Study Visits to the Netherlands and Brussels

Most essential predicament facing the Western Balkans is the improvement of the current economic situation. This challenge is widely acknowledged within both the region and the European Union. It is considered a sine qua non for improving regional stability and future European integration. The engine of any future economic development, the private sector, is developing at a slow pace.

Small and medium sized enterprises are acknowledged as moving factor for private sector development and employment generation. Throughout the region an enabling environment for small and medium enterprises needs to be urgently created, foreign investments stimulated, while (micro-) credit facilities need to be increased. This implies the improvement of the facilitating role of government institutions, chambers of commerce and (higher) education institutions.

Therefore, within the Private Sector Development (PSD) project the Study visits for PSD stakeholders to the Dutch business and public sector will be organised in order to advise them on other European innovation systems, EU regulations, private sector development, and business environment enabling possibilities. The Study Visit will provide the opportunity for all stakeholders to expand their academic and business network and establish cooperation with their counterparts in the Netherlands. The study visit not only intends to introduce the Dutch private sector landscape, to gain knowledge and to exchange experience with Dutch counterparts, but also for the delegation to exchange experiences with each other about private sector development.

Visits to Brussels will also be utilized to discuss the importance of further facilitating market access for SEE producers to the EU. The Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation, Mrs. Van Ardenne, called upon the PSD stakeholders to help her to lobby in Brussels for market access during her speech in Pristina on 19 October 2005.

The PSD delegation consists of high level policy makers, civil servants, business sector representatives and senior staff of faculties of economy from the Western Balkan region, i.e. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

For more information on the first Study Visit (October 2005) click here. To download the report click here.

For more information on the second Study Visit (October 2006) click here. To download the report click here.

News on the Study Visit 2008

Representatives from business, government and higher education in the Western Balkans visited the Netherlands from 13 - 19 April 2008 to learn about Dutch initiatives on entrepreneurship & innovation. The program included visits to such organisations as the BViT Network, SenterNovem, Syntens, Science Park Amsterdam and several more. Through workshops, discussions, presentations and role-games, the week-long study visit enabled the exchange of experiences on innovation and entrepreneurship between these Dutch organisations and the participants from the Western Balkans. Read more.

Until mid-2008 the SEE PSD network will continue working on the creation of a better enabling environment for economic development and business in the region.