The Memorandum of Understanding defines the directions and scope of future cooperation aimed at strengthening and supporting the startup community in Serbia. Given the same goal, which includes various forms and instruments of support, the plan of the signatories is to combine their experiences and resources in the coming period with the intention to strengthen the Serbian startup scene.

“We are very glad that Microsoft has recognized the potential of our companies and wants to help build their paths to success. Our cooperation will be based on the same purpose – the accelerated development of the startup digital ecosystem, which is becoming one of the most important factors in the Serbian economy,” said Ivan Rakonjac, director of the Innovation Fund, on the occasion of signing of the Memorandum.

Milan Gospić, Director of Microsoft in Serbia, said that he was delighted by the focus and the level of investment in the startup and innovation segment in the past two years because, as he says, we are getting closer to the first Serbian Unicorn on the world market (Unicorn – a startup label worth over one billion dollars).

“Microsoft is always there to support the startup community because it is a direct investment in digitalization that has a strong impact on the overall development of a country. Through this cooperation, we want to strategically strengthen innovation, offer full technical and advisory support, networking and connectivity opportunities, and chances to build or improve your business and sell your solution using Microsoft channels and market entry services,” pointed out Gospić.

Katapult accelerator relies on the best world practice and offers startups non-refundable funding and mentoring support. Through this program, the Fund wants to provide support to young teams that have their own products to take their business to the next level, and thus, increase their value for investors.

In addition to the direct support offered by the Accelerator, young teams also have specific services provided by the Microsoft StartUps program to position themselves quickly in the global market and achieve their goals.

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As a part of the Global Skills Initiative, Microsoft in cooperation with Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association (LIKTA), the Innovation Centre of the University of Latvia (LUMIC) and the ISM University of Management and Economics in Vilnius launched the personal development program – Baltic Digital Skills Development Program which started in January 2021.

People from the Baltic region were eager to gain knowledge, so the program was very well received, with more than 5,000 participants taking part in courses. More than 1,000 people successfully completed courses in “Software and Application Development “and “Business and Data Analysis”.

Seeing the program’s impact on digital skilling, the Baltic Digital Skills Development Program continued as Virtual Internship Program. The main goal was to help participants apply newly gained skills in a real work environment and test their knowledge in the business environment. Participants were given the opportunity to learn business, data analysis, software development, digital marketing, and a wide variety of unexplored possibilities of Microsoft Excel which they utilized in a provided company, applying a learning-by-doing approach.

Perfect opportunity to use knowledge in practice

At the end of the Baltic Digital Skills Development Program courses participants are excited about how many opportunities the acquired knowledge opens. Vaidas Velykis, one of the course attendees, commented that for that reason, after he passed the courses himself, he offered internships in the field of Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

The goal of the Virtual Internships was to allow participants to use their new skills in practical cases from real life. Vaidas was surprised by the performance of some of the interns – their motivation and ability to find solutions.

“I would recommend these types of internships to anyone who would like to challenge themselves in this difficult time. It is beneficial for both sides. For the intern, it is a perfect opportunity to use acquired knowledge in practice. As for the company, it is the perfect opportunity to shorten the learning curve for the new employees,” says Vaidas.

Breaking old stereotypes 

Having completed the digital skills improvement course “Business and Data Analysis,” Ilva Kauliņa received an offer to participate in the Virtual Internship at the State Employment Agency (SEA).

Her task was to compare the data from 2020 and 2021 using Power BI, regarding the available vacancies in different branch offices and offered salaries in Latvian regions such as Latgale.

“You know, there is a stereotype that in Latgale salaries are much lower than elsewhere in Latvia, but the data analysis shows that the situation in terms of salaries is not that different in all the regions.”

Ilva’s accomplishments concluded changes in the number of vacancies and the salary level in regions and put an end to stereotypes circling around Latvian society, thanks to her role in the Virtual Internship program.

Everyone needs to understand their level of interest and the capacity to acquire new knowledge

Tõnis Laasik, one of the course participants, is happy to expand his horizons with the knowledge he has already acquired, learn more, and use it in practice.

He was interested in participating in several courses about machine learning, so he chose Business and Data Analysis and Low-code/No-code platform fundamentals. Having successfully finished both courses, he reached his goal from the beginning – to be able to understand the possibilities of Microsoft solutions.

“As I have a strategic look on these kinds of solutions, it is particularly important to understand what various vendors are doing nowadays, what the exact level of the product is, and what direction they are moving in. To understand how much this digital world is growing is amazing for someone who wants to learn about it in the process as it is evolving,” explains Tõnis Laasik.

