With EU support, two university professors are taking their digital identity company beyond Serbia
Miloš Milovanović is an IT professor at the University of Belgrade and cofounder of IT company Blinking. He has done many things during his career: he was a musician, a radio host, and a postman, he worked briefly in construction before becoming a university professor, and finally he became an entrepreneur. The only thing that has remained constant is his love for technology and interest in how it can change the world. As a scientist, he has devoted his research to digital identity and biometrics. Eventually, he and his friend and fellow professor, MiroslavMinović , decided to establish a company that could enable society to perform the ultimate digital shift.
Their idea to start a company came from the conclusion that the current model of manually acquiring data and documents on physical premises or through insecure and unverified digital channels is flawed and outdated. During the process of applying for a service, for example, people often leave copies of their data or documents in the hands of each person their application passes through. Miloš and Miroslav knew that this model was prone to breach, identity theft, and misuse of private data and is costly in terms of individuals’ and organisations’ time and money. They therefore worked to produce a reliable, secure, and simple way to confirm identity.
“For years now, companies have been looking for a way to turn their business towards digital interaction, but they lacked adequate solutions.”
Ending the queues in front of the banks
In 2017, university professors Miloš and Miroslav found themselves wondering when the queues in front of bank branches would disappear and people would really start to finish things “with a click”. Miloš says that they basically just developed something that they wanted to use themselves. “For years now, companies have been looking for a way to turn their business towards digital interaction, but they lacked adequate solutions,” he explains.
He goes on to describe how, although there was a perceived clear need for the product in the market, also recognised by big decision makers, there was reluctance to introduce the product. “They were simply not ready,” he says, so the two men took alternative action to get the market used to digital ID. One approach was to introduce the technology piece by piece; the other was promoting the benefits of the technology in lectures and presentations to influence companies and other stakeholders to use the product.
Eventually, all their efforts paid off and Blinking is now the leading company in Serbia for digital identity verification and one of the leading companies in the region. But their ambitions did not stop there, they wanted to increase their regional sales and enter the EU and global market. For this they needed support, which came from the EU-funded PowerUP programme which was launched to support Western Balkan Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to build resilience to COVID-19 and expand their market presence.
“PowerUP was a very good programme where we got very useful information and skills. The most important part for us related to international growth beyond the Western Balkans.”
About the project
PowerUP is afree programme designed for SMEs and start-ups who are looking for new ways to attract customers and adapt their business models, and who are interested in outside investment. The programme was launched by the World Bank in November 2020 and is funded by the EU under the Western Balkans Enterprise Development and Innovation Facility (WB EDIF), with leading consulting company, Deloitte, supporting its implementation. Over 200 other companies from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia participated in the programme, receiving training aimed at supporting companies’ further growth, ability to attract investment and crisis resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The EU-funded PowerUP programme supported Blinking to upgrade numerous skills: from people management, to better addressing customers and marketing. “PowerUP was a very good programme where we got very useful information and skills. The most important part for us related to international growth beyond the Western Balkans,” says Miloš.
Blinking currently has 30 full-time employees and other external associates. “When it comes to the future, we want to build something long-lasting. But one of the things I know well is that we need to be patient. We also need to continue to believe that even if you come from the Western Balkans you can become an important international player in this market. That is why we are investing, improving and developing new products, some of which will see the light of day by the end of the year. So follow us on social media networks for the latest updates,” says Miloš.
This month the Young European Ambassadors (YEA) network celebrates its first birthday. During their first year, the YEAs have initiated and participated in events and activities such as webinars, youth activism campaigns, and the EXIT and Balkan Trafik festivals. They have used these activities to promote issues including media literacy, gender equality, youth empowerment, and environment protection. To mark the first anniversary, the Young European Ambassadors have produced a short video that covers the main activities of their one-year journey.
The YEA network launched in August 2020 with 60 change-makers from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The network promotes diversity while sharing a common vision: learning about one another and the European Union, pursuing creative projects, acquiring new skills, organising inspiring events – always guided by the idea that youth activism is the most powerful tool for social change.
The YEAs are now a well-known network, sharing information with their peers about opportunities offered by the EU – from education and skills development, to travel, advocacy, and much more. This next generation of young leaders isinspiring change within their communities and across the Western Balkan region and the EU.
Non-Governmental Organisations from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia gathered young people from these countries as part of a youth exchange programme supported by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO). The gathering took place from 10 to 15 August in Krujë, Albania where young people had an opportunity to learn about peacebuilding and conflict resolution in society. The participants also explored topics such as identity, prejudice, stereotypes, and intercultural diversity.
