The goal of the first international conference, Electromobility: the beginning or end of the ice age, which was recently held, was the exchange of knowledge, experience, and breaking prejudices about electromobility. Through lectures, panel discussions, and workshops, the conference brought together international experts, companies with proven experience, financial institutions, insurance companies, policymakers, and experts in the sustainable transport sector – passenger and cargo electrified programs, energy, and technology.
Electric kilometers
The conference was organized by the Chamber of Commerce of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), with the support and co-financing of the Government of FBiH, the Federal Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, the City of Sarajevo, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Embassy of Sweden as the partner country, and for the first time in BiH, but also in the region, the conference brought together in one place leading experts from 10 European Union (EU) countries and the region – from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovenia, Turkiye, Serbia and Croatia.
In line with the conference motto Living with clean lungs, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of FBiH, Mirsad Jasarspahic, the ambassador of Sweden to BiH Helena Lagerlof, and the UNDP resident representative in BiH Renaud Meyer symbolically planted a sapling and thus opened the conference.
“In the Chamber of Commerce of FBiH we have long been dealing with the issue of electromobility in working with our members – business entities, and now precisely after all the accumulated experience, and our electric kilometers traveled across BiH and beyond, and based on numerous contacts, we decided that it is time for the first international conference in BiH that will demystify numerous prejudices and provide insights into new knowledge and new contacts for those present. Additionally, through the innovative approach to the organization of the conference and its content, we have shown the breadth that electromobility brings, that these are not only electric vehicles, but also numerous innovations and business opportunities,” Jasarspahic emphasized in his address.
The introductory lecture within the first panel Voice of Industry, powered by Star Import Mercedes-Benz, was held by Ellen Hiep, a representative of the Dutch Association of Electric Vehicle Drivers, who conveyed the message that all the challenges currently present in BiH existed in all other countries as well, where they now have some other challenges, and that growing pains are inevitable, and therefore every newly installed charger and every step forward must be celebrated.
Within the panel of the same name, moderated by Anela Karahasan, all guest representatives of the countries shared their experiences regarding the number of electric vehicles, current challenges, the key to success, and how they see the future of electromobility as the beginning or the end of the ice age.
Within the second panel, representatives of institutions and international organizations, moderated by Dervis Hadzimuhamedovic, discussed the modalities of leading sustainable transport from the perspective of the advocacy table. A special contribution to this panel was given by Maria Molina Toledo, the ambassador of Spain to BiH.
Within Block 1: ICE vs BEV, participants had the opportunity to hear firsthand that in Scandinavian countries (especially Norway, as presented by speaker Petter Haugneland), the ice age has come to an end, i.e., for internal combustion vehicles, and those present received information on how this was achieved.
Josip Saric, on behalf of the company Etiris, also a member of the Association for Electromobility, presented for the first time the application ChargerBiH.
The panel Life after the vehicle – quo vadis, powered by Mozaik Foundation & Sparkasse Bank, was particularly interested of those present.
Through an interactive discussion, the panelists talked about the opportunities but also the challenges brought by batteries in BiH. Omar Noshin gave those present more details about the EU requirements and the Digital Passport, emphasizing several times the sentence: Every crisis is also an opportunity. A special reflection and attention on the challenges in disposing of batteries from smokeless devices, as well as their contribution in the context of the circular economy, was given by Lorand Szabo, general director of Philip Morris for BiH.
The presentations by Scania and Volvo Trucks drew special attention, considering their experience in the electrification of the cargo program, which is still not present in BiH. The presentations of other Swedish companies were equally significant, especially because they addressed the interconnectedness and joint action of the academic community, decision-makers, and the business sector.
Sustainable driving
Within the panel ESG in the vehicle fleet: sustainable driving on the road, experiences of companies from the real sector were discussed, as well as the opportunities, challenges, and savings that sustainable transport brings, and what ESG means in the vehicle fleet. Those present had the opportunity to see a premiere for the BiH market: the Andolu Isuzu BIG.e electric delivery vehicle, with all its potentials and modularity for various needs and industries.
And how to ensure the collection of receivables was presented to those present within the Side event by Sanjin Tankosic on behalf of Wiener Osiguranje VIG.
The final panel VI, titled Towards climate neutrality in BiH: Sarajevo’s journey through NetZeroCities, provided insights into the achievements and progress on behalf of the City of Sarajevo on the path to climate neutrality, and also insights into the activities of NetZeroCities, which recognizes the need for cities to develop specific strategies tailored to local and regional contexts.
Particularly interesting was the education and empowerment of women in business on the topic of driving electric vehicles and test drives organized in cooperation with the Association of Authorized Car Dealers and Traders.
In the conclusion of this two-day conference, the present representatives of 10 countries unanimously confirmed and said that it is clear that BiH is at the very crossroads of Europe’s green transition, but that with their examples and support, they are available for this transition in BiH to begin: ambitiously, realistically, and ready for action.
