Belgrade, June 30, 2023 - Organized by the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the "Sustainable Investment Promotion Forum” was held today in the Palace of Serbia. At this event, a market intelligence tool, the Serbia SDG Investor Map (“the Map”), showing the most attractive investment opportunities in the country that are aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was presented to the public for the first time. The forum was organized to encourage companies to operate in a way that, apart from bringing them profit, also contributes to the country's economic growth, environmental protection and social well-being. Opening the forum, the Minister of Domestic and Foreign Trade in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Tomislav Momirović, said that respecting the principles of sustainable development is becoming increasingly important for decision makers in current global circumstances.
"The sectors and areas presented today within the Map are certainly among the Government priorities. In those areas, we expect a greater inflow of private capital, which is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and creating an economy based on respect for all global resources - both human and natural", said Minister Momirović. Ambassador of the Republic of China to the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Chen Bo pointed out that sustainable development is necessary for the prosperity and progress of society and is a common issue for all mankind.
"China supports and practices the UN 2030 Agenda, adheres to the new development concept that includes innovation, coordination, green development, openness and sharing, and is committed to promoting Chinese-style modernization. I hope that the launch of this Map of investment opportunities will help Chinese companies to better understand the business environment in Serbia, the plans and policies of industrial development and to create more opportunities for cooperation", added the Ambassador of the Republic of China to Serbia.
"Using the already proven global methodology of UNDP, applied in over 30 countries worldwide, together with the Government and competent institutions, we determined which areas in Serbia provide the best opportunities for sustainable investments. We have identified five sectors that represent profitable opportunities for sustainable investments: food and beverages, renewable energy sources and alternative energy, infrastructure, technology and communications, and health care," said Yakup Beris, UNDP Serbia Resident Representative.
The Map presented at the forum is a new tool that identifies SDG-enabling investment themes and business models (Investment Opportunity Areas or IOAs) in Serbia, which are aligned to national sustainable development needs and government policy priorities. The Map was created in cooperation with UNDP Serbia and all relevant ministries in the Government of Serbia and other national institutions, using the methodology by the UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub flagship initiative SDG Impact, which has already been applied in over 30 countries worldwide.
The Map pinpoints five priority sectors and within them 13 IOAs as investment opportunities for deep development impact:
1. production of fresh fruit and vegetables
2. organic agricultural production
3. solar energy production
4. construction of wind farms
5. development and application of smart technologies in agriculture
6. development and the application of sophisticated software products and services
7. provision of waste management services, 8. construction and management of port infrastructure
9. construction of energy-efficient residential buildings
10. construction and management of hospitality facilities
11. production and delivery of medicines
12. development and provision of digital and specialized health services
13. use of biotechnology in medicine.
The Map provides potential investors with impact information and data on the capital that needs to be invested into individual projects in these areas, such as the expected return profile and the investment timeframe they can expect. The full market intelligence from the Map is available on UNDP’s SDG Investor Platform via the Serbia Country Page: https://sdginvestorplatform.undp.org/country/serbia.
The "Sustainable Investment Promotion Forum” brought together representatives of the private and public sectors, including policy and decision makers relevant for the investment policy framework, as well as foreign investors from European and Asian countries, experts from diverse investment fields, representatives of development agencies, chambers of commerce and industry, and other institutions, and enabled the exchange of experiences, professional expertise and ideas. The SDGs are part of the Agenda 2030 of the United Nations, that the signatory countries, including Serbia, have committed themselves to achieve. The 17 SDGs present a global call to action in order to eradicate poverty, protect the environment, mitigate climate change and its consequences, and ensure that all people have equal opportunities to live in peace and prosperity. This event was held within the “Sustainable Investment Promotion” project, funded by the United Nations Trust Fund for Peace and Development and implemented by UNDP.
About the United Nations Development Programme
As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.
