10.02.2023

Request for Applications – Accelerate your start-up through Star Up

STIKK, the implementing entity of the STAR UP project, funded by the European Union, is seeking Tenants for Tech Park Prishtina, from qualified Kosovo start-ups who have focused their business operations in the ICT Sector.

The aim of the action is to offer support for existing start-ups and enhance their capabilities through Individualized acceleration support, based on their needs. After their acceptance, individualized needs diagnosis will be administered and follow-up acceleration support will be provided to each of the start-ups. The Tech Park will serve as a one-stop shop for the whole industry, with around 25 start-ups and 10 well-established businesses which will move to the premises, including Research & Development labs, co-working spaces, meeting rooms, etc.

Hence, Prishtina Tech Park will foster the collaboration of established companies and new start-ups to expand further the capabilities and services/products offered by the ICT industry. The STAR UP project will also support start–ups with various Trainings, Consultancy in Business Management, Matchmaking & B2B events, Market Linkages, Access to EU markets, Regional & International ICT event participation, Seed-fundings via grants etc.

We anticipate awarding up to 25 start-ups to be part of the Tech Park Prishtina, around March 2023.

Interested start-ups are encouraged to consult the RFA that has been published on our webpage.

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16.11.2022

MINT and STIKK sign the extension of the contract for the use of the business incubator in Bërnica

The amendment-supplement (annex) of the contract for putting the business incubator in Bërnica into use is signed.

The Executive Director of the Association for Information and Communication Technology of Kosovo (STIKK), Vjollca Çavolli, was received in a meeting by the Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, with whom they signed the Annex to the contract between MINT and STIKK for the commissioning of Business Incubator in Bërnica, under the administration of the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, in accordance with Law No. 04/ L-159 for Economic Zones.

This incubator with a total area of ​​3930m2, will be used by STIKK for the next 5-year period, in order to contribute and facilitate the creation of potential sustainable businesses, which offer joint services in entrepreneurship, business support services, advancement of skills and technology as well as other issues related to the incubator.

The signing of the contract paves the way for the functionalization of Tech Park Prishtina, which is in the last phase of works. One more opportunity for entrepreneurship and especially the ICT sector of Kosovo. TechPark Prishtina will provide development opportunities for all those ideas that bring innovation as well as provide connections and synergies between local and international markets, universities and other supporting institutions.

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KosICT Technology Festival – 11th Edittion

The KosICT Technology Festival kicked off its eleventh anniversary with 60 speakers and over 2200 physical participants, reaffirming itself as one of the leading events in the region for exchanging and promoting technology ideas.

KosICT was celebrated in the Youth and Sports Center in Prishtina and was powered by ProCredit Bank Kosovo.

Between the 7th and 8th of October 2022, top decision-makers and officials, company executives, startup developers and well-known experts from various technology sectors shared their vision and best practices with participants with diverse backgrounds and professions.

The main stage of the 11th edition of KosICT was moderated for the third time in a row by Global Public Speaking & TEDx Coach, Peter Hopwood who officially opened the festival by highlighting some of the main topics to be discussed over the two days. The welcoming note for the audience was made by the President of the Board of Directors of Kosovo ICT Association (STIKK), Mr Valon Canhasi who also gave a brief description of the path and achievements of KosICT over the last 11 years.

The 11th edition of KosICT was honoured by the presence of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti who spoke about the support of the government to the ICT community in Kosovo, as well as, some of the future plans related to the growth of the local ICT industry. The floor was then passed to Norway’s Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo, H.E. Jens Erik Grøndahl who highlighted the potential of digitalization and the ICT industry for the development of Kosovo and the whole region. Then, the Deputy Mayor of Pristina Mr Alban Zogaj shared the will of the Municipality of Prishtina to support all future ICT projects in the future. His remarks were followed by the Executive Director of Innovation Center Kosovo, Mr Uranik Begu.

During the two days of the festival, a total of 60 speakers (26 international and 34 local) explored topics like Blockchain, Metaverse, Artificial Intelligence, Power of Innovation, Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, Digitalization, 5G Networks, Smart Cities, Women in Tech and many more. KosICT was attended by over 3,200 participants.

Continuing the tradition of supporting and promoting promising Start-ups, KosICT once again welcomed the Innovation Fair, where 9 start-ups highlighted their work. A total of 9 ICT companies and 44 kids from Shkolla Digjitale, J-Coders, BONEVET and Finnish school were part of Future developers Corner, sponsored by Gjirafa. The Brokerage Event brought together 24 local and international businesses for 36 private meetings and potential partnership explorations for two days. Two E-gaming tournaments were part of the festival as well.

More details on the 11th Edition of KosICT can be found at the FULL NARRATIVE REPORT

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14.06.2022

Deputy minister Liza Gashi in MARTech, agreement on three issues with STIKK companies

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora will cooperate closely with STIKK member companies for digital diplomacy. This was agreed at ‘MARTech’, the Tuesday meeting organized by STIKK, where the deputy was invited. the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Liza Gashi.

