The first Business Meetup, organized by the Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Entrepreneurs in Sweden (BHNS), took place in Stockholm, focusing on strengthening economic cooperation between BiH and the Kingdom of Sweden.
The Association brings together business leaders from Sweden and BiH through tangible collaboration, knowledge exchange, networking, and capacity-building for economic growth. At the newly opened headquarters of biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, attendees had the opportunity to hear inspiring stories from leading tech and design companies, along with practical insights on collaboration between the two countries.
Nazif Hasanovic, president of BHNS, welcomed the participants, stating that this event directly follows the first Business Forum held on June 1st, 2024, in Gothenburg.
The honorary guests included Bojan Sosic, Ambassador of BiH to Sweden, and Johan Lopes Helgesson, artificial intelligence (AI) expert and Director for Europe of the United States (U.S.) software company Adobe. Lopes spoke about the opportunities and challenges AI presents in business.
“AI can rapidly produce millions of perfect versions, facilitating and accelerating production, as it has mastered replicating human creativity; however, only humans can create an original,” Lopes stated.
Vedad Hasanagic, co-founder and CTO of software company Evolt, which focuses on financial technology, crypto, and secure transactions, discussed digital products offered by the BiH IT industry.
In addition to its Sarajevo headquarters with over 50 employees, Evolt operates in the U.S., Sweden, and Germany, with offices in Houston and Ljubljana.
“The first car ever bought with cryptocurrency was purchased via the EllyPOS app, developed by Evolt in BiH. It is particularly rewarding to have been pioneers of this technology. Such achievements present a tremendous opportunity for all of us to create something new together,” said Vedad Hasanagic.
Handcrafting is a longstanding tradition for people from BiH, and products from companies like Zanat in Konjic have been sold for years in top Swedish design stores. Hatidza Zutic, creative head of Sham Carpets, which hand-produces custom 100% natural wool rugs, explained the essentials of sustainable rugs, both for home and office, with globally recognized quality and certifications.
Armin Osmancevic, an expert in design, communication, e-commerce, and entrepreneurship development, spoke on how members of the diaspora can quickly and efficiently establish a company in BiH, from documentation to financing.
The Association will continue building connections between BiH and the Kingdom of Sweden in partnership with organizations like the BiH Embassy in Sweden and the Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH. Such meetings are the fastest route to economic success and a brighter future for our homeland, where collaboration between companies in similar industries is crucial to enhance relevance with foreign clients.