Intuition in business is a good thing, but making important decisions should be based on data

It’s all about numbers and organizational work for one of the participants of the Virtual Internship. Sindija Strazdina familiarized herself with the PowerBI offered by Microsoft and used it to create her very first data analysis reports. The courses offered by LUMIC for the purpose of mastering PowerBI came at the right place at the right time for her.

Interested in whether the number of girls graduating from ICT (information and communication technology) studies is increasing, Sindija got a chance to see how data analysis worked in ZoomCharts, where highly attractive and interactive PowerBI visualisations were developed. These visualizations are highly informative since data can be studied at various levels – viewed generally or at an in-depth level.

Sindija thinks that intuition in business is a good thing, but making important decisions should be based on data, and the Virtual Internship program only confirmed her beliefs.

Everyone in the Baltics still has the opportunity to join the free program and to grow professionally since the Virtual Internship Program will continue during 2022.

Source: Baltics upgrading: Growing professionally with Virtual Internship program – CEE Multi-Country News Center (microsoft.com)

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Seda, what inspired you to start a career in software engineering? What was your career path like?

I’m not sure when exactly this happened, but I have always loved science and math. I had a great physics professor in elementary school who taught me how to combine knowledge from different subjects that I liked – math, geometry, physics, and science. Even though these are different subjects, I realized that combining knowledge is like a puzzle, and you need to put pieces together.

Later, I enrolled at the University of Math and Computer Science in Istanbul and quickly learned a lot about software engineering. When we started learning programming languages, I could immediately see the outcomes of my work and that really impressed me and gave me additional motivation to pursue this career path.

When did you move to Belgrade and what was your first impression of the city?

I moved to Belgrade in December 2019. Even though it was cold and snowy, my first impression was that Belgrade has lots of trees and beautiful parks. Apart from the greenery, it is also very historical and always alive. I’m really enjoying my time here.

What’s it like to work at MDCS? What is that one favorite thing about MDCS that you would highlight?

Well, I’ve been at MDCS for two years now, and one thing that I would certainly highlight is the friendly environment and willingness to help. People are very open, and you can ask anybody for help. We have great mentorship programs, but even if you don’t have a mentor, there’s always going to be someone to help you out. That culture is very important for our new hires. With the big growth that we’ve been having, it’s a crucial thing for anybody who joins MDCS.

Another thing that I love here is that people are very confident and innovative.

What is your team in MDCS?

I’m in Azure Synapse Analytics, and we work on some groundbreaking technologies. MDCS has a significant role in multiple important Microsoft products. So, being a software developer, it is a great experience to work on these products. Also, you’re connected with everyone in Microsoft, no matter which country they come from. We are currently hiring, and I would certainly invite everyone to check out our open positions and join us in shaping the technology of the future.

What message would you send to international candidates that are considering moving to Belgrade and working at MDCS?

This is a lifetime experience. You won’t just grow professionally, but personally as well. Give it a chance, it can be a turning point for you. Considering the great relocation bonus, help with the move and finding the apartment, and on top of that, the knowledge and experience that you can get by working with leading experts in software engineering, it’s certainly a great decision that you can make.

Source: From Istanbul to Belgrade: how a young software engineer started her journey at Microsoft Serbia

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Where do you see Serbia’s key points when it comes to Digital Hotspot in CEE?

In the Serbian technology ecosystem, we can provide a data foundation, which is one of the most critical assets that companies, organizations, and societies have. Each CEE country is on its Digital Hotspot journey, highlighting strengths and identifying opportunities for their own actions. I see Microsoft playing a pivotal role in supporting Serbia to become a Digital hotspot, where people, businesses, and organizations can realize their visions and where growth is sustainable and inclusive. Digitization has a strong relationship with a country’s environmental performance and lower air pollution and should be twinned with ‘green’ strategies as part of national recovery initiatives. The greatest impact will come from investing in both digital technology and skilling people. Everyone has a role to play, and that matters to all of us, as it’s about our lives, our careers, our future.

What is CEE Multi Country contribution to the Digital Hotspot perspective?

Today, businesses in the region are innovating not only to navigate the impact of the crisis but to emerge from it stronger, with a focus on developing new products and services, increasing efficiency, and creating entirely new business models. This is the reason why I also like mentioning Serbia as a part of CEE Digital Hotspot, because many inventions came from people who originated and/or were educated here. We are also looking not just at those who came with historical inventions but at those who took advantage of those inventions and found a quick way to apply them, gain benefits, recover, and thrive. And this goes not just for businesses, but for Governments and their citizens.

Where do you see the biggest potential in Serbia regarding digital transformation?

