The project “Digitalization Path” – funded by the USAID Economic Development, Governance and Enterprise Growth Project and implemented by MASIT (North Macedonia) in partnership with STIKK (Kosovo) and ICT Net (Serbia) is announcing an open call for applications from companies operating in the sector of agriculture and processing, light manufacturing (apparel and textiles, wood processing), and tourism (eco-tourism, rural tourism, and adventure tourism), that needs development of personalized Digital transformation strategy in order to improve their business. Personal digital transformation strategies support description: The Project will provide expert help from experienced consultants, who will support companies to effectively identify and prioritize IT solutions that would potentially have the highest return on improving the business operations of each SME. This personalized Strategy will have the goal to analyze the current business processes and understand the company’s needs, problems and challenges, based on which detailed recommendations for implementation of IT solutions will be elaborated and recommended in order to improve their business operations and sophistication. What can you expect? Work with experienced consultants Development of your own personalized Digital Transformation Strategy 30 beneficiary companies, 10 companies per country from the sectors mentioned above will be selected for the development of the Digital Transformation Strategy The application deadline for this call is 20.06.2021. The interested companies should apply by sending the Expression of interest template to the following e-mail addresses according to the country they operate in: North Macedonia – Elena Petrushevska, Project coordinator, elena.petrushevska@masit.org.mk, Serbia – Marina Blagojevic, Project coordinator, marina.blagojevic@ict-net.com Kosovo – Art Navakazi, Project coordinator, art.navakazi@stikk.org You can read all the detailed information about the call on the following LINK.

Today was held a virtual meeting between senior representatives of the Chambers of Commerce that are part of the Public – Private Dialogue Platform (Mr. Zoran Jovanovski from the Economic Chamber of Macedonia, Ms. Danela Arsovska from the Association of Chambers of Commerce, Mr. Nebi Hoxha from the Economic Chamber Chamber of North-West Macedonia, Mr. Ilija Gospodinov from the Chamber of Commerce for Information and Communication Technologies (MASIT) with Mr. Martin Vickers, Trade Representative for the Western Balkans of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr. Boris Johnson and his team. The meeting was organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the support of the Embassy in the United Kingdom, and was attended by the Ambassador of Northern Macedonia to the United Kingdom HE Aleksandra Miovska, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Northern Macedonia HE Rachel Galloway, Director of Global Business Networks at the British Chambers of Commerce Ms. Anne-Marie Martin, SIT Director for Northern Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo Mr. Nikola Stojanovski and Ambassador Ilija Psaltirov from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as its moderator . At the meeting, Mr. Vickers, as the first Trade Representative for the Western Balkans, presented his efforts to intensify economic cooperation with Northern Macedonia and got acquainted with each of the present Chambers of Commerce, their activities and potentials for deepening cooperation between the two countries. , where he reaffirmed the interest of the United Kingdom in deepening economic cooperation with the countries of the Western Balkans, including Northern Macedonia. Special emphasis during the discussion was placed on possible cooperation in the field of renewable energy, green agenda, information and communication technologies – ICT, potential cooperation on infrastructure projects and opportunities in the circulation of people and goods after Brexit between Great Britain and Northern Macedonia. as non-EU countries. The two sides agreed to continue talks in order to provide institutional support to Macedonian and British companies to intensify cooperation in the future, find points of common interest and contribute to increasing overall economic cooperation between the two countries.   

