Regus excited by growth opportunities in Serbia’s buoyant economy

Belgrade, 16 February 2011 – Global workspace provider Regus has opened up new growth opportunities for business in Serbia by opening its first centre there. The new business centre, in Belgrade, increases the support and location choice available to companies looking to do business in Eastern Europe. It brings the total of countries in Regus’ network to 86.

Mark Dixon, Global CEO, Regus plc comments: “A number of factors – from higher-than-expected GDP growth, to the application for EU membership, to the government’s commitment to attracting foreign investment – are giving rise to good levels of business optimism in Serbia. Companies are keen to set up or expand their presence there, leading to increasing demand for our flexible workspace solutions in Serbia.”

The launch of the new Regus centre in Belgrade is in direct response to that increasing demand. It will offer valuable support to local and international companies in Serbia – whether they are already doing business in the region or wish to explore the possibilities there.

Several factors make Serbia attractive to companies looking for new revenue opportunities:

  • economy grew by 1.8-2% in 2010, aided by export growth[1];
  • Serbia is a candidate for EU membership, and already has interim trade and visa facilitation agreements in place;
  • government is firmly committed to attracting and facilitating foreign investment; and,
  • economy is diversified, with key industries including sugar, agricultural and transportation equipment, paper, agriculture and livestock, and electrical equipment.

According to Dixon, “With the developed economies of most of Western Europe and the US producing negative or minimal growth in recent years, businesses need to generate revenues from new sources – from Europe’s emerging economies, as well as Africa and Asia.

“As companies look at these new markets, we’re seeing demand for our flexible workspace products and services in more and more countries. In response to this, we’ve expanded our network rapidly in recent months – not just into Serbia, but also into, Ghana, Lithuania and Oman to name just a few. As the world of work becomes ever more integrated and mobile, and companies more agile, we expect demand for our services to continue to grow in 2011 and beyond, and we will expand our network accordingly.”