Austrian Standards has partnered with the Serbian organization ‘Centar za digitalnu transformaciju’ (CDT), which translates as ‘Centre for Digital Transformation’. CDT is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The aim of the co-operation is to strengthen personal certification in the Balkan region through high-quality programmes and practical training.
As a certification body, Austrian Standards conducts examinations of participants trained by CDT and awards certificates in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024. The close co-operation ensures that training courses and examinations meet the highest quality and market requirements.
The AI Manager was successfully launched at the start. Further certifications will follow shortly, including courses on compliance, data protection, sustainability and the circular economy. The courses will initially start in Serbia, where there is already strong demand, and will gradually be expanded to Bosnia and other regions. The aim is to sustainably strengthen access to quality-assured training and certification throughout the Balkan region.
Austria traditionally sees itself as a bridge builder between the EU and South-East Europe – not least due to its close historical, economic and cultural ties with the Balkans. The Balkan region is undergoing change, and its greater integration into European systems, such as standards, training and certification, is becoming increasingly important. The ‘Authorised Education Center’ award ceremony was held in Belgrade on 18 February at the invitation of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. As part of a high-calibre panel, Predrag Nikolić (President of CDT), Stefan Badža (Advisor to the President of the Serbian National Council) and Reha Tütenek (Austrian Standards Portfolio Manager Non-Product Certification) discussed the importance of ISO/IEC 17024 certifications, the significance of AI training, and the impact of the EU AI Act on the industry.
