ICT Industry
- 70% of skilled workforce completed a university level of education
- Microsoft opened its 4th development center after China, India and UK
- 1,500 innovative ICT companies
- Expertise in custom high end ICT development services for SME’s
- Subcontracting extensive, including web design, hardware and software solutions
Highly skilled engineers are competent in a broad range of methodologies, technologies and tools while supporting efficient development of high quality software, systems integration and hardware. Likewise they are proficient in developing front–end, back–end and middle–ware components, together with creating customized software and systems. Today, modern hardware (LCD monitors, memory modules, toners cartridges for printers, etc) is made in Serbia. Moreover, software developers’ main expertise is managing and enhancing client’s entire information technology process. Furthermore, subcontracting Serbian engineers includes creative web design development work for major international companies such as Philips Semiconductors, Carl Zeiss, Raytheon and NCR.
As a young industry, the ICT sector does not suffer from the labor inflexibility of many traditional industries; therefore companies have confirmed no labor disruptions. The average age of staff is early thirties. Overall, this industry has highly skilled workforce where 70% completed a university level of education. Finally, the labor force can be hired at very competitive prices. Net salary costs vary from €500 to €1,500 per month for qualified and experienced personnel. The overall salary cost of a programmer/ systems expert is in the range of €850–2,500 per month.
Because of the openness of the region prior to 1990s, the education standards in the technical departments of universities in Serbia benefited from greater exposure to Western influences than other countries in Eastern Europe. Since 1968, students from a high school specialized in Mathematics, Physics and Informatics have won over 80 medals at the World Science Olympiads. Lastly, in 2003 over 878 graduates of electrical engineering, organizational sciences, and mathematics institutes specialized in computer sciences.
Serbia has done a great deal to align businesses in the ICT sector closer to the standards of the EU. In order to aid the quick development of the Information Society, numerous important laws have been adopted: Electronic Signature Law, Patent Law, Trademark Law, Copyright and Related Rights Law, Legal Protection of Design Law, Protection of Integrated Circuits Topographies Law, Protection of personal data, Protection of consumers, Access to information, and Amended Criminal Code.
