The first dm incubator will be operational on February 1, and 20 companies from the segment of food and cosmetics for care and beauty will get the opportunity to improve their business and further develop their products and present on the shelves of the largest drugstore chain in Europe.
Out of a total of 704 registered products within the public competition, the expert commission made a decision that 51 products from the segment of nutrition and cosmetics should be part of the dm incubator. This project was organized in partnership with the company dm drogerie-markt with the USAID Competitive Economy Project, the Development Agency of Serbia (RAS), the National Organic Development Organization of Serbia Organica and the Faculty of Applied Arts.
“We are proud that the first dm incubator has provoked the great interest of domestic manufacturers who recognized its comprehensive and integrated approach. Participants of the incubators who after the three-month training will pass the final selection, DM will provide marketing support that is enjoyed by the products of our private brand, as well as a place on shelves in over 90 dm drugstores throughout Serbia, “said Radoje Krajisnik, project coordinator and assortment manager, dm Serbia .
Through the technological support of experts in the segment of nutrition and cosmetology, professional help from the managers of assortments from DM and working in the field of redesign and packaging design, the project dm incubator will provide selected small and medium companies with significant growth potential all the necessary knowledge and resources.
“USAID Competitive Economy Project supports dm incubator because it is a unique program of cooperation between the private and public sector and educational institution on the development of high value food products. Also, the potential for the development of such incubators as a business model for supporting startups and SMEs, as well as greater inclusion of young people in the food industry, is enormous, “said Aleksandar Pavlovic, director of the USAID Competitive Economy Project.
“As one of the holders of activities aimed at supporting the development of the economy, we consider it extremely important that one of the leading European retail chains recognized the importance that the small economy can bring to the economic development of Serbia as a whole. This is a unique opportunity for innovative Serbian products to be placed on the domestic market, and potentially in the future and in the foreign market, “said Ana Žegarac, Director of the International Development Cooperation Agency of Serbia (RAS).
“It is our great pleasure to be part of a project that illustrates the importance of cooperation between interdisciplinary teams in developing good entrepreneurship. Students of the Department of Industrial Design, Faculty of Applied Arts, will have a unique opportunity to contribute to the success of selected products through the creation of new, recognizable visual identities, “said Tamara Panic, assistant professor and chief of the Department of Industrial Design, Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade.
Through their experience and expertise, the project organizers will, in cooperation with experts, lead producers from February 1 to April 30, 2019 through the process of product improvement in order to be ready to go on the market, after which finalists will be selected to place their products on shelves dm drugstores across the country.