Microsoft’s Development Center in Serbia is one of the emerging hubs we see in the region. It’s great to see consistent growth in employee capacity during the last years, which translates to the current opening of 40 positions at MDCS. This is extremely important for the whole society where the IT community is engaging and applying significant changes, especially encouraging women engineers to apply, as a cultural switch. I was amazed by the speed and ingenuity of Serbian people, businesses, and governments to embrace modern technologies not just to carry on but also to scale and move to higher levels. Now we stand witness to technology being fundamental for the innovation that we are seeing today, and there’s greater opportunity ahead as companies use tech as a true growth enabler.

Where do you see the importance of the partnership between Microsoft as a company and Serbia as a country?

Microsoft continues to invest in partners’ network, which has been the backbone of the Serbian IT industry for many decades. The company collaborates with partners in Serbia to provide vast possibilities of our products and artificial intelligence to every developer and every organization. We, as a corporation, are dedicated to becoming a partner of choice for all Serbian organizations that want to use this moment of economic disruption to reimagine their future and society for the better. Together, we can put Serbia in a Hot Spot of a new digital world.

Source: Sinergija 21 – Multi-Country has a great potential to become a Digital Hotspot

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Technology today makes a powerful tool for healthcare institutions, enabling them to deliver better healthcare more securely. Technology solutions are used to compile and analyze large amounts of data and to generate valuable insights that could enhance healthcare procedures and facilitate the decision-making process for the medical staff. Providing accurate health information at the right time by putting people in the center and helping ensure data compliance, confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility accentuates technology as one of the most potent tools that the health sector can take advantage of.

“The Republic of Serbia continues rapid progress in digital transformation across all sectors, with a particular focus on healthcare. The Digital Health strategy 2022-26 that Serbia is now finalizing envisions a healthier future for our citizens, more efficient healthcare, and data-driven decision-making, supported by the innovative application of technology. Therefore, I welcome this cooperation with Microsoft Serbia with the potential to contribute to reaching our strategic vision while encouraging innovation and growth,” commented Ana Brnabić, The Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia.

“Healthcare industry is going through the digital transformation process that will enable better services to both doctors and patients. With this cooperation, we want to support the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Ministry of Health, and all health institutions as a trusted advisor in this process, especially because Serbian doctors have already proven their expertise and skills by using innovative technologies, such as mixed reality and Microsoft HoloLens. Our technology will contribute to increasing the level of healthcare in Serbia and spark digital innovation,” said Milan Gospić, Microsoft Serbia Country Manager.

In the age of pandemics, technology helps medical workers provide safe clinical treatment to their patients while maintaining the highest possible level of service. Mixed reality technology can be used to enable medical practitioners to provide safe and remote medical care. Both parties are discussing the possibilities of integrating mixed reality technologies, such as HoloLens 2, with medical records of patients, databases of radiology/MR/CT images, and using speech-to-text to enhance patients’ diagnostics and therapy.
Some other scenarios are also being developed, like remote medical treatment, remote collaboration between doctors, as well as exploring other fields of cooperation as the use of Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, and visualization, sharing worldwide best practices, and promoting innovation in the healthcare sector by partnering with local companies.
The University Hospital Center “Dr Dragiša Mišović” already uses HoloLens in daily operations, achieving significant results in medical staff engagement and collaboration. As pandemic situation limits practical work for students, HoloLens also enables them to participate in all practical exercises remotely. Microsoft Serbia supports the hospital’s work, and together they are exploring further use cases of HoloLens integration.

Source: CEE Multi-Country News Center

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When did you join the MDCS team and what excites you the most about your job?

I’ve joined MDCS more than 8 years ago, my MDCS anniversary was in January. I’ve grown together with the company and have expanded my responsibilities quite a lot since 2013. My core responsibility is to hire the best talent at MDCS. I very much enjoy the current growth that we’re experiencing and many dozens of open positions that we have in 2021.
The part that still excites me the most about my job is the interview with the candidates themselves. That’s where I learn the most about them. I get to meet so many different people with different competencies and I get to test my ability to assess these competencies later.
The goal of each interview process is to hire new colleagues that will help us create cutting edge technologies and improve the life of every single individual.

What does the interview process at MDCS look like?

The interview process is a deep dive into your competencies and skills. The first step is that you submit your application through the Careers page. Afterwards, you will be invited to the online coding test that covers basic coding, algorithms, and data structures. Besides assessing the correctness of your solutions, we are also looking at performance, so try to submit a solution as efficiently as possible. For non-Software Engineer positions, like Mechanical Engineer, Data Scientist, Program Manager, you get different tasks or problems to solve.