“We believe that this is a journey, on which I as a young person can get to know my own self and to realise who I want to be, what kind of a person I want to be, what beliefs and what values I want to live, what kind of a society I want to live in, and how I as an individual can contribute to creating it,”said Ms Ljijana Šotra, a project representative from the Balkans, Let’s Get Up! organisation.
The exchange was implemented as part of the “P.A.C.E. – Peace and Conflict Education” project supported by RYCO and co-financed by the European Union.
The Tokyo Games are not over. The Paralympic Games in Tokyo began on 24 August, and 20 Serbian athletes are competing in archery, athletics, cycling, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis, and taekwondo. The European Union delegation to Serbia is a proud partner of the Serbian Paralympic team, covering the costs of transporting the athletes, their coaches and staff to Tokyo, and supporting the Serbian Paralympic Committee in performing its duties and promoting sports for all in Serbia.
On the eve of the departure of the Serbian Paralympic team to Tokyo, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi said, “I am very proud of the European Union’s partnership with the Serbian Paralympic Movement. They are amazing athletes who have overcome extremely complex challenges in order to achieve great results. I am sure that they will achieve great results also in Tokyo and that they will make us proud, and we hope that they will return with medals.”
The history of the Paralympic Games dates back to 1948, when as part of the recovery of Second World War veterans with spinal injuries, Sir Ludwig Gutmann organised a shooting competition. It has been an international competition since 1952, and since 1960 it has been held in the same city as the Olympic Games.
With a new decision by the European Commission, COVID certificates issued by North Macedonia – as well as Turkey and Ukraine – will be accepted in the EU under the same conditions as the EU Digital COVID Certificate. At the same time, North Macedonia, Turkey and Ukraine have agreed to accept the EU Digital COVID Certificate for travel from the EU to their countries. Their participation in the EU’s Digital COVID Certificate will thus facilitate safe travel to and from the EU.
Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, commented, “As we fight the pandemic together, our partners are also an integral part of opening up safely together. I welcome Ukraine, North Macedonia and Turkey in our Digital COVID Certificate system and look forward to more of our neighbours connecting soon.”
The online voting system for the new group of Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) opened on 20 August and will remain open until 30 September. Following an online audience vote, the 30 top ranked candidates from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia will then be evaluated by the Technical Jury and the YEA Expert Jury, who will finally officially appoint the new 60 Young European Ambassadors.
The YEA network launched in August 2020 with 60 change-makers from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The network promotes diversity while sharing a common vision: learning about one another and the European Union, pursuing creative projects, acquiring new skills, organising inspiring events – always guided by the idea that youth activism is the most powerful tool for social change. The YEAs are now a well-known network, sharing information with their peers about opportunities offered by the EU – from education and skills development, to travel, advocacy, and much more. This next generation of new young leaders will inspire change within their communities and across the Western Balkan region and the EU.
Interests: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, EU INTEGRATION
My name is Anastasija Đorđa Bosančić, I am 19 years old and I am an activist and a project developer from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I am currently obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences, with a major in International Relations. Passionate about global politics, human rights and environment, I actively manage several teams in youth organizations and associated projects, volunteers for causes such as inclusion of marginalised groups and is an investigative journalist.
I have participated in numerous prestigious exchanges for youth leaders at international level, both in Europe and the US, some of which are Global In-Fellowship in Berlin and Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship at Purdue University. Throughout the past three years I am the youngest elected president of the Students Parliament and has organised numerous successful projects and charity events. I was a delegate, chair and Secretary General of over 30 Model United Nations conferences all around the world and is a delegate of the European Youth Parliament sessions.
I am very dedicated to debating, and I have competed in various debate formats as well as being a debate judge. Currently I cooperate with foreign embassies and UNDP in BiH.
My mission is to inspire young people to get involved.
As part of the EU-supported project “Solidifying the Resilience of Kosovo’s Current and Future Journalists”, BIRN Kosovo is seeking students from Kosovo’s public high schools interested in undergoing training in media production, media literacy and tackling fake news.
In June, two training sessions from the same programme were held with a total of 35 high school students from Gjilan and Ferizaj. BIRN Kosovo will now organise eight additional training sessions for high school students with the aim of nurturing young talent by mentoring students in the production of videos, photos and articles. This will contribute to increased independence, transparency, accountability and civic engagement.The training sessions will introduce the students to journalism, including topics like journalistic language and concepts, reporting standards, photography tips, production materials for video content, video editing, investigative journalism, ethics and author’s rights.