In the morning meeting with representatives of STIKK member companies, deputy Minister Gashi told about the visit of Prime Minister Albin Kurti to the USA and about the cooperation that the government of the Republic of Kosovo is doing with the Linkedin company. According to the deputy Minister Gashi, currently the two parties are exchanging data for the creation of a Kosovo database.

Among other things, she emphasized that the KosICT festival, organized by STIKK, has been promoted in all meetings with American companies, as a major event promoting the ICT sector in Kosovo and beyond.

The members of STIKK showed the achievements of the companies as well as the collaborations they have at the international level, mainly with the countries of the European Union and the USA.

In the end, it was agreed between STIKK and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora:

• to create a working group to strengthen cooperation for citizen diplomacy, as a promoter of the success of the ICT sector;
• to hold at least 4 regular meetings per year;
• to work for a more effective liaison between STIKK and the embassies of Kosovo in the world.

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07.06.2022

The Mayor of Pristina Municipality, Përparim Rama, invited to MARTech, STIKK’s new initiative

A coffee with the ICT sector. This is the motto of STIKK’s newest initiative which is entitled ‘MARTech’.

Martech aims to create a conversation space between STIKK members and guests from different public or private fields. The event is held on two Tuesdays of every month in the format of a morning coffee among the attendees.

At the first MARTech, the guest was Përparim Rama, Mayor of the Municipality of Pristina. During the conversation with the representatives of STIKK member companies, it was discussed about cooperation opportunities and initiatives for the digitalization of public services.

Mr. Rama expressed his gratitude to the ICT sector and offered his full cooperation regarding the development of Pristina as a ‘smart city’. He also showed his willingness to support the KosICT festival as well as the mobility plan for TechPark Prishtina, which is in the final stage of construction.

The members of STIKK told about the successes and solutions they offer to companies outside Kosovo and expressed their willingness to transfer the acquired knowledge to the city where they operate.

In the end, it was decided to create a working group which will identify the needs and suggest digital solutions to address the needs of the citizens of Pristina.

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02.06.2022

TechPark Prishtina enters the final phase of construction

Work on the construction of TechPark Prishtina has resumed, thus entering the final phase of the project. The Ministry of Economy has signed the contract with the contractor for the completion of the third phase of the works.

TechPark Prishtina is a project initiated by STIKK to provide development opportunities for all those ideas that bring innovation.

One such opportunity is the StarUp program. This project, financed by the EU and implemented by STIKK, aims to help small and medium-sized businesses as well as mature startups, offering space, professional services, modern infrastructure and adequate promotion.

At the same time, TechPark will provide connections and synergies between local and international markets, universities and other supporting institutions.

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30.05.2022

The board of STIKK meets with the adviser of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Jagxhiu: STIKK is the main partner of the government for the development of the ICT sector

STIKK is the government’s main partner for the development of the ICT sector and for the national ICT strategy, according to the ICT advisor of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Mr Lulzon Jagxhiu.

At the invitation of STIKK, a meeting was held between the Board of Directors of STIKK and Mr. Jagxhiu. The meeting discussed the challenges of the ICT sector in Kosovo as well as the strategy with which the government is planning to approach these challenges.

STIKK Board members presented the priorities of the association and some of the proposals that require addressing in the government for the benefit of the ICT sector. The board also expressed its readiness and willingness to cooperate with government institutions in achieving common goals for the benefit of the sector and the economy of Kosovo.

Mr. Jagxhiu emphasized that STIKK is the government’s main partner for the development of the ICT sector and for the national ICT strategy, and he revealed some of the steps it plans to take in this direction, also seeking STIKK’s support. Among other things, Mr. Jagxhiu informed the Steering Board of STIKK about the details of Prime Minister Kurti’s visit to ICT companies in the USA and the results of these meetings.

At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to hold regular meetings between STIKK and the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo where we will address the development issues of the ICT sector in Kosovo.

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26.05.2022

The first regional e-commerce web platform – “ecommerce4all.eu” was launched

Compared to the countries of the Western Balkans, Kosovo is behind Serbia, but before North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro in percentage of the population that  does online shopping. Compared to neighboring countries, Kosovo ranks first in Europe or 77% of online shoppers buy clothes online, followed by Montenegro with 71%, while North Macedonia with 57%, BiH with 56% and Serbia with 52% are below the European average. Profit tax as a percentage of commercial profit is highest in Albania – 14.1%, and lowest in Montenegro – 8.3%, while time required for export and import of products is shortest in Moldova. These and many other business facts and information related to running an e-commerce business as of today are officially available on the first regional e-commerce platform “E-commerce for all” – ecommerce4all.eu.  The regional web platform is developed by the Macedonian E-Commerce Association as a main implementer in cooperation with the e-commerce associations аnd organizations from related industries from CEFTA, or to be more precise with the following partners from Albania: Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Tirana (CCIT) and Albanian eCommerce Association, from Bosnia and Herzegovina:Bosnia and Herzegovina e-Commerce Association and BiH eComm Association, from Kosovo: Kosovo ICT Association (STIKK), from Moldova: American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova, from Montenegro: Chamber of Economy in Montenegro, and from Serbia: E-commerce Association of Serbia. The platform, which is a regional expansion of the Macedonian initiative “Ecommerce4All”, from today will be available in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Moldova.

