(This episode is in Serbian)

In this episode of k/talks I sit down with Zoja Kukić. Zoja is an integral part of the Serbian digital ecosystem, a contemporary of its growth from its modest beginnings up to the point where the local hubs of Belgrade and Novi Sad get recognized by the Startup Genome in three major categories - top 5 in blockchain, top 5 in affordable talent and top 10 in gaming. This has been a tremendous accomplishment, as it puts Belgrade and Novi Sad as the only such hub on the map between Estonia and Israel. We talked about the early years, different factors that enable or hamper growth and many other things.

Zoja also co-authored a research published by Digital Serbia Initiative, that tracked how the Covid-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic crisis affected the local digital ecosystem. Contrary to what many commentators suggested, the digital community suffered greatly across the globe. With a few notable exceptions, most businesses took a big hit as a result.

Further read and resources:
https://startupgenome.com/ecosystems/belgrade-and-novi-sad
https://www.dsi.rs/skener-digitalne-privrede-covid-19/