Business Evening in Baden: Austria prepares for EXPO 2027 in Belgrade

In just over six months, EXPO 2027 opens in Belgrade. For the Austrian Serbian Economic Forum, this was the occasion for a Business Evening at Casino Baden on 2 November 2026. It was co-hosted by Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria, and brought together representatives of politics, business associations and companies.

A world exhibition on the doorstep

From 15 May to 15 August 2027, Belgrade will be a meeting place for the world. It is the first specialised world exhibition in the Western Balkans, its motto is “Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All”, and more than four million visitors are expected. Serbia has long been an important market for Austria: more than 800 Austrian companies operate there, and goods exports reached around 1.2 billion euros in 2025.

Lower Austria and Serbia

For Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Lower Austria and Serbia share a long history, socially, culturally and economically. One link is the Danube, along which both partners work together, for example in the Working Community of the Danube Regions. Investors in the province are supported by its “Taskforce Wirtschaft”. She expects a great deal from the world exhibition: “There is a great deal of potential in the Expo that we can and will use together.”

Olivier Scherlofsky opened the evening for the Forum. Words of welcome came from Michaela Roither, Managing Director of the Federation of Austrian Industries in Lower Austria, for whom Serbia is a key partner of domestic industry, and from Christian Moser, Vice-President of the Lower Austrian Economic Chamber, for whom the EXPO is a “turbo”, a large window that can now open.

What lies ahead for companies

The panel discussion turned to the next steps. ASEF President Martin Kurschel sees it as the Forum’s task to open up opportunities on both sides. Vice-President Zoran Subašić expects the many EXPO visitors to create new contacts. Simon Ortner, who heads the Department of International and European Affairs at the Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government, recalled the cooperation in the Danube region, from the Working Community of the Danube Regions to the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. Eva-Maria Abpurg, authorised officer at Beyond Gravity Austria, described the Forum as the first port of call for entrepreneurs who want to gain a foothold in the region. The evening was moderated by Paul Leitenmüller.

The Austrian Pavilion

Alf Netek of the Austrian Economic Chamber explained how Austria will present itself in Belgrade. The pavilion’s motto is “Join the Flow”. At its centre flows a digital Danube, a walk-through media installation linking industry and innovation with nature and sustainability. It is meant to show what the country has to offer economically, technologically and culturally.

Of particular interest to companies is the pavilion’s Innovation Lab, where selected developments will be presented in rotation. Solutions are sought in fields such as artificial intelligence, energy and the environment, mobility, aerospace and robotics. Start-ups and one-person businesses can apply as well as medium-sized firms, large companies and universities. Participation is free, the deadline is 29 November 2026, and an expert jury will make its selection in December.

Photos from the evening are available on the event page.