIT100, Skopje 2017 – Connectivity is the Key Word for the Region
Skopje, capital of Macedonia hosted the sixth annual gathering of this unique business initiative that brings the region back together. More than 200 participants from throughout the region but also special guests from EU, Norden, etc. and with more than 100 media representatives covering the event. SUMMIT100 hosted four Prime Ministers (Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina) of regional countries, with the key message being the importance of connectivity in the region, building trust, further business integration and consolidation in Southeast Europe. Regional projects that can further improve competitiveness of the region and national economies were presented to the Prime Ministers and the ways how to move forward were discussed. SUMMIT100 in Sarajevo hosted President Gjorge Ivanov of Macedonia and Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanic. European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc appealed to business and political leaders of SEE to be more present in Brussels. SUMMIT100 also hosted high delegation from Norden and several Ministers from countries of the region. One of the highlights of the SUMMIT100 in Skopje was signing the Memorandum of Understanding between SUMMIT100 and Chambers Investment Forum of Western Balkans 6 aimed at joining efforts in advocating for better business environment and closer cooperation in the region.