More than 160 participants have gathered in Budva from Monday, October 4th until Wednesday, October 6, 2021, to attend the Cross Border Coworking Conference, where 25 speakers from 11 different countries were ready to share their knowledge and experiences on extremely current topics in the region – digital nomads and the coworking scene. The dynamic and interactive conference was attended by coworking managers and coworkers from the region, digital nomads, freelancers, entrepreneurs, representatives of organizations supporting the development of the business environment, and representatives of public institutions and decision-makers with one common goal – to make conclusions and recommendations as destinations attractive to digital nomads.
The conference clearly highlighted the potential of adapting the current way of working to modern trends, with an emphasis on digital nomadism as a lifestyle. The interactive panel discussions yielded the advantages of the countries of the region for digital nomads – relatively low cost of living, security, climate conditions, openness, and warmth of the people. It was pointed out that the countries of the region should not focus on attracting the average digital nomad but on creating opportunities for all, but that in this process they should not look at each other as a competition, but as collaborators and partners.
Without disputing the importance of regulating the stay of digital nomads in the country, they additionally discussed the fact that a visa is not crucial for digital nomads when choosing a destination, and that this target group can be welcomed in other ways as well. Packages of services for digital nomads were presented, which will soon be offered by the Code Hub network, coworking spaces in Mostar, Niksic, Tuzla, and Zadar, and through the example of Dubrovnik, the importance of cooperation between the tourist community, local authorities and individuals and organizations can offer quality content while staying at a particular location.
Digital nomads and teleworking were also discussed from the perspective of digital nomads, who pointed out the advantages of this lifestyle, but also the positive impressions about the countries of the region. Teleworking is also defined as a tool for improving company efficiency, better team organization, and a healthier lifestyle. This was confirmed by the representatives of the regional media when they spoke about how they adapted their work to the new situation that required remote work.
The conference was also an opportunity to discuss the coworking scene in the Western Balkans through the presentation of research results, talks with representatives of the coworking space, and a review of the situation before and after the global pandemic. The importance of community building and the creation of conditions for cooperation and networking, to which this conference also unquestionably made a significant contribution, also passed through the conference program and conversations with the speakers.
The Cross Border Coworking Conference was organized by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tehnopolis and INTERA Technology Park through the 2CODE project co-financed by the ERDF and IPA II funds of the European Union. The media sponsors of the conference are Bljesak, Dnevne novine Dan, Dnevni avaz, Klix, My Guide Montenegro, Nezavisne novine, Vecernji list, and Vijesti.
