Serbia, a small country on the crossroads in south-eastern Europe, is home to many IT talents. It is also a place where large-scale companies outsource their IT departments. Global companies seeking reliable IT staff select Serbia as the next IT talent hotspot in Europe.
Thus, the growing market increases the number of IT companies in the country. According to Europe’s IT competitiveness index of 2021, Serbia ranks as the 7th country with a record of 46.46 points. Why do many overseas companies choose Serbia as the next IT talent destination?
IT Talent in Serbia – Ages of Genetic Code and Computer Language
Serbia’s historical character as a centre of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empire still influences the population. Being on crossroads of east and west, Serbs understand different cultures and values. Serbia, like many other countries in its vicinity, has some of the best universities.
The Republic of Serbia offers access to tech and engineering faculties across the country. Standing at the heart of the capital University of Belgrade is the oldest among them with two centuries of successful higher education. Best Global Universities Rankings of 2021 placed the University of Belgrade in the top 500 in the world.
Some of the greatest mathematicians, physicists, and engineers from the country’s past attended lectures on different disciplines. According to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, there are 40,000 university students enrolled in IT disciplines. In other words, each year a multitude of software developers and engineers graduate from universities.
The Growing IT Talent Market
Serbian IT experts are natural problem solvers that use technology as a tool to solve complex business issues. Serbian developers are known for their extensive experience in building apps like delivery service. However, they are familiar with modern technologies like Blockchain, IoT, AI or AR/VR. Local developers have a very strong community active on forums and social media. Although the job requires constant learning, they are naturally inquisitive and understand the benefits of quality in the early stages of the software life-cycle.
Software-oriented companies as the most profitable sector in the country understand the value of logic, approach to solving problems and general skill set. The majority of local companies have developed in-house IT academies that provide an inexhaustible source of new talents.
These IT schools offer informal education for people willing to change their career paths. Informal IT training provides an additional workforce with different career and education backgrounds. Having experience in a different industry can be a valuable asset for a specific project. For example, a retrained candidate with health-related knowledge can be a great addition to the team developing medical apps.
Serbian IT Companies Have Much to Recommend Them
At the end of January 2021, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia surveyed all registered IT companies. At the moment, there are 4,352 companies and 15,384 entrepreneurs in computer programming and information service activities. The local government has invested approximately 60 million euros in technical infrastructure, not only to support startups but also to put a focus on IoT and AI research and application. In addition, educational reform requires elementary level students to learn fundamental programming languages. Having knowledge from a young age, local tech talent never perishes and only grows stronger.
Developers in Serbia had become a strong workforce for foreign companies. In the last few years, the country has become a popular in-demand software outsourcing destination. IT companies establish development centres as a way of expanding the connection with countries around the world. Thus, making Serbia one of the top 50 software exporters globally, and the trend continues to rise annually by 25%.
Foreign Companies in Serbia
Many global IT companies like Microsoft see potential in local developers, multiplying their top talents: software engineers, security engineers, backend devs, blockchain engineers. The US companies comprise a substantial portion of foreign companies closely followed by European countries. For the past two years, Germany and the UK are showing interest in the Serbian IT sector.
The primary concern of UK companies is communication as well as a language barrier. However, local developers show remarkable proficiency in the English language. Another positive side of the Serbian IT industry is a time zone quite similar to London’s. One hour ahead of the UK, Serbia offers convenient real-time communication between the companies.
The domestic market offers highly skilled developers with excellent command of English and an understanding of western culture. In addition to language and favourable location, Serbian developers have a natural talent, dedication and passion for code. Each year the country is wealthier for programmers and other IT specialists who have practical knowledge and an impressive portfolio.
A recent study of the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade shows a possible increase in the workforce coming from the diaspora. The majority of returnees are young adults ages between 24 and 29. According to the research, 90,000 highly educated people came back in four years between 2015 and 2019. Research shows that among them are Serbian graduates from foreign universities, young people from the region and highly educated non-native youth.
The IT sector in Serbia, together with growing workforce demand, makes it a perfect place for outsourcing services. Software solutions, testing, apps are just a fraction of what software outsourcing companies have to offer.
Top Five IT Outsourcing Companies in Serbia According to Clutch. Co:
- SuperAdmins
- Braineering IT Solutions
- SmartCat
- TNation
- Presta
The local tech market has close to 40,000 IT experts. The industry is hastily developing, and the government entities encourage sector development in various ways. Each year there are new graduates with a solid mathematical and logical background focus ready to tackle challenges. Each one of them is a talented IT specialist with a western flair and a high English level.
TNation is reliable outsourcing and nearshoring IT company in Belgrade, Serbia. If you need to supplement your in-house staff with skilled and experienced software experts, contact us.
