Young entrepreneurs in BiH optimistic about future

The Student Entrepreneurship Fair, which is organized by Business Innovation Programs (BIP) from Moss in Norway,  provided 700 students from all over BiH with the opportunity to market their own enterprises and products. Student Entrepreneurship Fairs are held every year in Ilidza and Banja Luka and are part of a project  supported by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Jan Braathu has been an annual visitor to these fairs, and as he stated:

“I cannot emphasize enough how important this initiative is. This project encompasses two elements that are vital for the economic and social development of all countries, namely entrepreneurship and business culture on the one hand, and education and youth on the other. Through their combination, this project achieves a synergy far beyond the sum of the individual components. No country can do without the business sector and productive citizens, in this case Secondary School students who are learning the basics of business and entrepreneurship. The idea is not that these student enterprises will necessarily lead to lasting businesses – although some do - but the aim is to encourage a business- and entrepreneurial mentality among young people that can hopefully lead to serious business enterprises in a few years time. The project and these fairs, take advantage of the energy and enthusiasm of youth in BiH, stimulates their creativity and encourages their self-confidence and initiative to develop business ideas. Another underlying theme with this project is that young people, through their own initiatives and efforts, can contribute to change in their local communities.”

The students presented products ranging from homemade jewelry and traditional food and handicrafts to “magical desks” for tracing and drawing, as well as electrical toy-cars used for potty-training. The fair was divided into 4 competitive categories:  Best Stand, Best Product, Best Business Plan and Best Overall Student Company. The first prize for Best Overall Student Company is participation at the BIP summer camp in Sutomore Montenegro, and this year the winners from the regional fair in Sarajevo were the companies "Magic Desk" from Gracanica which produces drawing table for architects, and "Eco Herb" from Ljubinje, a company manufacturing herbal products.

Jon Steinar Østgaard, the general manager of BIP and initiator of the project, was also thrilled by the days’ events. He joined Ambassador Braathu in emphasizing the importance of this project: “This fair is an excellent opportunity for youth to gain knowledge about entrepreneurship and self employment, a crucial aspect of BiH’s future development. In addition, and maybe even more importantly, the fair shows the optimistic outlook younger generations in BiH have on the future.”

Another successful fair is over, and the winners can look forward to a trip to Sutomore where they can exchange information and experiences with other young and promising entrepreneurs.

 

Accompanying the Norwegian Ambassador was the Swiss Ambassador, H. E. Мr. André Schaller, who experienced the Fair for the first time and who was impressed by the energy and optimism of the students.