GITEX GLOBAL was held in Dubai from October 13-17, its the world’s largest and most influential tech and AI event for over forty years. Expand North Star, held from October 12-15 at Dubai Harbour, brought together the world’s largest community of startups and investors, serving as the main platform for early-stage innovation within GITEX GLOBAL. This year, the event featured 6,800 exhibitors, 2,000 startups from 180 countries, and 1,200 investorsmanaging over $1.1 trillion, bringing together leaders shaping the future of technology.
Serbia participated as the official partner country, and had a strong and visible presence with the National Pavilion of Serbia at both Expand North Star, where Serbia showcased 20+ innovative startups, and the main Gitex Global where Serbian IT companies had the opportunity to present themselves to the global public. Serbian startups and companies drew strong interest from international investors and visitors, including a visit from Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed AlMaktoum, son of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
At Expand North Star, the national pavilion brought together 22 startups at different stages of growth - from early-stage innovators to rapidly scaling companies - showcasing the diversity and maturity of Serbia’s tech ecosystem.
Serbian startups held more than 800 meetings and visits throughout the event, and the response was an inspiring testament to the growing visibility and strength of Serbia’s startup ecosystem.
During the event, the Innovation Factory launched Serbian Tech, a modern, interactive one-pager web platform designed to showcase all key information about Serbia’s innovation landscape in one place - including the business environment and investment conditions, macroeconomic indicators, leading sectors, success stories, talent pool, digital transformation, and innovation infrastructure.
Serbian participation was organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), in cooperation with the Development Agency of Serbia (RAS).
This report is created by Sara Oluic, Project Manager at Innovation Factory.