Member News

SEMIFINALISTS OF THE GENERATOR COMPETITION HAVE BEEN SELECTED

More than 170 participants applied for the OTP banka’s Generator competition, which supports digital projects that help small and medium enterprises overcome the consequences of the crisis caused by the corona virus, out of which ten semifinalists advanced to the next phase. The total prize fund that awaits the winners is two million dinars.

BELGRADE – September 15, 2020 – OTP banka’s Generator Gamechanger competition supports digital projects – websites, applications and other digital platforms – which help and offer new opportunities to small and medium enterprises. More than 170 participants applied for this year’s competition, held for the fourth year in a row, and ten semifinalists advanced to the next stage – those who help companies better present their services and products, provide new sales channels, exchange experiences and ideas or offer other ways of support that companies can use to successfully overcome the consequences of the crisis.

The competition was open to all individuals, informal teams, entrepreneurs and companies that have a new idea that needs support to come to life or an existing solution that needs to be improved. In both categories – a new idea and an existing solution – five semifinalists were selected, who were presented on the Generator website and who are expected to be promoted by the media in order for as many people, potential users of their services, to hear about their project. The semifinalists come from various industries and have applied their knowledge and experience in areas such as fashion, agronomy, business planning, fitness and sports, pets, domestic premium products, crafts, organization of virtual fairs…

In the next phase, six finalists will be selected, three in each category, who will compete for the main prize. At the presentations, the finalists will present their solutions, after which the jury will announce two winners who will win a prize of one million dinars. The semifinalists will also receive special awards from the partners of the competition – Vojvodjanska banka, ICT hub center for the development of technological entrepreneurship and innovation, TeleGroup, Belgrade Open School and the ENECA association.

Through this type of indirect support, OTP banka, together with its partners, continues to contribute to bolstering innovations and domestic entrepreneurship.

Meet the semifinalists of the competition on the Generator website.

About the Generator project:

In order to strengthen the competitiveness of Serbian entrepreneurship, the Generator project was carefully designed and launched in 2017, and it brings together the initiatives and activities that encourage innovative entrepreneurial ventures. In the same year, Generator supported 40 entrepreneurial innovations through financial support, promotion and mentoring. The winner received one million dinars, and almost 800 innovators submitted their ideas. In the following year, 2018, the best student entrepreneurial innovations were awarded, and last year Generator 2.0 was intended for the digital transformation of small and medium enterprises. At the end of 2019, within the Generator project, OTP banka launched the Good Deed Generator initiative, which supports social entrepreneurship.

Together. We move things forward.

#otpbankasrbija #generator2020 #podrška #SME #digitalizacija #inovacije

Sustainable urban mobility – a chance for a cleaner city

At the ceremony, held at the French Embassy, ​​on the occasion of the awarding of prizes within the “Ekoopstina 2024” competition, Wiener Städtische osiguranje awarded the cities of Bajina Bašta and Belgrade for their projects in the field of sustainable mobility.

The company will donate bicycle service stations to cities, intended for free public use, promoting a healthier and more environmentally responsible mode of transportation in urban areas. As a partner of the “sustainable mobility” program, Wiener Städtische osiguranje supports initiatives that reduce the emission of harmful gases, relieving traffic congestion and increasing their “flowability”.

In such a joint venture, the environment is improved and awareness of environmental challenges is strengthened, which encourages new initiatives for sustainable solutions and environmental protection for future generations. In earlier years, service stations were set up in Pirot, Niš and Kruševac.

“Ekoopstina 2024” is a competition intended for all cities and municipalities in Serbia, and includes four key areas: sustainable water management, energy efficiency of buildings, sustainable waste management and sustainable mobility. Eight awarded cities presented their innovative projects, within the platform of French-Serbian cooperation that promotes the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of sustainable development, in order to empower cities and municipalities in Serbia to implement them in their territories and thus contribute to environmental protection.

At the ceremony that brought together representatives of cities and municipalities, partner companies and the media, the awardees were announced by H.J. E. Pierre Cochard, Ambassador of France and H. E. Emanuele Žiofre, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia.

