In the premises of MIND Park in Kragujevac, a conference entitled “Energy efficient smart cities – a window to the future” was held, organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Serbia
The event was organized within the initiative “Nordic green and smart cities – building a partnership in the countries of the Western Balkans”, which, from March 2025, is implemented by the embassies of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway) in Serbia in cooperation with the Nordic Business Alliance.
This initiative, supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers, will present to the public in Serbia and Montenegro the construction and maintenance of smart, green cities as an increasingly important area, especially for countries in transition. The conference on energy efficiency, held in Kragujevac, is the first in a series of events that the embassies of the Nordic countries in Serbia will organize until the end of 2025 in order to share with the public the most successful practices from the Nordic region, encourage the exchange of knowledge and technology, and call for cooperation between Nordic and local companies and institutions.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark in Serbia, Pernile Dele Kardel, welcomed the guests to the conference, stressing: “The importance of today’s gathering lies in the fact that the green transition is a challenge of global proportions, and the sharing of Nordic experiences can significantly contribute to the achievement of ambitious climate goals.”
“Commitment to sustainable development is at the heart of Danish smart cities, and our success when it comes to district heating is particularly encouraging because it can be easily transferred and applied within different systems. The countries of the Nordic region share the same values when it comes to climate ambitions. I hope that the exchange of these values as well as experiences from the region will contribute to the successful transition of Serbian society towards a greener and more sustainable future. Towards sustainable cities where we thrive and love to live – towards smart cities.”
The opening of the conference was also attended by representatives of the Office for Information Technology and Electronic Government and the Ministry of Mining and Energy, the mayor of Kragujevac, as well as representatives of the academic community, international organizations and leading companies in Serbia and ambassadors of other countries participating in the initiative, Niklas Lindqvist of Finland, Charlotte Sammelin of Sweden and Kristin Melsom of Norway.
After the conference on energy-efficient cities under the auspices of the Danish Embassy, as part of the initiative, conferences on the following topics are also planned: the use of data analytics in the urban development of smart cities under the auspices of Norway (Nis, 29.04.2025, Science and Technology Park), sustainability in cities with an emphasis on transport and mobility under the auspices of Finland (Podgorica, 02.10.2025, Science and Technology Park) and innovative engineering solutions for development of urban areas that will be presented by the Embassy of Sweden in Serbia (Novi Sad, November 2025, Science and Technology Park).
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, H.E. Christine Melsom, announced the next conference to be held in Niš, under the auspices of the Norwegian Embassy: “The main topic of the conference will be the use of data analytics in urban development and, at this event, we will present the results of an exceptional initiative called UR(BAN) DATA. This initiative is the result of a collaboration between the Metropolitan University of Oslo, the Faculty of Economics in Niš and the Politecnico di Milano in Italy. The project promotes advanced data analytics with the aim of solving key challenges when it comes to on sustainable urban development, with a special focus on Niš as well as other cities and municipalities in Serbia, but also on broader issues of urban development in the Western Balkans.”
The “Smart Cities” initiative reinforces the commitment and desire for cooperation that the countries of the Nordic region have traditionally shown when it comes to sustainable development. With the aim of the Nordic region not only being a leader in the development of smart cities but also continuing to promote sustainable urban development at the international level, this initiative will convey the guidelines of the Nordic Council when it comes to building greener, smarter and more sustainable communities (the Nordic Smart City Roadmap), facilitating the process of transforming cities and enabling the creation of a better, more sustainable future in the Western Balkans.
The attached photos are the property of the Nordic embassies and you are free to use them for media releases.
For more information:
Sofija Đilas, +381 64 8446 540, [email protected]
Nikola Milićević, +391 65 2008 702, [email protected]