LocationsNew Insights on the Ecosystem and Labor Market in Serbia Presented
Cybersecurity as the Foundation of Digital Development
June 2, 2026
The Director of the Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment, Dr Mihailo Jovanović, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Edward Ferguson, and UNDP Serbia Resident Representative, Mr Yakup Beris, took part today in the event “Cybersecurity in Serbia Today: Ecosystem and Labour Market”, held in Belgrade.
Jovanović emphasised that cybersecurity is now one of the key prerequisites for the stability, sovereignty, and development of any modern state.
“Over the past ten years, we have made tremendous progress in information security. From being ranked in the lower half of the Global Cybersecurity Index, by 2020 we had reached 39th place, and in 2024 we achieved a historic success – Serbia was placed in the Tier 1 group of countries and recognised as a role model in cybersecurity, alongside the most developed countries in the world. Today, we are ranked first in Southeast Europe, ahead of many countries, with a result that positions us among global leaders. These achievements did not happen by chance; they are the result of systemic investment in infrastructure, technology and people. We have built state data centres in Belgrade and Kragujevac. The State Data Centre in Kragujevac is a symbol of digital transformation and the most reliable place for data storage in Southeast Europe, the first in the region with an EN 50600 Class 4 certificate and the only one in Europe besides Poland”, said Jovanović, adding that the Cybersecurity Ecosystem Map of Serbia and the Labor Market Study, presented today, are important tools for further strengthening the capacities of the state, the economy and the professional community, and will help us more precisely identify labour market needs and continue building an environment that fosters innovation, knowledge and cooperation.
“Many outstanding Serbian companies are conducting excellent business with the United Kingdom, Europe’s digital capital, and many of our companies also procure services from Serbia. This Friday, we are organising a digital technology conference here in Belgrade with around 300 companies, including more than 40 British digital and AI firms that are visiting”, said H.E. Edward Ferguson, His Majesty’s Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Serbia.
“Over the past decade, Serbia has made significant progress in digital transformation, but this also brings new risks that must be managed systematically. That is why it is crucial to move from traditional cybersecurity towards cyber resilience – the ability of institutions and society to prepare for, respond to, and recover from incidents. This includes strengthening institutions, improving coordination within the ecosystem, and investing in people and skills development, because without experts there is no sustainable security. UNDP, together with its partners, continues to support Serbia in building a secure, resilient, and inclusive digital environment”, said Yakup Beris, UNDP Serbia Resident Representative.
At the event, the Cybersecurity Ecosystem Map of Serbia was presented, consolidating information on key stakeholders in the field: domestic companies, their international partners, startups, support programmes, regulators and government institutions, cybersecurity incident response teams, educational institutions, civil society organisations active in this field, and other relevant actors.
Participants in the panel discussion on the cybersecurity labour market addressed how to ensure a sufficient and adequately skilled workforce, particularly by increasing the participation of women, who currently account for only 25% of applicants for cybersecurity jobs. They also discussed how the education system can adapt to these needs, primarily through stronger cooperation with industry. The discussion included how developed countries such as the United Kingdom, as well as countries in the region, are addressing these challenges.
The event was organised within the “Serbia Cyber Resilience” initiative, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Serbia in cooperation with the Office for Information Technologies and eGovernment, with support of the British Embassy in Belgrade.