The final step in this process is the online interview. It typically consists of 4 interviews within the same day. Your interviewers are Software Engineers from different engineering teams in MDCS. The main focus during the interview is on your technical knowledge. We ask you to solve some direct problems, or to give examples from previous projects you worked on. There is also the collaboration and communication competence that we assess as well. Teamwork is very important at MDCS. Your motivation and passion for the discipline you applied for is also an important part of the interview.

People often think that in big tech companies there are many trick questions during the interview – but there are no trick questions here. The point of this interview is to create an environment where we can get to know you better. But also, that you get to know us better.

Any tips on how to prepare for the interview at MDCS?

Let’s start with the basic tips first – sleep well before the interview. Think about your hydration and nutrition. Please make sure to eat something before the interview or keep some snacks close to keep you energized. This is something that we’ve noticed over the years. People forget about their nutrition because they are nervous before the interview. Do not be nervous.

As I’ve mentioned before, this is an environment where you can present yourself in the best possible manner. Be honest – that is the most important thing I would suggest to any candidate. The trust which you build with your interviewer is of immense importance. What inspires you to join MDCS? How would you solve some problems or what are some examples from previous projects you worked on? These are some of the questions you might face. Do not be afraid to pause for a minute, give it some thought and respond. Communicate openly with your interviewer. Ask them to clarify their questions. Prepare your own questions for the end of the interview. As mentioned above, this is a bi-directional process. We are interviewing you. And you are interviewing us.

What are the open positions that you have now and what is the type of candidate that MDCS is looking for?

We are looking for people with a strong fundamental knowledge of computer science. People who are passionate about computer science. People who want to learn – one of the greatest things at MDCS are the learning opportunities that we have here. We’re also looking for people who want to build and create features for the products we’re working on. Most of our projects are team projects and you need to be a part of the team in order to contribute. In essence, we’re looking for people who are great team members.

You can find all our open positions at the Microsoft Careers Website. Make sure to check out the open positions and apply!

Source: What is it like to hire some of the best engineers in Serbia and beyond? Meet the Microsoft Development Center Serbia Hiring Team!

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Sixteen years ago, Microsoft Development Center Serbia was established in Belgrade as a team of a couple of employees. However, MDCS has grown into a center that hires over 450 people under the leadership of Dragan Tomic. Over the years, Dragan and his team have put a lot of dedication and hard work into creating technologies used by millions of people worldwide.

“While this is a pretty big honor for me, it is huge news for our team and great news for all R&D places in this part of the world. I’m super happy about our journey this far and excited about our future. The best MDCS days are ahead of us”, says the new Vice President.

Not only does he act upon his MDCS leadership role, but Dragan is also the Data leader for Azure SQL Managed Instance, Synapse SQL Serverless, and SQL Service Fabric. He has also created a unique culture and diverse and high-performing teams.

At the beginning of 2021, Microsoft Development Center received a significant investment to expand the team working on the Azure Data service development. More than 100 new positions were added to Azure Data team only in FY21, and overall, more than 155 for the entire MDCS. This is a very positive story for the future of the country because each of the new team members brings a lot of positive complementary effects.

The unique value of MDCS should not be ascribed to the number of people only, but to the business impact the team creates for Microsoft. The team is on the leading edge of several fronts for the company (Azure SQL, Synapse, Service Fabric, Office Canvas/Media, Maps, Mixed Reality, and others). Therefore, we believe that the best years for MDCS are in the near future.

Digital transformation of the most strategic worldwide companies is in the hands of engineers in Belgrade. And while they improve the lives of every single individual, they also come from different nations demonstrating full diversity and inclusion as one of the core Microsoft values. Some of the innovations that the team is producing are leading innovations presented at all top conferences, and their work is mainly applied research which is pushing boundaries of every product line they are involved in.

For the first time, MDCS is actively looking for engineering talent not only in Serbia but also across Europe. There is a devised plan to recruit regionally so that they can continue to grow their mission, but also grow the overall local ecosystem. They strongly believe in diversity, and one of the best ways to develop quality ideas is to include people with different backgrounds and thinking processes.

Jobs in Belgrade / Microsoft Careers

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You are originally from South Africa, coming from Singapore all the way to Ireland; how did you manage to be at the top of your career with such a diverse path?

I think growing up in South Africa, particularly during my formative and early adult years, cultivated a unique appreciation for social justice, equality, and inclusion. It helped give me a voice. As South Africans, we experienced many challenges such as racial segregation, socioeconomic issues, and just general state-sanctioned inequality. We also experienced epic and positive change, from an apartheid state to the one with the immense promise of a new democratic country. These experiences have shaped my life and taught me to appreciate the humanity in others, to speak truth to power and most importantly, to dream big – beyond borders, boundaries, and limitations. Nothing is impossible.

