I am proud of how we presented B&H and the IT industry at the Dubai Expo 2020, Edin Deljkić

Dubai Expo 2020 is a huge opportunity for our economy, and Edin Deljkić, the CEO of the IT Company Klika with hubs in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and the USA, was part of the BiH Delegation on behalf of Bit Alliance as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and its President. He shared his experience about the big event and the IT sector and where it currently stands with the news portal Klix.ba. 

BiH is being noticed with its presentation at the Dubai Expo, and you are a part of the story. What are your first-hand impressions?

I would like to draw a parallel to emphasize the significance of this event- what the Olympics represent for the world of sports, the Expo 2020 represents for economy and business. Impressions are amazing, primarily because of the meticulous organization of the entire event, the level of quality and devotion shown to each participating country, as well as the opportunity to be authentically presented. The idea to gather representatives at one place from all parts of the world who transform our everyday lives with their work and inspirational approaches, indicates that the contribution of BiH representatives is also imminent in this process, and that we can, when we activate our potential, shape the future of the global business scene.

I am especially proud to have had the opportunity to present Klika and the BiH IT industry, hand in hand with other representatives from 192 countries, and show our full potential, our transformative role, and the impact we can make on the global market.

I have to say, I am especially glad that despite all the twists and turns and the political turbulences, we had the opportunity to participate in such a significant event and ensure that the rest of the world gets a glimpse of our potentials.

What can events like these mean for your company and the IT industry in our country?

One of the crucial roles to be fulfilled at this event was to connect with globally crucial stakeholders, exchange opinions and discover new perspectives which will shape our further work of the company. Most IT companies, and the IT industry in general, are not so much tied to the GCC countries as opposed to for example the USA or EU countries. If we take into account the fact that Dubai is becoming an ever-bigger tech center, it could be a great opportunity to expand our business into that market as well.

What's the state of play of the IT sector in our country and what can the country do to create better opportunities?

The IT industry in our country is one of the most attractive ones, and I would dare to say, it currently has the biggest potential. In that sense, we continuously work with lead institutions and other key stakeholders to create a better business environment for domestic IT companies. However, agility is key in this industry, and as the industry is developing at a fast pace, the results are often lagging behind, so taking timely actions is crucial to ensure a stimulating and favorable business environment. It is especially important to speed up the processes related to modifications of tax breaks and investments in education and employment in the IT sector, which are key priorities and the solution to the high brain drain of high-quality talent from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

How can the sector help in strengthening the economic growth in BiH?

The IT industry is one of the newest but fastest-growing, which indicates how big of a potential it comes with, as well as its key role in strengthening the economic growth in Bosnia and Herzegovina. What characterizes the IT industry in BiH are innovations, continuous growth and development, world-class quality work, a high quality and versatile workforce and other features which can serve as a model for the development of other sectors in our country. We cannot neglect that the exponential dynamics of the IT industry’s development also accelerates the development of other industries. In that sense, it is the future of the country, and we should join efforts to develop the IT sector, just like the countries that already recognized such opportunities and invested in IT, becoming global centers such as Estonia, Ukraine and others.

What was the year like for Klika and what are the plans for the future?

Klika managed to achieve its business goals regardless of the challenges that the pandemic brought with itself. We opened an office in the USA this year, and next year, a global expansion will be imperative, as well as positioning our company as a global brand. This also includes expanding to new IT markets which we so far have not been involved in too much. We have big ambitions and plans, and we believe we will make them happen given that we have an extraordinary and high-quality team in our hubs in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, as well colleagues across BiH and the region, who became part of our family, after we successfully migrated to the online work mode in early 2020.

To read the original article published on klix.ba, click here.