Swinto Wins This Year’s Elevator Lab Challenge South-East Europe Project

Elevator Lab Challenge South-East Europe has been completed last night (Dec. 15) with a gala event where finalists presented their projects to a jury of experts and the audience and fought for the title of “Best Start-up in South-Eastern Europe” and a prize of EUR 10,000. The Swinto team was chosen as the winner of this fintech competition and will have the opportunity to present their work on the international Elevator Lab Demo Day in the spring of 2022, to meet the management of Raiffeisen Bank International Group and receive expert advice on business presentations and unique ways of presenting to business clients.

Tim Swinto, who is also the winner of the second semi-finals evening in the category Payments and Advanced Analytics Solutions, shared his impressions after winning in the finals:

“We enjoyed this experience, it gave us a wonderful opportunity to reveal our idea again and what it is we are offering. We have invested a lot of effort into making a presentation which fully represents our company.”

The jury of experts, consisting of Raiffeisen banka’s managers, rated the most innovative solutions in the financial technologies segment and semi-finals were held in the following categories:

The winner of the first semi-finals evening that took place on Dec. 1 was Easy Albania. Their solution was the best in the segment Innovative Banking Solutions for Retail, SME, and Corporate Clients. In the second semi-finals, Dec. 2, in the category Payments and Advanced Analytics Solutions, the best solution was offered by the Swinto team, as rated by the expert jury. The most innovative solution on the semi-finals evening on Dec 3, in the category ESG solutions, was created by TE Pema team. The teams who won in the semi-finals, as the best in their categories, won EUR 5,000 each, the possibility of developing their projects with some of the local banks, the opportunity to have their systems integrated into Raiffeisen banka and reach 2.6 million clients, as well as placement into the Elevator Lab 2021 finals.

Elevator Lab Challenge South-East Europe is a regional competition for start-ups, organized by the Raiffeisen Group, focused on supporting technology innovations that have a positive impact on the development of financial and banking systems. This year, via a live online event, the participating teams had a chance to present their fintech solutions to experts and the viewers could join the discussion and acquaint themselves with the segment of start-up solutions.

Detailed information regarding the competition, participants, jury and awards can be found at the following link: https://elevator-lab.com/challenges/regional-1/, while the entire gala event can be watched HERE.

Taming the dragon: ESG implementation – risks demystified by CMS Belgrade

CMS Belgrade is going to organize the expert panel Taming the dragon: ESG implementation – risks demystified organized by CMS Belgrade, which will be held on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 15.00, at CMS Belgrade premises, Krunska 73 – estimated duration 90 minutes, followed by a cocktail.

The demand for sustainability information continues to grow as businesses are increasingly focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. ESG regulatory and compliance requirements are rising, and companies are facing intensive implementation challenges. Why? Because ESG matters.

The expert panel will combine ESG experiences and know-how of CMS and Delhaize, Delta Holding, ProCredit Bank, Cushman & Wakefield CBS, and EY. 

Keynote speaker:

Döne Yalçın, Partner and Head of CMS Sustainability for Austria and CEE, will bring insights on ESG regulatory trends on the horizon and current ESG challenges for multinational companies in Europe.

Language: English: keynote and Serbian: panel.

If you need additional information, please send an e-mail to: Belgrade@cms-rrh.com

The Eco-region for a sustainable future

The Embassy of France in Belgrade, in cooperation with its partners, has announced the fourth cycle of the Eco-region competition, which aims to exchange knowledge and good practices between French and Serbian stakeholders in the field of sustainable development of cities and municipalities.

Wiener Städtische osiguranje supports this initiative with the goal of encouraging local communities and self-governments to acquire the necessary expert knowledge and operational experience to best manage the common resources of society and ensure a sustainable future for future generations.

The Eco-region project works to encourage sustainable urban development in cities in the areas of: waste management, water management, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility. The competition is intended for local governments and schools working on sustainable development and green transition projects and is open to all cities and municipalities in Serbia until June 30, 2025. The best nominated projects will be awarded study visits to partner cities and companies in France, with the aim of exchanging experiences and learning about best practices in the aforementioned areas.