Having relocated twice in the last 8 years, I’ve learned to adapt, live in harmony with my surroundings, ground myself, and create a community for myself. I always try my best to be selfless and to contribute to the lives of people I’ve encountered.

Of course, Microsoft has helped enable my journey, where I can be a strong advocate for Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) and use my skills and life experiences to contribute to what matters both to Microsoft and me personally.

How much difference did you notice between Ireland and CEE Multi-Country Region?   

With over 82 nationalities in Ireland, I had the opportunity to engage with people from different cultures and backgrounds in one location. In MC, we are dispersed across many locations. The beauty of MC lies in the strength of our diversity. Our HR team, leadership team, and employee resource groups have enabled me and many others to build networks virtually during the pandemic, to think about our overall D&I strategy, and to focus on creating thoughtful conversations in the workplace. I find it very rewarding to be able to draw on different ideas, perspectives and to increase my cultural awareness every day.

As you are a big ambassador on diversity and inclusion, how much do we have to work on it as a society?   

We still need to learn to be aware of our unconscious biases and consciously do away with them when relating to people that are different from us.  Diversity and inclusion starts at home. I feel it is very important for parents and teachers to share with their children and students how to live and work together with people that are different from them, learning to really listen, be curious, understand them, and encourage positive interaction within the community where we can celebrate diversity. 

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite” – Nelson Mandela

I am proud to work for a company that believes that diversity enriches our performance and products, the communities where we live and work, and the lives of our employees.

What are some ‘musts’ that all business owners have to include in their management regarding diversity?  

Diversity and inclusion initiatives must align with your organizational goals and company values. Employees observe and model their leaders’ behaviors – what leaders do, what behaviors are rewarded, who they hire, where they spend their time, what they talk about in meetings. As HR, we are working closely with leaders and managers to be more intentional about building a culture where employees feel valued, respected, and have a sense of belonging. With the pandemic, the world of work has changed dramatically. We have colleagues working from many different locations with very few opportunities to meet in person. As leaders, we need to hold ourselves accountable for inclusive leadership practices and for creating psychologically safe spaces where employees can feel it is safe to speak up and be their true authentic selves. At Microsoft, we believe that allyship behavior is key where an employee can make an intentional decision to understand, empathize, and act in support of someone else. It is not an identity – rather, it is a lifelong commitment and practice.

Since the world has changed and remote work has become new normal, what is your work routine? How do you keep balance between private and professional?

Flexibility is a huge bonus to remote working – I think it was important for me to adjust my mindset and to take the necessary steps to make it easier to work from home. I get my energy from people, so it was a huge adjustment not being able to connect in person with my colleagues. My husband and I live in a lovely seaside village, so I introduced regular walks in the mornings and evenings. These days I usually go for an early morning run before I start my day. I have also joined a Pilates studio up the road, which helps me focus on myself and de-stress. Microsoft Teams has mindfulness apps built into it, so every now and then, I get reminders to move, focus on my breathing or meditate.

I also leverage the Microsoft MyAnalytics feature in Outlook, where I can get personal productivity insights as I work. I receive AI-powered suggestions in Outlook from MyAnalytics to help me set aside focus time before my week fills up with meetings, stay on top of tasks and emails, and follow up with important people.

With my team, I love to make time for casual chatting about non-business-related matters and we all keep an eye on each other’s well-being, so we adjust our priorities when necessary. I also discourage working after hours. As a manager, it is important to understand your team’s different needs and circumstances so adjustments can be made, especially when it comes to their health and well-being.

What are some pros and cons of working from home?  

Since working from home, my screen time has significantly increased with online meetings, so I am trying to build in natural breaks. Like many people, it is not possible to stick to my working hours. Sometimes I am able to shift my schedule so I can fit in that Pilates or Yoga session, but it does impact my working hours. The biggest benefit is being able to take walks and have lunch with my husband most days.

At the end of our conversation, we asked Juanita if she would ever change anything in her career if she had a chance, if she would take some different turns. Reflecting on her past, she told us that all her previous experience has shaped her into the person she is today. Observant and grateful of top executives in HR who shared their knowledge, skills, and wisdom, she says she is fortunate for being able to learn from such incredible leaders and to work with amazing people from different backgrounds and cultures.
‘’It is an immense honor to be appointed to this role’’, concluded Juanita Peter.

We guess she wouldn’t change a thing.

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