Users from the region will be able to use the regional e-commerce web platform –  ecommerce4all.eu for free, out of which the first of the five modules is already available – “E-commerce Data” module. The module presents the state of e-commerce in the CEFTA markets through statistics and other data (interactive graphs of the state of e-commerce in each market and comparisons of e-shoppers, UNCTAD e-readiness index – commerce and other relevant data from Eurostat, World Bank, etc. ), information related to countries’ preparedness to conduct e-commerce business, information on how often, how much and where do shoppers buy online, etc. This data can help companies improve their operations in their local markets, but more importantly, it can serve their plans to expand to other markets in the CEFTA region. In addition to this module, the platform will be upgraded with four more modules in the future. Of all these, the first three modules cover key aspects of doing business in e-commerce, such as regulation, e-payments and delivery. Additionally, the platform will be enriched with another additional module – success stories from each market. Each of these modules will contain relevant information specific to each of CEFTA markets respectively, as well as tutorials, manuals, topic related documents and video presentations. The web platform is available in English and local language for each market. “The development of this web platform is of great importance for e-commerce, for the involved organizations and for the regional cooperation between the CEFTA markets. E-sellers can find out important business facts and relevant information for all markets in the region, which they can use to expand their businesses beyond their own market. In addition to the fact that they have already started to cooperate with each other, the organizations in the region that work on the web platform will be able to establish themselves as the “voice of e-commerce” in their markets, but also regionally.” says the project manager of this project,  Marija Ristovska. The development of the platform “Ecommerce4All” is supported by the Open Regional Fund Foreign Trade project implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The main goal is to improve international cooperation that promotes regional and local economic development and supports the autonomous implementation of EU-aligned policies aimed at balancing the country’s regional development. The Fund aims at improving the implementation of the reform agenda for trade and competitiveness in the CEFTA region in line with the requirements of the EU approximation process. Find out more about e-commerce in the region at: ecommerce4all.eu.

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10.05.2022

STIKK and Europe House Prishtina organize ICT themed events for Europe Day

STIKK in cooperation with the House of Europe in Pristina, organized on Europe Day, a networking event between its members and students of technology and information.

The topic of the meeting was ICT, youth and green future. Technology and information students met with executives of some of the largest companies in the IT sector.

This was an opportunity for them to learn more about the countless opportunities in the IT sector, internships and employment at these companies.

The meeting was also valuable for STIKK member companies, which used it as a networking opportunity between them and the officials of the EU office in Pristina.

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Girls in ICT Days – Activities in Pristina by DigiWomen Cluster

On the occasion of the International Day of Girls in ICT, the Municipality of Pristina, in partnership with 16 organizations that contribute to the promotion and empowerment of girls and women in ICT, organized the #VAJZATNETIK22 campaign. This event took place on April 26-28, turning the “International Day of Girls in ICT” into the “Days of Girls in ICT”. This initiative will continue to be organized every year, with more activities and partner organizations.

DigiWomen Cluster Kosovo, which operates under the umbrella of STIKK, is one of the main partners of this campaign. Throughout the duration of the campaign, DigiWomen Cluster held discussions, trainings and information sessions with girls from primary and secondary schools in Pristina.

Aiming to create a more favorable environment for the development of ICT with the inclusion of women, DigiWomen Cluster Kosova (DWCK) determined the scope of the problem of engaging girls in the ICT sector, proposed solutions, communicated and promoted them by creating opportunities for networking, motivation and reducing the gender gap. In this line, the following activities were carried out.

Members of DigiWomen Cluster Kosovo participated in the opening of the campaign with a panel discussion “Past, present and future of technology”. The Executive Director of STIKK, Vjollca Çavolli, made an overview of the development of the ICT sector over the last 30 years, where she underlined that despite the obstacles, the number of women entrepreneurs in this sector has increased, also developing the quality of products and businesses.

The entrepreneur and co-founder of Starlabs and the Digital School, Hana Qerimi talked about her experience as a woman in the ICT sector and also about the potential that the sector offers to young men and women in Kosovo.

The opening ceremony of the activities was joined by the mayor of the Municipality of Pristina, Përparim Rama and the vice-mayor Donjeta Sahatçiu, who is also a member of the DigiWomen Cluster.

 

During the three days of the campaign, DigiWomen Cluster held two sessions “Ask me anything” and three sessions on “ICT as a career choice” with girls from primary and secondary schools in Pristina.