Page 20 - bne IntelliNews monthly magazine October 2024

20 I Companies & Markets bne October 2024
Albania plans AI-driven public procurement Aida Kadyrzhanova in Prague
Albania has plans to build a new, fully transparent and 95% AI-based model for public procurement, as stated by Prime Minister Edi Rama during his address at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In his speech on "Dialogue for the Digital Future", Rama highlighted the benefits of digital technology for developing countries.
The Albanian government took most public services including tax payment online via the e-Albania portal as of May 1, 2022 while in-person service windows in government offices and other institutions were shut down.
Rama noted that the transition to offering 95% of services online has eliminated long queues at government offices. He
Serbia hikes ICT exports as Russian tech professionals boost sector
Tatyana Kekic in Belgrade
Serbia’s total exports of ICT services for January to
July 2024 reached €2.306bn, which is a 20% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to the National Bank of Serbia (NBS).
The country's ICT sector has witnessed remarkable growth over the past decade. In 2012 ICT service exports were valued at €375mn; by 2023 this figure had grown almost tenfold to €3.44bn.
Data from the NBS highlights a particularly strong performance in July 2024, where ICT service exports alone amounted to €362mn, marking a 29% increase compared to July 2023. The surplus for the first seven months of 2024 in ICT services stood at €1.787bn, underscoring the sector’s profitability and export potential.
www.bne.eu
explained that the government is using artificial intelligence to accelerate its European Union membership negotiations.
However, he also addressed the risks associated with technology, citing a recent cyberattack on Albania linked to Iran.
Albania's cybersecurity authorities attributed the attack
on the Institute of Statistics in February to a hacker group allegedly supported by the Iranian government. The Institute reported a sophisticated cyberattack on February 1, which affected multiple systems and 40 computers.
“We have seen how technology can harm countries and citizens, but by maximising its benefits while curbing its misuse, we can create a better world,” Rama concluded.
Serbia has a solid engineering tradition of its own, but the influx of tens of thousands of Russian professionals since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war has significantly bolstered the local ICT sector.
It is estimated that around 300,000 Russians have come to Serbia since February 2022, and that as many as 50,000 have obtained residence permits. A large number are highly skilled and work in the IT sector or consulting.
Industry experts anticipate that the upward trend in Serbia's ICT sector will continue, driven by both domestic talent and the inflow of international expertise.