Economy

March 4, 2026 in Announcement, Development, Economy

Invitation to participate in B2B meetings with Austrian companies

The office of the trade department of the Austrian Embassy (Advantage Austria) is organizing a business mission in Banja Luka from March 25 to 27, 2026, including B2B meetings with Austrian companies and institutions.

This event is an opportunity for domestic companies to make contacts with Austrian partners. For more information and registration, interested parties can contact Advantage

The B2B meetings will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the “Courtyard by Marriott” hotel (Prvog Krajiško korpus 33, conference hall on the 1st floor) from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The delegation consists of eleven Austrian companies interested in establishing business cooperation, and their profiles you can find here.

Participation is free, but is only possible with a pre-arranged appointment.

Interested companies can register their interest in meetings by submitting their contact details and information with which Austrian participant they wish to speak with.

Applications must be submitted no later than March 20, 2026. year, or as soon as possible due to the limited number of appointments, to contact:

Dragan Samardzija

Email: banjaluka@advantageaustria.org

Phone: 051 507 010

The dates of the meetings will be confirmed after agreeing on the schedule.

This event is an opportunity for domestic companies to make contacts with Austrian partners. For more information and application, interested parties can contact the above-mentioned e-mail or phone number.

February 4, 2026 in Development, Economy

The months-long investment talks with partners from China are entering a new phase

Brod Municipality Mayor Milan Zečević held a meeting today in the premises of the Municipal Administration with Guo Hengyan, general director of the company “China Shandong International & Technical Cooperation Group Ltd”, headquartered in Banja Luka, and Jiang Hongrui, a businessman from the Chinese city of Qingdao.

During the meeting, they discussed the next steps in the development of cooperation, as well as concrete investment opportunities in the municipality of Brod.

Chinese investors have expressed interest in investing, emphasizing the favorable geographical position of Brod, the benefits for starting a business, as well as the potential offered by the free, duty-free zone, the establishment of which should be completed by the end of the current month.

A special part of the conversation was dedicated to the concrete steps that interested investors should take in the process of registering a company, as well as the obligations and support that the local administration should provide in that process.

According to Cang Hongrui, there are already several businessmen from China who are considering the possibility of investing in the area of the municipality of Brod.

The Mayor of Brod thanked Ms. Guo for her visit and pointed out that the support of one of the largest Chinese state-owned companies significantly contributes to the efforts of the current municipal administration in attracting investors from China.

“The story about investors and the creation of a more favorable environment in Brod is a long-term story, a story that will require months and months of effort and work, but we can already see that certain aspects have proven to be favorable and certain plans are already being implemented,” Zečević said.

He added that the process of issuing construction permits for several different buildings is underway, which will result in more than 200 new jobs in Brod in the next 16 to 20 months.

“We hope that Chinese investors will also enter this economic flywheel, which we started in the second half of last year and which will only come to the fore during this year,” concluded the mayor of Brod.

It was also announced at the meeting that in April of this year, representatives of eleven companies from Brod will travel to China, where a series of meetings and visits to local companies are planned, with the aim of further concretizing the cooperation between Brod and Chinese businessmen.

January 29, 2026 in Development, Economy

Continued Cooperation with Partners from China: Municipality of Brod Hosts a Delegation of Business Representatives from Shandong Province

A delegation of business representatives from China’s Shandong Province is currently visiting the Municipality of Brod. On this occasion, a working meeting was held at the Municipal Administration, during which the Chinese partners received concrete information on investment conditions through direct discussions with representatives of the relevant municipal departments.

The Deputy Mayor of Brod, Dejan Čečavac, introduced the guests to key facts about the municipality, available economic and investment potentials, attractive investment locations, the structure and availability of the workforce, as well as the advantages offered to investors by the free, duty-free zone.

During the meeting, the Chinese partners expressed interest in investing in several sectors, primarily manufacturing. They also inquired about the applicable legal framework and business conditions, including procedures for obtaining the necessary permits, the availability of electricity and utility services, tax obligations, and infrastructure capacities.

This visit represents a continuation of intensive cooperation with Chinese partners, given that another business delegation from the People’s Republic of China visited the Municipality of Brod in June and July of last year, further confirming interest in developing concrete forms of cooperation.

During their several-day stay in Brod, the business delegation will also visit several companies operating in the municipality in order to familiarize themselves, through practical examples, with working conditions and opportunities for potential business start-ups.

