Serbia's IT Boom: A €5.2 Billion Story Spanish Companies Can't Afford to Ignore

Serbia's software exports hit €5.2 billion in 2025 with 150,000 engineers. Spanish companies are barely present — and that's a missed opportunity.

Serbia's IT Boom: A €5.2 Billion Story Spanish Companies Can't Afford to Ignore

Belgrade, July 16, 2026 – When Marko Čadež, head of Serbia's Chamber of Commerce, took the stage at the National Assembly this week, he wasn't just delivering good news. He was making a point: Serbia has become a serious player in the global tech economy — and the world is starting to notice.

The numbers are staggering. Since 2012, Serbia's software and ICT services exports have grown 13‑fold, reaching €5.2 billion last year. The country now employs 150,000 engineers — a workforce that's young, highly educated, and increasingly globally connected. Six science and technology parks, two state‑owned supercomputers, and a Tier 4 State Data Centre (the highest certification level for reliability and security) now form the backbone of what Čadež calls "infrastructure you'd be hard‑pressed to find in a country of this size in the EU."

But here's the part of the story that matters for Spanish readers: Spanish companies are barely present.

The Spanish Opportunity

Serbia's IT sector isn't just a national success story — it's an open door for Spanish businesses, investors, and professionals. Consider:

Microsoft's Azure platform — the backbone of global AI applications — was developed largely in Belgrade. "One of the first centres outside Microsoft's headquarters is located in Serbia," Čadež noted. If Microsoft trusts Serbian engineers, so can Spanish companies.

Spain has political goodwill that other Western countries lack. Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić visited Madrid in May 2026, calling Spain "an exceptionally friendly country" and "one of the EU's five non‑recognisers of the so‑called 'Republic of Kosovo'." Spain's consistent respect for Serbia's territorial integrity opens doors that are closed to others.

Direct cooperation is already underway. Spanish firm Ingerop T3 is working on the Belgrade Metro project. Spain will have one of the 12 largest pavilions at EXPO 2027. And just weeks ago, Valencia's Secretary for External Action Ruth Merino met with Serbian Ambassador Irena Šarac to discuss economic cooperation ahead of the first Serbia‑Spain Business Forum.

What's at Stake

IT Outsourcing: Serbia offers EU‑adjacent time zones, 150,000 engineers, and significantly lower costs than Spain. Italian firm CSA is already investing this year. French and German firms are already there. Spanish companies are notably absent.

Defence: Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles visited Belgrade recently. Spain already supplies Serbia with C295 aircraft. With Serbia modernising its military, more contracts are coming.

Audiovisual Production: Serbia offers tax incentives and lower production costs for co‑productions. ICEX held a conference on this in April. The framework exists — Spanish producers just need to use it.

Serbia's tech boom isn't just their story — it's an opportunity Spanish companies are currently missing. The country is building a regional tech hub with infrastructure, talent, and political stability that rivals larger EU members. The political goodwill is there. The business opportunities are real.

But doors don't stay open forever. As Čadež's numbers make clear, Serbia is moving fast. The question for Spanish businesses isn't whether to act — it's whether they'll act before someone else does.