SCTM at the 35th economic forum in Karpacz

​Aleksandar Marinković, Programme Director for finance and planning system of local self-government and Slađana Grujić, programme Director for economic development, participated in the 35th economic forum, which was held from September 8 to 10, 2026 in Karpacz (Poland), under the title "Architecture of the new order - stability in times of change". This year, the forum was also an opportunity to exchange views and experiences on economic, social and political challenges in Central and Eastern Europe. The program included more than 500 events in eight thematic areas, including the Forum of Regions, economy, sustainable development and digitalization. 

During the discussions, significant attention was paid to the role of local and regional authorities in the creation and implementation of development policies, as well as the topics of decentralization, local investments, territorial development and cooperation between the public, private and academic sectors. They also discussed depopulation, migration from small to larger local self-government units, education and the availability of public services. 

Also, the topic of the Forum was the financial stability of local governments, investment financing and the use of European funds. In this context, the experiences of Poland, which changed the financing system of local authorities in 2025, were presented. They talked about the challenges faced by small municipalities - lack of professional staff, difficulties in retaining quality employees, limited capacities for the preparation of large projects and complex procedures of EU funds. The insufficient negotiating position of smaller municipalities towards investors, as well as the limited opportunities for independent development of tourist and economic infrastructure, were discussed. In this context, the importance of inter-municipal cooperation was also pointed out. They also discussed the digitalization of local administration and the application of new technologies in the provision of public services, data management, development planning and communication with the economy and citizens. The need to develop the capacity of employees, as well as the appropriate protection of data and digital infrastructure, was also highlighted. 

Aleksandar Marinković, together with colleagues from Italy, Ukraine and Belgium (Flanders), participated in a panel dedicated to the challenges and dilemmas of decentralization in Europe. During the panel, experiences were exchanged and a discussion was held on general trends in Europe.Participation in the Forum enabled the exchange of experiences with representatives of local and regional authorities, the business and academic sectors, as well as the observation of European trends in the field of local economic development.

The topics of financial sustainability of local self-governments, preparation and financing of local investments, use of European funds, digital transformation and connection of local development policies with the needs of the economy were especially highlighted.​