BRNABIC: Serbia gave subsidies to Continental as it is not an outsourcing company

(Ana Brnabic) Serbian Prime Minister stated on Friday, March 23, 2018, that the state had given subsidies to the German company Continental for the opening of a research center in Novi Sad because it is not an outsourcing company and emphasized that Serbia would greatly benefit from the center.

Let us remind that the state had given a subsidy of EUR 9.5 million (EUR 19,000 per employee) to the German company, attracting sharp criticism from the local IT industry.

When asked by the press as to why the local IT sector is complaining, Brnabic reminded that the previous government had decided not to give subsidies for IT companies and that it stopped the subsidies for Endava.

She said that Continental was an entirely different case, as Endava is an outsourcing company which employs programmers.

– In Continental's case, we have the research center in Serbia which promotes Serbia as a destination for research and development and brings different technology and knowledge – Brnabic pointed out and added that Serbian startups and programmers would greatly benefit from the center.

As she says, the companies will employ university-educated mechanical and electrical engineers primarily, in order to train them for special research disciplines.

Vlada Republike Srbije

Continental Automotive Serbia d.o.o. Novi Sad

Endava doo Beograd

Ana Brnabic

outsourcing

subsidies for foreign companies

subsidies for Continental

Continental development center in Novi Sad

subsidies for foreign IT companies

IT workforce

lack of IT workforce

lack of IT experts

employing programmers