Global technology event brand GITEX is expanding into Southeast Europe with the launch of GITEX AI Belgrade, a three-day technology and investment event set to take place on May 25–27, 2027, at the Belgrade Fair.
Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS) and organized by inD, the company behind the global GITEX network, the event will also serve as the official technology and business event of EXPO 2027 BELGRADE.
Organizers expect the first edition to bring together more than 700 companies and startups, alongside 200+ investors managing $50 billion in assets and technology executives from over 120 countries.
The event will focus on AI, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies, with an emphasis on connecting Southeast European companies with international investors, buyers and potential partners.
A new global tech event enters Southeast Europe
GITEX's expansion comes as Southeast Europe's technology sector continues to grow in both economic importance and international reach. ICT represents 9.6% of gross value added in Serbia, 8.2% in Bulgaria and 7.6% in Romania, compared with an EU average of 5.3%, according to SeeNext data cited by the organizers. ICT services also account for more than a quarter of total services exports in all three countries, with their combined ICT services exports exceeding €18.3 billion.
The region has also been attracting more venture capital. VC investment across Southeast Europe increased nearly 40% year-on-year to €398.3 million in 2025.
GITEX AI Belgrade aims to capitalize on that momentum by providing regional companies with access to investors and commercial partners from outside their domestic markets.
“For companies across Southeast Europe, the value of GITEX AI Belgrade extends beyond new connections and visibility,” Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of GITEX, said, pointing to the event's ambition to connect businesses with international buyers, investors, technology companies and policymakers.
100 Southeast European startups to enter the GITEX network
Startups will have a dedicated route into the event through SEE 100, a new initiative developed with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.
The program will select 100 startups from Serbia and the wider Southeast European region and connect them with investors, buyers and technology companies participating in the global GITEX network.
According to the organizers, that network currently spans six continents and 14 international markets, bringing together around 18,200 technology companies and 5,050 investors managing more than $3.5 trillion in assets annually.
National delegations will also participate. A Romanian pavilion, for example, is already planned for the 2027 edition, giving Romanian technology companies a dedicated space to showcase products and connect with potential investors and commercial partners.
Serbia looks to strengthen its regional tech position
For Serbia, hosting the event also fits into a broader effort to position the country as a technology hub connecting Southeast Europe with larger international markets.
The country's ICT services exports reached a record €4.55 billion in 2025, roughly twelve times their 2012 level. According to figures cited by GITEX, 41% of Serbian startups are already working with AI, while Belgrade and Novi Sad rank among Central Europe's top 10 startup ecosystems.
Serbia is also planning around €70 million in AI-related investment through 2027, according to Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.
“Our goal is to help Serbian industry integrate AI, become more productive and competitive, and move from ‘Made in Serbia’ to ‘Created in Serbia’,” Čadež said.
Member discussion