With expert assistance to greater cooperation between domestic companies and investors in the zones

The Directorate for Technological Industrial Development Zones (TIDZ) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) with expert and financial assistance will help domestic small and medium-sized supply companies to increase competitiveness for cooperation with investors from the zones and to connect with global chains for procurement. Small and medium suppliers from the country, along with companies from Serbia and Albania, will be part of the 100 companies that will be connected to large international companies through a digital platform. The agreement for cooperation and partnership between TIDZ and IFC was signed yesterday, domestic companies should be provided with most of the cake created in the technological-industrial development zones.

- In 2020 The total volume of economic activity in the zones was 3.4 billion euros, in 2019 this cake was 3.7 billion euros, and according to the figures we have now published for the movements in 2021, it is expected to be over four billion euros. Our goal as a country is to provide domestic companies with greater participation in this cake - said Jovan Despotovski, director of the Directorate of TIDZ.

He added that a program will be prepared that will provide advisory and financial assistance to domestic companies to raise the level of technological readiness and be competitive for entry and cooperation with large international companies within the technological-industrial development zones, as well as regional, European and world markets.

IFC Regional Director for Central and Southeast Europe Ari Nam said greater regional co-operation would be achieved by improving competitiveness.

- Connecting local small and medium enterprises with the chain of large global companies is aimed at improving competitiveness. The cooperation with the Directorate of TIDZ will enable to adopt its own program that will help small and medium enterprises - said Nam, pointing out that in Northern Macedonia there is an entry of many foreign investors, as well as opportunities for development of domestic companies.

Magdalena Shuljakova, IFC Representative in the country, pointed out that international companies are looking for ways to integrate local companies in their production process.

The first of the three components of the program is the platform that will connect suppliers from the region, with large companies present in the Western Balkans and beyond. It will be prepared from next month and in the pilot phase in the next six months will be included 100 supply companies from Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania, as well as buyers that are already present in the Western Balkans, but also companies that are not present.