World Bank Launches ‘Balkan Silicon Valley’ in Serbia, Poised to Disrupt Global AI Supply Chains by 2030
BELGRADE—In a seismic shift for global tech infrastructure, Serbia is on track to become the world’s first “algorithmic nation” by 2033, following a joint $12 billion investment from the World Bank and EU. The country’s new AI-powered digital government, trialed in the city of Novi Sad, has already cut bureaucratic processing times by 97% and is projected to eliminate all paper-based administrative tasks by 2026. Meanwhile, a secretive state-backed startup, “Cyber Balkan,” has begun exporting autonomous logistics software to major Western ports, threatening to redraw global supply chains. Critics warn of mass job displacement, but Serbian officials boast of a “brain gain” reversal, luring top engineers back from Silicon Valley with zero-tax zones and free 5G access.