The French Ambassador to Serbia, Pierre Cochar, emphasized that this fourth edition of the Eco-region competition marks a decade of intensified activities in addressing climate challenges and recalled that since 2015, the fight against climate change has become a framework for shaping public policies and that Serbia has committed itself to this path by adopting a national adaptation program and a low-carbon law for the period 2023-2030. He further emphasized the key role of local governments and young generations in the ecological transition, highlighting the growing success of the competition.

As a sponsor of the Sustainable Mobility program, Wiener Städtische osiguranje encourages the development of sustainable solutions in urban areas that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, relieve traffic congestion and increase their flow.

Nela Bojović, Head of Marketing at Wiener Städtische osiguranje, emphasized that during previous cycles of the Eco-region project, the company financed bicycle service stations installed in public areas in Niš, Pirot, Kruševac and Bajina Bašta as an additional incentive for “green” solutions. She also emphasized that cooperation with local governments goes beyond environmental aspects, and announced that Pirot and Kruševac will host other projects this year, such as exhibitions of the Wiener Art collection of contemporary art, which the company has been forming since 2011 and which today counts over 600 reference works.

The Largest Youth Handball Competition Kicks Off – Wiener Städtische CUP

Belgrade, 27 February 2026 – This year’s season of the Wiener Städtische CUP begins on 28 February in Kostolac as part of the 13th Youth Sports Games, bringing 16 qualifying tournaments across Serbia. Through these tournaments, boys and girls will have the opportunity to compete, socialize and gain valuable sporting experience.

Wiener Städtische osiguranje, together with its parent company Vienna Insurance Group, continues its partnership with the Youth Sports Games this year – the largest amateur sports event for children and young people in Europe. As part of this partnership, the company sponsors the handball competition under the slogan Active Today, Healthier Tomorrow, contributing to the promotion of an active and healthy lifestyle and creating equal opportunities for all children and young people.

“At Wiener Städtische osiguranje, we continuously promote disease prevention and a responsible approach to health, with a particular focus on young people and encouraging an active lifestyle. We believe that engaging in sports from an early age plays a vital role in developing healthy habits and fostering long-term well-being. By continuing our partnership with the Youth Sports Games and sponsoring the Wiener Städtische CUP handball competition, we aim to encourage young people to stay active, develop team spirit and embrace values such as discipline, cooperation and responsibility for their health,” said Svetlana Smiljanić, Member of the Executive Board of Wiener Städtische Insurance.

During the previous season, the largest grassroots handball competition in Serbia brought together more than 2,400 boys and girls nationwide. As a company committed to educating young people and fostering responsibility for health from an early age, Wiener Städtische osiguranje recognizes its support for handball as an excellent way to build lifelong physical activity habits and contribute to long-term health risk prevention. In this way, the company actively supports the development of handball in Serbia, the growth of new generations who will shape the future of the sport, and its mission to make sport accessible to young people across the country.

“The Youth Sports Games in Serbia are celebrating their thirteenth season this year, with a clear mission to promote sport, friendship and healthy lifestyles among primary and secondary school students. During the previous season, we gathered more than 100,000 participants from over 100 municipalities, cities and villages across the country. We believe this year’s season will surpass previous results and engage an even greater number of children and young people. We are delighted that, with strong partners such as Wiener Städtische osiguranje, we can further enhance the quality of the competition and provide better conditions for children across Serbia to engage in sport and grow up healthy,” said Marija Mihajlović, President of the Plazma Youth Sports Games in Serbia.

Wiener Städtische osiguranje and Vienna Insurance Group, proud sponsors of the Youth Sports Games in Serbia, support children and young people through their engagement while promoting the importance of sport and teamwork from an early age. Through this socially responsible project, they aim to encourage physical activity among children and youth and to raise awareness of healthy lifestyles and the prevention of health risks.

Photo credit: Sportske igre mladih

The Wiener Städtische Cup brought together the best teams from Serbia

The new season of the Youth Sports Games, a manifestation that has been inspiring children all over Serbia for 12 years, encouraging them to learn about a healthy life, friendship, fair play, team spirit and respect for diversity through sports, was officially opened in Požarevac. This year, among the numerous disciplines, four regional finals in handball stand out, which gather as many as 400 young handball players, showing how strong sport can be as an ally in growing up.

