The speed at which technology is developing imposes a quick pace to follow, adaptation, and adoption as preconditions for remaining competitive, which can be achieved by raising efficiency and reducing operating costs. Digitalization has slowly but surely entered every segment of society. The pandemic has further accelerated digital transformation and showed it is only matter of time when companies accept it as part of their business operation.
Aiming to bring digital transformation closer to Macedonian companies, the Council for Advancement of Higher Education and Strategic Studies, in cooperation with the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF), organized a two-day training on “Digital Transformation for Macedonian Companies: Road to Regional Integration” on 6-7 June 2023, which was intended for the business community.
Over thirty representatives of Macedonian companies had the opportunity to follow the program and promote their operations by understanding user perceptions and by applying modern digital technologies according to the business trends in 2023.

The President of the Council for Advancement of Higher Education and Strategic Studies Mihajlo Donev, M.Sc., delivered an introductory speech telling the participants that the program was inspired by the need to provide the managerial staff with a set of knowledge and skills that would help them surmount the challenges on the road to digital transformation. Council activities aim at promoting the competences and skills of the labor with tertiary education, in line with the requirements of the real sector, which is one of the key activities that stem from the “Chamber of the Future” concept. This form offers a new, dynamic Chamber that will respond to the requests and requirements of its members.

The program trainer was Aleksandar Vratonjić Gligorijević, expert with BSc in IT Management from the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, who is currently the Chief Marketing Officer of TeleGroup, a company dealing with transformation of the business approach to systemic integration in the age of digital technology. Apart from the challenges to the digital transformation, Vratonjić Gligorijević introduced the participants to the transformative potential of modern technology such as cloud accounting, business analytics, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), cyber security, and blockchain technology. The training participants were given the chance to gain hands-on experience with the Design Thinking methodology, the empathy map, and ideation, enabling them to develop a deeper understanding of their target audience and the intended users of their products and services.
Since the Council’s programs focus on practical and applicable knowledge, a workshop was organized under the program on “Creating Value Offer for the User” where the participants worked on real case studies to determine a single value and direct the value offer in order to acquire new and retain existing clients, that is, users.

Finally, the participants were awarded certificates of program completion. The concluding event also included a speech by Dr. Tatjana Shterjova-Dushkovska, Secretary General of WB6 CIF, who pointed out that digitalization is a key tool to improve the investment climate, foster international trade, and bolster institutional transparency and confidence. As a result, WB6 CIF activities focus on increasing company capacities through application of digital tools developed by the CIF. Additionally, training programs like today's serve as a tool to Western Balkan companies, allowing them to internationalize and establish closer linkages to regional and global supply chains.
The program “Digital Transformation for Macedonian Companies: Road to Regional Integration” implemented by the Council for Advancement of Higher Education and Strategic Studies is organized under the “EU Support to the WB6 CIF” project, funded by the European Union.