Growing interest from Israeli investors, as well as investors from other countries, in investing in Republika Srpska is creating opportunities for the arrival of more technologically advanced companies and the creation of new jobs with salaries of KM 2,000 and above.
Radenko Bubić, Minister of Economy and Entrepreneurship of Republika Srpska, told Glas that one of the concrete investments has already begun in Gradiška, where an Israeli investor is preparing to launch the production of sanitary equipment.
According to him, the investment is worth around four million euros and is expected to create approximately 160 jobs.
“This involves the production of bathroom sanitary equipment, such as shower enclosures, bathtubs, washbasins and similar products,” Bubić said.
According to Bubić, the investor began activities in Gradiška in April, and the volume of operations and the number of employees are now gradually increasing.
“They started by preparing the premises, and I believe they have also begun production. It is not a matter of hiring 160 workers all at once; the number of employees is gradually increasing as production grows,” Bubić said.
In addition to the Gradiška project, increasing numbers of contacts with Israeli companies considering cooperation and investment opportunities in Republika Srpska are also attracting attention. According to Bubić, there is particular potential for cooperation in the manufacturing and IT sectors.
“There is increased interest, particularly from Israeli companies in manufacturing and, in large part, the IT sector. These are still early stages, but we hope that with the opening of their chamber of commerce, we will improve relations and increase the number of investors,” Bubić said.
He emphasised that the strategic goal is to attract investments that, in addition to capital, bring modern expertise, technologies and greater productivity to the domestic economy.
“We are trying to attract investors with a higher level of technological development, where salaries can be higher. We also have a special type of incentive for such investments that may be of broader public interest,” Bubić said.
According to him, interest in investing in Republika Srpska is not limited to Israeli companies, as talks are also being held with investors from other countries.
“We are talking to several significant investors from other countries. These are companies that work with finished products and factories producing finished goods in various industries. These investments would involve a higher level of technological development. Our interest is to attract companies that can offer salaries of KM 2,000 and above,” Bubić said.
The Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship of Republika Srpska assesses that there is significant potential for improving cooperation with Israel, particularly in metal processing and the food industry, tourism and the IT sector. According to data from the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel is currently not among the ten largest foreign investors in Republika Srpska. However, between 2010 and 2026, several companies with Israeli capital were registered in various sectors.
The Ministry believes that existing investments and the expressed interest provide a good foundation for new investments, partnerships between domestic and Israeli companies, the transfer of knowledge and technologies, as well as for companies from Republika Srpska to enter the Israeli market.
Israeli Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber of Commerce of Republika Srpska points out that the establishment of the Israeli Chamber of Commerce in Republika Srpska, whose official ceremony is scheduled to take place today in Banja Luka, will be an important step towards strengthening business ties, particularly in the IT sector, energy, agriculture and manufacturing.
They see particular opportunities in transferring Israeli experience in innovation, digitalisation and increasing productivity, as well as in facilitating connections between companies and the implementation of joint projects.
As the next step, business forums and B2B meetings have been announced, with the assessment that there is room for stronger exchange and new investments, particularly in energy, agriculture and new technologies.
Privreda
Energetika
Turizam
Poljoprivreda
ICT
Prehrana