December 5, 2025 in Development, Economy

Representatives of the Austrian Embassy and the Chamber of Commerce on a Working Visit to the Municipality of Brod

The Director of the Foreign Trade Department of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Trade Counsellor at the Embassy of Austria in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marta Suda (Martha Suda), visited the Municipality of Brod today, where she held discussions with the municipal leadership and learned in detail about the development potentials of this local community that may be of interest to Austrian investors.

The Mayor of Brod, Milan Zečević, emphasized that the purpose of the meeting was to present Brod’s comparative advantages and opportunities for cooperation with Austria’s business sector.

“The very logistical position of the Municipality of Brod, in my opinion, demonstrates the strongest foundations for cooperation that we can establish with Austria, and we hope that this alone will be enough to spark the interest of Austrian investors,” Zečević said after the meeting.

He added that the municipality is fully committed to creating a favourable business environment.

“We have prepared brochures, we have prepared land, we have completed 90 percent of the process of establishing a duty-free zone, and we hope that this process will be finalized by the end of the year. This will create the basis to show Austrian businesses that Brod is a place where investment is possible — and desirable. As a municipal administration, we have adopted a series of assembly decisions aimed at promoting our economic potential — from infrastructure development and support for connection to the electricity, sewage, and water supply networks, to various other incentives, including favourable land prices and efficient permit issuance. We hope this meeting will serve as a starting platform for building future cooperation.”

The Trade Counsellor of the Austrian Embassy in BiH, Marta Suda, stressed that the meeting left a very positive impression regarding the opportunities Brod offers.

“The meeting left a very positive impression, and I can see that great attention was paid to every detail. I have ten years of experience working with Austrian companies and investors, and I can say that Austrian firms can find here both the information and the environment they need,” Suda stated.

She added that choosing a production location is a complex, multi-stage process.

“The decision on a production site involves many phases for Austrian companies. The location and geographical position certainly represent an advantage in making such a decision.”

Those attending the meeting included Dragana Samardžija from the trade department of the Austrian Embassy, Father Ivan Tolj, representative of “Styria Media Group Croatia,” Ivan Berić, Director of the company “Anton Paar,” as well as members of the Mayor’s Cabinet, heads of relevant municipal departments and sections, and the President of the Municipal Assembly.

The Mayor of Brod expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the Embassy for today’s meeting, and in particular to Mr. Ivan Tolj, who has previously mediated the arrival of Austrian investors to the Brod area.

October 30, 2025 in Development, Economy

Economic Council of the Municipality of Brod Discussed the State of the Public Sector and Key Issues of the Local Economy

At today’s session of the Economic Council of the Municipality of Brod, current issues concerning the operation of the public sector were discussed, with special emphasis on finding effective solutions to the current situation in the Public Utility Company “Komvod” a.d. Brod.

The management of Komvod informed the Council members about the company’s condition, and it was concluded that this issue should be included in the agenda of the next session, accompanied by specific proposals for overcoming the company’s operational challenges.

Mayor of Brod, Milan Zečević, stated that the problems within Komvod require special attention and will be emphasized in the coming period.

“I would like to thank the company’s management for preparing a detailed business projection analysis for the upcoming year. No matter how negative it may appear, it is important that we recognize the problems and, together with professionals and business people who understand the balance between profit and loss, identify a set of measures we can implement as soon as possible,” said Zečević.

President of the Economic Council, Gradimir Vukman, announced that the issue concerning the public utility company will also be addressed at the next session.

“We have been briefed on the current situation and the projections for next year. We received the materials that will enable us to continue working on this matter in the upcoming period,” Vukman stated.

Regarding the establishment of a duty-free zone, the Mayor noted that tomorrow the complete documentation, including resolved property and legal matters, the accompanying study, and expert opinions, will be submitted to the Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship of the Republic of Srpska.

“The Ministry will then coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Trade at the state level, and we hope that by the end of the year we will have an official decision on the establishment of a duty-free zone in Brod,” Zečević added.

The Council also reviewed information concerning the adjustment of childcare fees at the Public Preschool Institution “Beli Anđeo”, as well as updates on the ongoing Urban Plan development process.

“This involves the harmonization of cadastral and land registry data on parcels within the municipality of Brod, which is a strategic matter for the development of our community,” said the Council President, Gradimir Vukman.

Additionally, information was presented regarding the state of the economy and employment in Brod over the past year, the implementation and results of the 2025 Brod Fair of Economy, Agriculture, and Tourism, as well as the adopted budget rebalance for 2025 and related investments.

The Economic Council of the Municipality of Brod is an advisory body composed of representatives from the private sector, local government, public services, and civil society organizations. Its main objective is to create more favorable conditions for local economic development and to improve the overall quality of life within the municipality.

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