15 May Interview with Mr. Dušan Borovčanin, CEO, Expo 2027 Belgrade, Serbia
What were the decisive factors that led to Belgrade being chosen as the host city for Expo 2027 and can you walk us through the bidding process?
The history of the Expos is a history of modern civilization because they’re very well and closely connected. World Exhibitions have been in existence since 1851. Most of the industrial inventions and things that changed our daily lives were, for the first time, presented and showcased at the Expo. Serbia is proud to have a very long history as a participant at Expos: 140 years ago, we were among the few countries that participated, but after 140 years as a participant, our country decided to bid as a host.
Even though Expos have a longer history than the modern Olympic Games, they only last so long and many countries are eager to host. There were five of us who competed and all were quite tough competitors. Besides us, there was the USA with the city of Minnesota, Spain with the city of Malaga, Thailand with the city of Phuket and Argentina with the city of San Carlos de Bariloche. These countries and cities invested a lot, which shows the relevance that these events bring to the host country.
Hosting Expo 2027 Belgrade is a historical milestone for us and a historical opportunity for Serbia. We are a small country and the whole bidding process started in January 2022. It lasted a year and a half. My role was to make sure that all companies and individuals that were working on this worked together and stuck to the timeline and everything that had to be done. There were a few decisive things which explain why we were chosen. One of them is the unusual theme that we proposed: ‘Play for Humanity: Sport and Music for All.’ Every country that is bidding to host the Expo proposes a theme. Our theme was rather different from what the delegates were used to.
Another reason it was chosen is because of Serbia’s position in the international community. We tend to stick and continue the traditional partnerships that we have nourished for decades with African countries, the Middle East, the Far East, European countries, the US and the People’s Republic of China. Because we are not the richest country in the world, we had to plan very well in advance what would be the post-use and how the Expo itself would be organized and developed. All these elements were carefully tailor-made to the project. At first, we were skeptical about whether we could host the Expo, but as the bid moved on, our confidence level rose. After a while, we realized that we could deliver compared to very relevant and good competitors like Spain, the US and Thailand.
What advantages does Belgrade offer over other competing cities?
Expo 2027 Belgrade will be the first Expo in Europe after being held in Milan in 2015. Belgrade has a strategic location in the heart of Europe. We have direct flight connections with the US, China and all the major capitals in Europe. The positioning of Belgrade is very good for bringing the world together. Our theme is something that countries should find relevant because in 2022, choosing a theme that would be relevant in 2027 was hard. We were facing a post-Covid period, which was one of the biggest health crises in the world, supply chains were broken, there was an energy crisis and inflation. Our idea was to find one single element because the future was uncertain. We needed one thing that could bring people together.
Our theme, “Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All” captures human abilities. ‘Play’ is a human superpower that brings people together with sport and music as major elements where play is consistent but play has many more elements than within sport and music. It drives creativity and innovation and stimulates cooperation. It’s a unique proposal we offered.
Can you give us a detailed outline of the major infrastructure projects, such as the new National Stadium and transportation upgrades taking place for Expo 2027?
These will not only boost connectivity, but it will allow the city of Belgrade to transform and develop further. We will have a completely new urban development of the city and will bring all the necessary infrastructure for this area of the city to further develop. In addition to that, bringing some anchor infrastructural elements like the railway, road infrastructure and buildings that require big communications will drive and boost further inventions.
Part of the Expo’s legacy will be the new Belgrade Trade Fairground. It will be the most modern and new trade fairground in Europe. In terms of infrastructure, there will be a new National Stadium. We are building 1,500 residential units that will serve the purpose of an Expo for the accommodation of international participants but afterward, they will be commercially sold to the market and also offered to some parts of the population. There will be two separate areas on the Expo. One is the museum district with permanent structures such as three thematic pavilions and a National Pavilion that will remain in the legacy as museums and galleries. The other area will be fully reused after the Expo. It will serve as the best practice and corporate area, but all the structures that will be used for that will be reused for three schools and three kindergartens.
It’s not about the infrastructure alone, but the way the whole project and the area of the city are designed is to stimulate further growth of Belgrade, decrease the pressure of investment within the city center and allow further expansion of the city of Belgrade.