This discipline gives children the opportunity not only to improve and develop their physical skills, such as coordination, strength and endurance, but also to strengthen social skills and self-confidence at the same time. Through the third regional final of the Wiener Städtische Cup, held after the ceremonial opening of the Youth Sports Games (SIM) in Požarevac, eight teams, boys and girls, had the opportunity to show their talent, but also to feel the true spirit of sport – togetherness, respect and perseverance.

First place in the boys’ category was won by Metaloplastika from Šabac, while Sloga from Petrovac na Mlavi triumphed in the girls’ competition. The trophies were presented to the best by Johannes Hahn, ambassador of the Youth Sports Games, and Zoran Blagojević, chairman of the Executive Board of Wiener Städtische osiguranje.

Johannes Hahn, SIM ambassador, expressed his great satisfaction that he attended the opening ceremony of the games in Serbia and the finals of the third regional tournament of the Wiener Städtische Cup.

“I am very happy to be here and to attend the opening ceremony and to have the opportunity to watch a handball match, because I come from a family that is fond of handball. I am happy to have watched the competition and I am really amazed by the quality of the game. I wish the players all the best, as well as the Youth Sports Games in Serbia and in the entire region – to be as successful as they have been in the previous 30 years,” said Han after the cup awarding ceremony at the Požarevac Sports Center.

Zoran Blagojević, chairman of the Executive Board of Wiener Städtische osiguranje, pointed out that the company recognizes this sport as an exceptional opportunity to support the personal development of young people, guiding them towards a healthy lifestyle and prevention of health risks.

“At Wiener Städtische osiguranje, we are committed to the promotion of an active lifestyle and risk prevention. We believe that a team sport such as handball plays an important role in the development of young people, as it helps them to adopt values ​​such as responsibility, discipline and team play. The partnership with the Youth Sports Games, the largest amateur sports event in Europe, shows our commitment to this goal, as it gives every child the opportunity to participate in professionally organized sports activities for free. Through this support, we want to contribute to the creation communities that provide equal opportunities for everyone, encouraging young people to adopt healthy habits and be responsible for their health”, emphasizes Blagojević.

The tournament in Požarevac was the third of a total of four planned regional finals, and two were previously held in Gornji Milanovac and Petrovac na Mlavi. The next step is another regional final in Novi Sad, and then the national championship in Apatin, which will bring together the best teams from all over the country. These competitions are an opportunity for children from different backgrounds to connect, make lifelong friends, learn new skills and be active.

When it comes to handball competitions, the Youth Sports Games, in cooperation with Wiener Städtische osiguranje, organized nearly 200 professionally organized matches in which over 2,000 girls and boys, aged 2010 and younger, participated, making the Wiener Städtische Cup the most massive handball event of the year. These tournaments are part of a wider initiative whose goal is to provide children and young people throughout Serbia with a free opportunity to play sports and develop healthy habits.

The Wiener Städtische Cup is over

The best young handball players represent Serbia at the international championship in Split

Apatin, July 4th, 2025 – The first Wiener Städtische KUP, a handball competition within the Serbian Youth Sports Games, got its champions. At the national final held in Apatin, the “RK Metaloplastika” team from Šabac won the men’s competition, while in the women’s competition, “Gracije sa Dunava” was the best. The winners of the national finals will perform at the interstate finals in Split from August 23-27 this year, where they will play with champions from other countries participating in the Youth Sports Games.

Zoran Blagojević, President of the Executive Board of Wiener Städtische osiguranje pointed out that through this initiative the company once again clearly confirms its long-term and strategic commitment to building healthier, more inclusive and sustainable communities, placing a special focus on supporting the youngest and their healthy development.

“The state final in Apatin illuminated the true essence of sport – fighting spirit, togetherness and energy that the young men and women brought to the field. We watched exciting games, felt the passion of the game and the team spirit that was present in each team, and thus once again received confirmation why Wiener Städtische osiguranje decided to support this handball competition. We believe that sport, in addition to contributing to better health and the prevention of many risks, plays an invaluable role in the growth of young people – by teaching them discipline, responsibilities and the importance of cooperation. By supporting such initiatives, we want every child to have the opportunity to grow in a positive, stimulating environment that fosters true values ​​and lays the foundations for healthier and stronger communities,” explained Blagojević.

