WIIW The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies - Wiener Institut für Internationale Wirtschaftsvergleiche

Nearshoring trends in SEE - what is ahead?

27  January 2023    10:00 am CET

FIW Round Table: Focus Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe

In cooperation with:
   

Venue

Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ), 1040 Vienna, Wiedner Hauptstraße 63, Saal 1

Description

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine called for greater resilience of supply chains and a higher level of cooperation in Europe. New buzzwords were coined, such as reshoring, nearshoring, and friendshoring. Moreover, the EU integration process was again revived. As EU companies aim to shorten their supply chains, bringing their production network closer to their home, Western Balkan countries are in the spotlight. Yet, besides the economic and geographic potential to grasp these FDI opportunities, the Western Balkans still face many socio-political challenges. This event will discuss these issues and give further insight into state-of-the-art research and relevant policies helping the Western Balkans to benefit from these new investment opportunities.

Programme

10:00 – 10:15  Welcome Addresses

• Michael Otter, Director General, AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA
• Cynthia Zimmermann, Director General, Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (BMAW)
• Mario Holzner, Executive Director, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw)

10:15 – 11:10  Presentations
Chair: Nina Vujanović, Economist, wiiw

• Isidora Ljumović, Senior Research Associate, Institute of Economic Sciences (IES)
  Global uncertainties and sectorial focus on nearshoring
• Branimir Jovanović, Economist, wiiw
  FDI and Nearshoring: A Win-Win for East and West Europe?

11:10 – 11:40  Coffee Break

11:40 – 13:00  Panel Discussion on the topic: ‘Nearshoring trends in SEE - what is ahead?’
Chair: Richard Bandera, Regional Manager Southeast Europe, Eastern Europe/Central Asia, AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA

• Martha Bogacz, Project Manager go-international, AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA
• Zdravko Ilić, Senior Trade Expert, CEFTA Secretariat
• Sophia Kluge, Project Coordinator, Chamber Partnership Western Balkans Project at the Serbian-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbien)
• Isidora Ljumović, Senior Research Associate, IES
• Jelena Vasić, Economist, Regional Centre for Economic Analysis of the Western Balkans Chambers Investment Forum (wb6cif) and Head of Centre for Strategic Analyses, Analytics, Planning and Publications, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia

13:00 – onwards Networking

FIW Round Table is a series of events to discuss current trade policy issues and foster a systematic and sustainable networking among different actors in this field from Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe.