Serbia to host GITEX AI Serbia 2027 as part of EXPO exhibition in Belgrade

Launching as the official tech event of EXPO 2027 Belgrade, GITEX Ai Serbia aims to propel the Southeast Europe as a formidable nexus where emerging regional digital economies seamlessly connect with global frontiers of innovation, technology, and investment, it said.

“Staging GITEX Ai Serbia during EXPO 2027 marks an unprecedented opportunity to showcase our nation’s digital transformation journey on the world stage, uniting regional innovation with a global community of investors, partners, and visionaries,” said Marko Cadez, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Coupled with the EXPO and number of visitors we expect for both events, we hope to achieve dramatically better positioning of our country in business and economic circles. We aim to impress future investors with the capacity of our education system and to present Serbia as a country that offers significant technological opportunities,” Cadez added.

Echoing these sentiments, Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President of DWTC & CEO of KAOUN International and global organiser of GITEX, added:

“GITEX Ai Serbia embodies our vision to champion bold, future-shaping innovation on every continent and forge cross-border collaboration, which is especially imperative in the decade of AI. The strategic hosting of the inaugural GITEX during Serbia’s EXPO 2027 Belgrade is a genius manoeuvre to exert the soft power of AI and tech, rally inter-country cooperation, and openly co-create a new world paradigm.”

“By connecting this vibrant region with the world’s most influential tech leaders, we shall inspire collaborations that yield new opportunities for investment, talent development, and transformative growth across borders and increasingly tech-critical sectors,” LohMirmand said.

The press release noted that Serbia has emerged as a digitalization frontrunner in Southeast Europe, affirming its transformation leadership through a thriving ICT sector, advanced e-government services, dynamic tech ecosystems, and national AI strategy.

Accounting for 10 percent of national GDP, Serbia’s ICT industry generated record exports of 4.31 billion US dollars in 2024 – a tenfold rise in 12 years, the press release said, emphasizing that this sector now employs around 110,000 professionals, a figure expected to reach 140,000 by 2027, when the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications targets 11.7 billion US dollars (10 billion euro) in ICT exports.

Additionally, the Serbian Government last year announced a 82.1 million US dollar (70 million euro) AI development investment plan through 2027 – aligning with its vision to strengthen leadership across AI, agritech, sustainability, and the circular economy. This followed Serbia establishing the first AI Research Institute in Southeast Europe, consolidating its position as regional benchmark for innovation and R&D – a position GITEX Ai Serbia will further elevate alongside that of the region, the press release said.

Leveraging its global public–private network of digital economy stakeholders, GITEX Ai Serbia will convene tech enterprises, thought leaders, policymakers, SMEs, startups, and venture capitalists from around the world in the Serbian capital. Its program will prioritize broadening cooperation, boosting competitiveness, inspiring foreign direct investment, and opening access to national industry sectors and Southeast European markets – inspiring the co-creation of an inclusive digital future driven by innovation and opportunity.

The GITEX Ai Serbia announcement was made on Monday during the opening day of GITEX GLOBAL 2025 – the world’s largest tech, AI, and startup show – where the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as the Future Digital Economy Partner, unveiled a pavilion featuring 24 exhibitors. Showcasing the country’s fastest-rising entrepreneurs and most disruptive startups, exhibitors are demonstrating how Serbian innovation is shaping the future of AI – presenting applications across diverse fields including energy, healthcare, and social media.