The World Information Technology and Services (WITSA) today published a statement of policy entitled “The Role of Government in Connecting the World – an Industry Perceptive”. The paper makes the case that, in a Digitally driven world economy, the need to fully join the Digital Age is no longer just a smart thing to do, -it is required for a nations’ future. It is up to governments, in partnership with industry and other stakeholders to shape e-commerce and the digital economy by adopting rules that favor the adoption of ICTs and economic growth. In many developing countries, this is an enormous challenge that will involve reforming existing policies, laws and regulations in many areas. “The pandemic has highlighted the glaring need to bridge the digital divide, both within and across countries, given the crucial role the digital economy has played during the crisis”, said WITSA Chairman Yannis Sirros. “The COVID-19 crisis presents a unique opportunity to improve the lives and livelihoods of citizens. Governments, the private sector, international organizations and citizens must take up the challenge of increasing digitalization and dare to make a difference” continued Mr. Sirros. “The moment is now!” “Unfortunately, the digital economy is still relatively unchartered territory in many emerging countries around the world, and policies and regulations are failing to keep pace with the everaccelerating digital transformations taking place”, said WITSA Secretary General Dr. Jim Poisant. “It is imperative that government leaders, in cooperation and partnership with the private sector embraces and employees the use of Digital technologies”, continued Dr. Poisant. “ICT must be at the core all of decision made by government leaders.” The full statement can be found on following link: Download PDF

We invite you to take a closer look at the second newsletter of our Project: Digitalization path, which provides an overview of some highlights and activities within the second quarter of the project. About the “Digitalization path” project: The Project Digitalization path is a 15-month project funded by the USAID Economic Development, Governance and Enterprise Growth Project and implemented by MASIT (North Macedonia) in partnership with STIKK (Kosovo) and ICT Net (Serbia). The main goal of this project is to support SMEs from the targeted value chains (fresh and processed fruit and vegetables, apparel and textiles, wood processing and tourism) from North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia in their activities to Better understand and get familiar with the benefits of the digital transformation Analyze their current level of digital 4 transformation and create Digital Transformation Strategies identifying and prioritizing needed IT solutions; and Financially support them in the process of purchasing and implementing IT solutions in order to improve their business activities. The Newsletter is available at the link below. Download PDF

The project “Digitalization Path” – funded by the USAID Economic Development, Governance and Enterprise Growth Project and implemented by MASIT (North Macedonia) in partnership with STIKK (Kosovo) and ICT Net (Serbia) is announcing the open call for applications from companies operating in the sector of agriculture and processing, light manufacturing (apparel and textiles, wood processing), and tourism (eco-tourism, rural tourism, and adventure tourism), for financial support in acquiring different types of ICT solutions such as: HRM – Human Resources Management, CRM – Customer relationship management, ERP – Enterprise resource planning, DMS – Document management system, SCM – Supply chain management (inventory planning, ordering, and forecasting), e-commerce solution, web site and other solutions. The goal of this supporting mechanism is to support the companies from the targeted sectors in their digital transformation. What can you expect?● Financial contribution of up to 50% or up to 3,000 USD per company, from the project● At least 30% USD must be contributed by you● Support in acquiring offers from ICT companies and a contribution of 20% from the IT company provider in form of: calculated discounts, additional functionalities/ services or training related to usage of IT solution, etc.. The call will be open from January till March 2021, and a selection process of applicants will be made at the end of each month, including end of March. Companies that meet the criteria for applying, will be selected on the “first come – first served principle” within the deadline for application. Download the file for this call below. Download PDF

We celebrate and mark the 20th anniversary of MASIT. For 20 years, MASIT has been the voice and resource of the competitive ICT industry. For 20 years, MASIT has been supporting and promoting the Macedonian ICT industry. For 20 years, MASIT has been working on the recognition, image and reputation of the ICT industry. On the occasion of the jubilee, we recorded a video with the employees of MASIT, the generation that celebrates this great and important jubilee. Watch the attached video https://youtu.be/snLV0CyZJuk

We are pleased to inform you that CareerHUB has started operating, it was developed within the project MladiHub – Digital Youth, funded by the British Embassy, ​​and implemented by the National Youth Council of Macedonia, in partnership with MASIT which aims to connect young people with talented professionals who possess digital skills with employers who need to hire full-time or part-time associates, part-time, internship or volunteer. We encourage/ask all MASIT member companies that need the engagement of people with digital skills to create a profile on the platform and place an ad / s. Through this platform you can: Create a profile for your company and place an adYou receive applications from candidates in the published advertisementsBrowse candidate profiles and make contact with themThe platform is fully operational, so we encourage you to take full advantage of its potential. Link to CareerHUB