At the end of each training session, youngsters from high schools across Kosovo will pitch their journalistic ideas, which the BIRN team will analyse before selecting a minimum of 60 videos and article ideas that will be published on the KallxoRinia online platform. The production process for all of these articles will be overseen by a team of BIRN Kosovo editors.
An EU-funded project promoting traditional architecture helps villagers in the Albania-Montenegro border region to thrive in tourism
Homemade food and no menu, and everything served fresh from the garden or orchard: this is what guests get when they stay at the Kljajić family guesthouse in the village of Lubnice in Montenegro. Their stay is in a house more than a hundred years old, with traditional furniture and decor. Maja and Milan Kljajić are running this guesthouse along with their four children. Their journey into tourism entrepreneurship has not always been paved with roses. It brought challenges, coincidences but also joy to see the end result and big smiles on guests’ faces.
Apart from its natural beauties and rich cuisine, Lubnice village is also abundant in traditional architecture. This is a result of the very rich culture and history of the region and the delays in modernisation – meaning that many old houses are preserved in the villages of the area between Albania and Montenegro.
“Honestly, I did not believe that the old house could be useful for anything. However, my husband Milan was persistent and soon we became pioneers of rural tourism in our region.”
From small-scale farming to tourism entrepreneurship
Until ten years ago, Maja and Milan had no intention whatsoever of going into tourism. Milan produced organic honey, and the family was generating income from this and other small-scale agricultural production, which they sold in the markets of nearby towns. Apart from the house that they were living in, they also had a house which was over 100 years old. Milan inherited it from his father and grandfather. They used this house as storage for food and for furniture they no longer needed.
As part of his honey production activity, Milan travelled across the region to attend seminars and this is how he got the idea to turn their old house into a guesthouse for tourists. “Honestly, I did not believe that the old house could be useful for anything. However, Milan was persistent and soon we become pioneers of rural tourism in our region,” says Maja.
The house was in very bad shape and the Kljajić family needed to invest in renovation. Only, they did not have the means. Initially, they got support from a donor organisation to fix the roof, which was urgent, and made some other small repairs. Then they could start to receive visitors. Maja remembers the first guests, a group of Bulgarian cyclists, whom they hosted back in 2014. She recalls not sleeping the night of their arrival, being afraid that she would not be able to wake up in time to prepare breakfast for them. “It seemed unbelievable. We were not used to visitors; the whole village was excited and in shock,” says Maja.
This first group was followed by another group and then another, until the house started to be booked for the whole season. However, the growth in popularity was not without challenges. The old house was not fully renovated and had issues, and the family needed support in promotion.
“The EU support was very important. In addition to money for the final renovation of the house, we also got support to promote our guesthouse through brochures and social media. This had an enormous impact on further growth of our business.”
About the project
The EU-funded cross-border cooperation project “Preserving cultural landscape of Albania and Montenegro” started in 2018 and ended in 2020. The aim of the project was to enhance the competitiveness of the tourism sector by incorporating cultural and natural heritage. It contributed to promotion of the traditional architecture of the cross-border area among local and international visitors through exhibitions, social media, and a series of articles in targeted magazines on the topic of traditional elements in modern architecture and preserving cultural heritage. It was implemented by the Bjelasica, Komovi and Prokletije Regional Development Agency and the Polimski Museum from Montenegro in cooperation with EuroPartners Development and the Regional Council of Shkodër in Albania.
This much-needed funding came from an EU-funded cross-border cooperation project called “Preserving cultural landscape of Albania and Montenegro”. This helped the family to complete the renovation of the house while preserving its traditional cultural and historical elements. “The EU support was very important. In addition to money for the final renovation of the house, we also got support to promote our guesthouse through brochures and social media. This had an enormous impact on further growth of our business,” says Maja.
Maja and Milan now plan to continue this business for years to come. They also hope that at least one of their children will share their passion and keep the guesthouse open.
Our Young European Ambassador Gent Salihi, holds a Master degree in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, serves as a Project Officer at the DCAF Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. With an institutional background as a former Cabinet Member of the Ministry of Information Society and Administration, and Secretary of the National Council for Cybersecurity, he brings a wealth of expertise to his current role. Alumni of the Council of Europe School of Policies and Presidential Center for Political Education, Gent has demonstrated his commitment to advancing european integration , regional cooperation and security. He has honed his skills through engagement with prestigious institutions such as the Austrian Centre for Peace, European Security and Defence College and various political and economic think tanks. Fluent in Albanian, Macedonian, English and Turkish, Gent actively contributes to domestic and international dialogues, conferences, and projects, fostering diplomatic relations and promoting effective governance practices.
