Western Balkans Competitiveness and Innovation Index

The Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation organized the Western Balkans Competitiveness and Innovation Index event, which was presented today, May 27, 2026, at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Skopje. Opening remarks were given by Marija Risteska, Executive Director of the CRPM, and Daniel Brown, Official Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The event was addressed by: Stefan Andonovski, Minister of Digital Transformation, Zlatko Perinski, Minister of Local Self-Government, Daniel Brown, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Steven Ezel, ITIF, Jelena Janevska, NALAS, Marija Risteska, Executive Director of CRPM and Kristijan Trajkovski, CRPM. The event brought together representatives of institutions, international organizations, the business sector, academia and civil society in a discussion on the future of innovation, digital transformation and regional competitiveness in the Western Balkans. Key findings from the Index show that our country is recording significant results in high-tech exports, while Skopje stands out as the main center of the innovation ecosystem in the country. At the same time, the report points to the need for stronger regional policies to support technological modernization, digitalization, productivity and retention of qualified personnel. NEXT-EM dooel was also present.