Today, within the global event “WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards”, our member companies Nextsense with the solution “Contact Tracing technology” and Elevate Global with the solution “BAT”, received the honorary award “Merit Winner Award” within the global event WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards ”, and in competition with ICT companies from all over the world. The event takes place from 18-20 20.11 in Penang, Malaysia. “This year, the nominations submitted to WITSA for this year’s awards cover the entire global membership of WITSA, from Nigeria to Bangladesh, from Argentina to the United Kingdom and beyond. This year’s awards ceremony took place at a very unique time in history. “Despite going through a global pandemic, we are thrilled to be able to identify some of the best ICT solutions from governments, institutions, individuals, and industry,” said WITSA Secretary-General Dr. Jim Poisant. “In all the previous 20 years since the WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards, we have had the honor and privilege of receiving and reviewing qualified, unique and outstanding solutions like the one we received this year,” said WITSA President Yvonne Chiu. MASIT as a member of WITSA (World Information Technology and Services Alliance) nominated the submitted solutions from MASIT member companies to WITSA, and this year the following categories were announced for nomination: KOVID-19 technical solutions for cities and localities, KOVID-19 technical solutions for countries or regions, KOVID-19 Best Industry Solutions, Public-Private Partnership Award, Digital Innovation Award, Sustainable Growth Solution, Innovative Healthcare Solutions, Digital Innovation Award, and e-Education and Learning Award. The call for participation in the selection was open to all companies member of MASIT, but also to ICT companies that are not part of MASIT, and the right to participate have all ICT companies that will nominate ready-made solutions, implemented by end-users in the Republic of Macedonia. The World Alliance for Information Technology and Services (WITSA) is the leading internationally recognized voice of the global ICT industry, whose members from over 80 countries and economies represent more than 90 percent of the global ICT market.