The competition began with the semi-final stage, where the winning teams of the regional competitions held in Novi Sad, Gornji Milanovac, Petrovac na Mlavi and Požarevac faced off.

After the end of the competition, three prizes were awarded in the men’s and women’s categories. Marko Savić, “RK Metaloplastika” from Šabac and Anja Stevanović from “RK Osipaonica” won the award for the youngest player, and Luka Đorđević, “RK Metaloplastika” and Milica Bakić from the “Gracije sa Dunava” team for the best scorers, while Luka Kostić from “RK Omladinac” from Gornji Milanovac and Lara Medved from the “Gracije sa Dunava” team won the award for the best goalkeeper.

The first Wiener Städtische KUP, in which over 2,400 boys and girls participated, showed how important it is to support such events, as it enables every child to participate in professionally organized sports activities for free. Wiener Städtische osiguranje, as a partner of the Serbia Youth Sports Games, recognizes the importance of such initiatives and through supporting the handball cup actively contributes to creating an environment where young people have equal opportunities, promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, and develops awareness of the importance of prevention and health care from the earliest years.

TWO MILLION DINAR PRIZE FUND FOR DIGITAL PROJECTS

Aware of the challenges we are all facing due to the crisis caused by Covid-19, OTP Bank has launched the 4th Generator contest, with a total prize fund of RSD 2 million, aiming to support the digital projects that can help SMEs survive the crisis period and its aftermath.

BELGRADE – June 12, 2020 – Aware of what challenges small and medium-business in our country faced due to the crisis caused by Covid-19, OTP Bank started the 4th Generator contest, and this year the contest will bear the title Gamechanger. This year’s contest focuses on supporting digital projects – websites, apps and other digital platforms – that help and offer new possibilities to SMEs. For example, to better present their services and products and achieve additional visibility, or to secure new sales channels, to provide a space where satisfied clients can rate and recommend their products and services, exchange experiences and ideas, or to offer some other ways which will be of use to SMEs in successfully overcoming the consequences of the crisis.

Through this type of indirect support, the bank wants to contribute to overcoming the economic consequences of the pandemic and help a large number of small and medium-sized market players, by launching or improving digital platforms which can be of crucial assistance for their business to survive the crisis period and its aftermath.

The contest is open to all individuals, informal teams, entrepreneurs and companies who have a new idea that needs support to materialise or an already existing solution that needs improvement, and applications are open until July 1. The bank will award two RSD 1 million prizes in both categories – New Idea and Existing Solution.

Based on submitted applications, a jury will shortlist 10 semi-finalists, who will receive video material, as well as media promotion and promotion via bank’s channels, so as many people as possible can hear about their solution. Then, six finalists will be selected, who will compete for the main prize. During presentations, finalists will showcase their solutions, after which the jury will declare two winners, who will each win the RSD 1 million prize. Semi-finalists will receive special awards by partners of the contest – Vojvođanska banka and ICT Hub centre for technology entrepreneurship and innovation.

Criteria of the Generator Gamechanger contest, application and additional information can be found at the website www.generator.rs.

Together with its partners, OTP Bank continues to support the strengthening of innovation and domestic entrepreneurship.

About the Generator project:

In order to strengthen the competitiveness of Serbian entrepreneurship, the Generator project was carefully devised and then launched in 2017, gathering all initiatives and activities that foster innovative entrepreneurial endeavours under one umbrella. In the same year, Generator supported 40 entrepreneurial innovations through financial support, promotion and mentorship. The winner received RSD 1 million, and nearly 800 innovators submitted their ideas. The following year, 2018, the rewards went to best entrepreneurial innovations by students, and last year, Generator 2.0 was intended for digital transformation of SMEs. In late 2019, as part of the Generator, OTP Bank launched the Generator of Good Deeds initiative, which supports social entrepreneurship.

You can find more information at www.generator.rs.

#otpbankasrbija #generator2020 #podrška #SME #digitalizacija #inovacije