What benefits do you see for both local and foreign businesses during the development of these projects and what long-term opportunities will arise as a result of them?
We now have an impact on the construction and development of the site, where many Serbian companies, primarily from the construction field, are working. Additionally, with the pre-Expo events spanning around a year or a year and a half, Serbian and regional companies will have the opportunity to connect with the rest of the world. For Serbian companies to go abroad requires serious investment to penetrate the market. Now they will have a chance at home because the entire world will be present in Serbia and they will spend nothing to establish new connections.
Our business programming is very important, not just for Serbian companies, but also for all the international participants, because every country that is coming for the Expo needs a solid business case and they want to understand what the business opportunities in Serbia are. Because we are strategically located and have free trade agreements with the European Union, the People’s Republic of China, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, it’s a good position for doing business and understanding all possibilities.
Expo 2027 Belgrade is expected to attract millions of visitors from across the globe. How are you promoting tourism throughout Serbia in the lead-up to the Expo to ensure that visitors explore the country beyond the event itself?
Expos are famous for bringing tourism to the country, as seen in Lisbon and Seville, which have less than 1 million inhabitants, but now Lisbon has over 19 million and Seville more than three million visitors per year. We can expect the same with Belgrade and this is how we are planning to communicate and promote the Expo because it’s happening within Belgrade.
Expo is more than an event. It’s a chance to rebrand Serbia and it’ll be an attraction for many people who were completely unfamiliar with Serbia and the region or who knew a little from what they read. This will be a motivation for them to come and discover the region because it has a lot to offer. This year, we are planning promotional activities throughout Serbia using a caravan platform. We will go from city to city and with many different activities and we’re going to try to explain to the public what Expo is and what they can experience in 2027 in their own Belgrade.
During Expo 2027 Belgrade itself, we will create an off-program outside the Expo site to offer people who are coming for the Expo to see and explore not just Belgrade but the rest of Serbia and the region. For all the visitors that are coming from the US, it’s not realistic to expect that they will come to see Belgrade for a day or two. They would like to explore more, stay a couple of days more within Serbia, or explore the coast of Montenegro, Croatia, Greece and Albania. This is a regional driver for us.
How significant is the USA’s participation as an exhibiting guest for Serbia’s diplomatic & economic relations, what efforts are being made to further increase global participation from countries, organizations and businesses in Expo 2027?
The USA’s participation is very significant. Our bilateral relations have been on a completely new level in the last couple of years. In terms of connectivity, we now have direct flights between Belgrade, New York and Chicago. Miami is also in the pipeline. In terms of the ease and connectivity, this would be a very good opportunity for American citizens to come. You cannot say that you brought the world together if the US is not there. The US had a huge experience because they hosted the Expo four times.
As a nation, we are very proud of our athletes and some of them are very familiar to the US audience, such as Nikola Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP. We also have traditional ties with Serbian Americans, like Nikola Tesla, one of the leading scientists of the 20th century, who is closely connected with the Expo and Exhibition in Chicago. Connections between Serbia and the US are enormous. For us, it’s a natural thing to have the US present.
What are some of the big achievements that you’re particularly proud of in organizing such a big event so fast?
We have an amazing team of professionals dedicated to working and trusting in these projects. I’m thankful and proud of that because this is a project that cannot be carried out without hundreds of individuals. One of the most important milestones was the recognition phase, which is a formal procedure that we had to go through within the intergovernmental organization in Paris, where it’s not just the organizations that were making the decision but the member states. 184 countries had to approve the entire project from the legal perspective, commercial perspective, master planning and communications. It was also one of the biggest challenges last year because we had to create this document in detail and ensure that all the member states were in line and in favor of it. It finally happened in November 2024 when unanimous support from the general assembly was provided to Serbia. We have a lot of work ahead of us, so I’m trying to look forward, not backward.
It’s the utmost honor to be offered to lead this company and project. My wish is for the youngsters and the new generation in Serbia to feel proud, have self-confidence and know they can do big things. This is part of the intangible legacy that I hope the Expo will leave to our population.