The growing start-up ecosystems in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Tirana (Albania) are supported by state and municipal initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, exchange between science and industry, and investment programmes. This shows a strong political will to support economic transformation processes. Resources and networks that are available in more mature ecosystems such as Berlin are needed to promote and support start-ups even more effectively.
Berlin supports the international networking of startup ecosystems in the implementation of its innovation and internationalisation strategies. This is where the BLP project comes in, aiming to create and strengthen networks between the start-up ecosystems of Sarajevo, Tirana and Berlin, thereby contributing to the sustainable economic strengthening of the Western Balkans region. At the same time, this supports the two countries’ rapprochement with the EU market.