Minister Bošnjak at INTERA Technology Park: Cooperation on EU Projects and IT Sector Development

The Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dubravka Bošnjak, visited INTERA Technology Park in Mostar, where she met with Director Pavo Pavlović and his associates to discuss the development of the information technology sector, joint applications for European Union funding, and the creation of conditions for attracting remote-working professionals.

Founded in 2011, INTERA Technology Park is one of the most advanced institutions for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The park brings together a CNC technology training center, through which more than twenty-eight generations of operators and programmers have completed training, a FabLab equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, and industrial CNC machines, as well as a business incubator, coworking space, and startup support programs. The creative industries segment, including software development and the gaming sector, has also been particularly well developed.

A significant portion of INTERA’s work is carried out through international and EU-funded projects. The park is part of the Enterprise Europe Network, Europe’s largest support network for small and medium-sized enterprises, and an active participant in cross-border and transnational cooperation programs. Among its recent activities is the CODES project, whose pre-acceleration program brought together twenty-four teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia, as well as the organization of expert conferences such as the gathering on digitalization in the green economy. Through such projects, INTERA connects the domestic economy with European partners, higher education institutions, and funding sources.

This very ability to attract and implement EU projects was recognized as an area in which the Ministry of Civil Affairs and INTERA can work together. The participants discussed opportunities to apply for programs intended to support the development of science, technology, and digital transformation, in which the park, as an experienced lead partner and participant in international consortia, can play an important role.

During the meeting, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina also presented its initiative to regulate the status of digital nomads. Bosnia and Herzegovina currently lacks a legal framework for the residence of foreign nationals working remotely for foreign companies, although such workers are already coming to the country. The Ministry has therefore launched an initiative toward the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina to amend the Law on Foreigners in order to define, for the first time, the conditions for granting temporary residence permits to this category of individuals. The adoption and implementation of this framework fall under the jurisdiction of state institutions, while technology parks such as INTERA can provide the working and business infrastructure that attracts such professionals.

“Digital nomads are not a trend we can ignore. They represent a growing segment of highly qualified professionals who earn their income abroad while spending it where they live and work. Several European Union countries and countries in the region have already introduced special residence permits precisely because they recognized the economic logic behind this phenomenon. Bosnia and Herzegovina needs a clear legal framework that will define the conditions of residence, as well as the rights and obligations of this category of foreign nationals, not as an administrative goal in itself, but as a prerequisite for a serious development policy. The visit to INTERA Technology Park demonstrates that the institutions and capacities already exist. Our task is to ensure that the legislative and regulatory framework recognizes and supports them,” said Minister Bošnjak.

“For fifteen years, INTERA has been building conditions in which talented people can develop their ideas and careers in Herzegovina. Our training center, FabLab, incubator, and participation in European projects are not separate activities; they are part of one ecosystem that functions because we have built it patiently and systematically. Our meeting with Minister Bošnjak confirms that there is institutional willingness to further develop this ecosystem and connect it with state policies. We are convinced that INTERA can serve as a concrete platform for joint applications to EU funds and for attracting professionals seeking an environment where it is worthwhile to work and stay,” said Pavlović.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue cooperation, primarily through joint applications for European funds and the exchange of information regarding the needs of the IT sector and young professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina.