Vienna remains a strong European center, while Sarajevo is becoming a recognized regional hub capable of attracting, retaining, and developing investments, particularly in the fields of healthcare, innovation, and new technologies, it was highlighted at today’s meeting in Sarajevo attended by senior officials from the City of Vienna, the Cantonal Agency for Attracting Investments and Privatization (KAIP), as well as experts and investors.
Adnan Jašarević, Director of KAIP, Barbara Novak, Deputy Mayor of Vienna, and Dominic Weiss, Director of the Vienna Business Agency, were among the participants in a very substantive discussion on cooperation between the two cities, with a particular focus on investments in the healthcare sector, where there is notable interest in Sarajevo Canton.
The meeting opened the door to more concrete connections between Austrian companies and investment opportunities in Sarajevo Canton, with the involvement of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Advantage Austria.
“In 2024, more than 60 million BAM were invested in the healthcare and social protection sector in Sarajevo Canton, which is twice as much as in previous years. At this moment, there is no better place in Europe to invest in this field than Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I particularly refer to Sarajevo Canton, which is increasingly gaining recognition. Business conditions are becoming more favorable, investments are secure, the regulatory framework is predictable, and both the tax policy and incentive policy are highly attractive. We are extremely encouraged by the interest coming from Vienna, which has been further strengthened through institutional cooperation established last year through the signing of a memorandum with the Vienna Business Agency,” said Jašarević.
Deputy Mayor of Vienna Barbara Novak, who led a large delegation from the Austrian capital, emphasized that Vienna has a dense and internationally well-connected startup ecosystem in the fields of MedTech and Life Sciences. She also expressed a particular interest in strengthening cooperation with Sarajevo. During the delegation’s visit, working meetings were organized to explore models for more concrete measures that could accelerate the realization of investments.
“In Vienna we are pursuing a joint strategy in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors to stay ahead, strengthen our startup ecosystem, and create sustainable jobs. We also want to further advance opportunities for startups from Sarajevo,” Novak emphasized.
Dominic Weiss, Director of the Vienna Business Agency, highlighted that today’s event represents one of the very successful outcomes of the cooperation between the Vienna Business Agency and KAIP, formalized last year, adding that within the agency’s support programs additional assistance will be provided to the best startup companies from Sarajevo Canton.