On its General Assembly meeting on November 17, 2020, the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) elected its leaders, members of the Board of Directors for the 2020-22 term, including 23 directors from four continents, within which a representative from the Management Board of MASIT Mr. Zoran Lazarevski from the company ASSECO SEE. At the same time, during the General Assembly, Mr. Yannis Sirros from Hellenic Information Technology and Communications Enterprises (SEPE) from Greece was elected as a President of WITSA in the mandate 2020-2022. The full information about the newly elected leadership of WITSA for the term 2020-2022 can be viewed at the following link https://witsa.org/witsa-elects-new-leadership-for-the-2020-22-term-selects-mr- yannis-sirros-as-its-first-chairman-from-europe / MASIT has been a member of WITSA since 2005 and is a member of the WITSA Board of Directors for the second time. With the entry of MASIT in the Board of Directors of WITSA, MASIT becomes an active actor in creating ICT development policies worldwide, which is of particular importance in this period in which the global pandemic Covid-19 has set the ICT industry and the need for the digitalization of all aspects of living in a major focus worldwide. Through active participation in the Board of Directors, MASIT will have the opportunity to present its views and positions and jointly in cooperation with other member world leaders will implement WITSA’s vision for building a new digital world. Mr. Zoran Lazarevski, as a member of the Board of Directors of WITSA in the mandate 2020-2022 will be dedicated to the topics related to digital transition as a global process, addressing the challenges related to the workforce and education in the IT sector, data privacy, and increasing cooperation within WITSA. “First of all, I would like to thank the Board of MASIT, the President Aneta Pesheva and the Executive Office of MASIT, for the nomination and the support I had during the whole process. The opportunity to actively participate in policy making in the ICT sector on a global level is an extremely great obligation and responsibility for MASIT and for me as a representative of MASIT. Of course, this is an opportunity for affirmation of MASIT within the region and beyond and in that sense intensification of the international cooperation of MASIT with other related chambers of ICT ” said Mr. Lazarevski, The full list of WITSA Board of Directors can be found below: WITSA Board of Directors(2020-2022)   Name & Title Association & Country 1 Mr. Yannis Sirros Federation of Hellenic Information Technology and Communications Enterprises (SEPE) Greece 2 Mr. Sean Seah The National ICT Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) Malaysia 3 Mr. Francis Fong Hong Kong Information Technology Federation (HKITF) Hong Kong 4 Mr. Brian Shen Information Service Industry Association of Taiwan (CISA) Taiwan 5 Mr. John Kyle Business Technology Division of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce Bermuda 6 Dr. Boris Komrakov Belarus Association of Software Development Companies (InfoPark) Belarus 7 Mr. Robert Franz Janssen Association of ICT Companies in Brazil (ASSESPRO) Brazil 8. Dr. Vasile Baltac Association for Information Technology and Communications of Romania (ATIC) Romania 9. Mr. Antonio Cimorra The Association of Electronics, IT, Communications and Digital Contents (AMETIC) Spain 10. Mr. Zoran Lazarevski ICT Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of North Macedonia(MASIT) North Macedonia 12 Mr. Toshio Iwamoto Japan Information Technology Services Industry Association (JISA) Japan 13 Mr. Julian David techUK United Kingdom 14 Mr. Hemant Kumar Chaursaia CAN Federation Nepal 15 Ms. Choi Min Hee Federation of Korean Information Industries (FKII) Republic of Korea 16 Mr. Md. Shahid-Ul-Munir Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS) Bangladesh 17 Mr. Alexandr Yesayan Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises of Armenia (UATE) Armenia 18 Mr. Alberto Patron Cámara de Empresas de Software y Servicios Informáticos de la República Argentina (CESSI) Argentina 19 Mr. Matthias Ifesieh Information Technology Industry Association of Nigeria (ITAN) Nigeria 20 Eng. Tarek Abd-elmonem Taha Egyptian Information Telecommunications, Electronics and Software Alliance (EITESAL) Egypt 21 Mr. Santiago Gutierrez CANIETI Mexico 22 Ms. Angela Mondou TECHNATION Canada 23 Mr. Alexander Mora-Delgado Costa Rican Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies (CAMTIC) About MASIT The Chamber of Commerce for Information and Communication Technologies – MASIT represents the Macedonian ICT industry and promotes and represents the business interests of ICT companies in order to promote and develop the ICT industry and business environment. The Chamber represents companies operating a wide range of ICT products and services in Macedonia and since its establishment in 2000, as a non-profit and voluntary institution, has provided its member companies with access to information, education, legal advice, cooperation, networking and promotion at domestic, regional and international levels, with the aim of advancing and developing the ICT industry. MASIT cooperates regionally and internationally with other organizations and associations. MASIT cooperates regionally with all ICT Associations in the SEE region, and is a member of the Balkan and Black Sea Cluster Network. Internationally, MASIT has been a member of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance – WITSA (www.witsa.org) since May 2005. MASIT has excellent cooperation with donor organizations present in the country. About WITSAThe World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) is the leading recognized international voice of the global ICT industry, whose members from over 80 countries and economies represent more than 90 percent of the world ICT market. WITSA is dedicated to advocating policies that advance industry growth and development; facilitating international trade and investment in ICT products and services; strengthening WITSA’s national industry associations; and providing members with a broad network of professional contacts.WITSA hosts the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT), the premier global industry sponsored ICT conference.WITSA members are leaders in a globally interconnected marketplace. Because the challenges facing the ICT industry are undisputedly global in nature, WITSA members work together to achieve a shared vision on important issues of common interest. WITSA makes it possible for its members — ranging from Mongolia and Argentina to Kenya and the United States — to identify common issues and priorities, exchange valuable information, and present a united position on industry issues.For more information on WITSA,