On February 10, 2026, the final conference of the project Creative Industries Network Western Balkans was held at Lozionica in Belgrade. The event included the presentation of reports on the creative industries of Serbia and North Macedonia, with the participation of international partners. It was implemented with the support of UNESCO through the EU program CC4WBs.
The event brought together members of the first Regional Creative Network of the Western Balkans, new initiatives from across the region, as well as partners from Europe and the United Kingdom, including representatives of UNESCO, the British Council, the Beyond Conference platform, and the organizations Curated Place and Centquatre-Paris (104) from France.
During the panel “Creative Pulse of the Region,” dedicated to the economic importance of the creative industries, the latest reports on the economic impact of the sector in Serbia and North Macedonia were presented.
Data for Serbia show that the sector contributes 9.3% to gross value added (GVA) and employs 189,000 people, with average salaries 2.1 times higher than the national average, confirming that it is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the national economy.
This was followed by the Regional Network session, focused on future directions of the network’s development, as well as plans for residencies, exchanges, and EU projects.
Particular momentum was generated by the international Pitch & Match session, during which guests from the region and across Europe presented projects, open calls, and collaboration opportunities, defining concrete next steps and establishing new partnerships.
The conference concluded with the definition of regional priorities for 2026 and a call for continued intensive regional and international cooperation, confirming that CI Network WB represents a sustainable platform for the development of creative industries in the region.
