BELGRADE, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's recent visit to China yielded over 900 million euros (1.04 billion U.S. dollars) in new investment agreements and a series of cooperation deals spanning manufacturing, innovation and emerging technologies.
For many Serbian businesses, the visit highlighted a broader trend already reshaping the country's economy: deeper cooperation with China in technology transfer, industrial upgrading and digital transformation.
At an auto parts factory in the southern Serbian city of Nis, employees have given a nickname to the digital platform displayed on a large screen monitoring production lines, equipment status, order progress and quality control in real time -- the "Chinese brain."
The system reflects a growing role for Chinese technology in Serbian manufacturing, helping companies modernize operations, improve efficiency and strengthen competitiveness.
Marko Cadez, president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Xinhua that since the implementation of the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement, Serbian companies have gained easier access to Chinese technologies, machinery, raw materials and automation equipment.
"Many Serbian companies are modernizing production with Chinese equipment," he said. "Chinese machinery today is technologically advanced, cost-effective and having a significant impact on local industry."
According to Cadez, Serbia had virtually no Chinese companies in 2012. Today, around 2,000 companies with Chinese capital operate in the country. The 35 largest Chinese-invested firms have collectively invested nearly 8 billion U.S. dollars and created around 40,000 jobs.
Analysts say bilateral cooperation is evolving beyond a traditional focus on infrastructure, mining and steel production toward deeper technology-oriented collaboration.
The trend was evident during Vicici's latest visit to China. After touring a robotic factory operated by Minth Group in Jiaxing, China's Zhejiang Province, he expressed admiration for its intelligent manufacturing technologies and robotics applications. He later announced that Serbia would launch the first phase of humanoid robot production in cooperation with Chinese companies between July 10 and July 20.
At the Nis factory, where local employees account for more than 92 percent of the workforce, a manufacturing execution system developed by Zhejiang Yusei Holdings integrates order management, production execution and quality traceability into a unified digital platform.
Production manager Xu Linhao said the system records even the slightest fluctuations during manufacturing, helping improve both product quality and operational efficiency. Managers can monitor operations in real time and respond quickly to potential issues.
The platform has enabled automation across about 70 percent of the production lines. Workers no longer need to manually collect data or monitor each machine, and information on orders, equipment performance and quality control can be coordinated automatically across the plant, Xu told Xinhua.
The impact of Chinese technology can also be seen at the Smederevo steel mill, which has undergone extensive modernization and digitalization since China's HBIS Group acquired the plant in 2016.
Inside the facility's administration building, Vladan Stojanovic, deputy director of IT infrastructure and applications, showed reporters the servers and network systems supporting the mill's digital operations.
For decades, production coordination and equipment management relied heavily on manual oversight and offline communication. Today, digital systems support production scheduling, equipment monitoring and operational management throughout the facility, he said.
Stojanovic has visited China for training and exchanges. Recalling his impression of the integration of traditional manufacturing and digital technologies in Chinese factories, he said: "It was not just a visit. It was more like a rethinking of manufacturing."
An increasing number of Serbian employees have traveled to China for technical training and professional exchanges. Stefan Mitrovic, maintenance manager at the sintering plant, spent nearly a month at an HBIS facility in China.
"The professional standards and systematic management in Chinese factories are very advanced," he said. "After returning, I tried to apply those experiences in our own plant."
Gordana Misev, director of Serbia's Institute of International Politics and Economics, said China has become a global leader in technology and innovation and can significantly support Serbia's development in emerging sectors.
She identified artificial intelligence, robotics, drones, green industries, transportation infrastructure and energy as areas with strong potential for deeper cooperation.
For many Serbian companies, from digital management systems and automated production lines to technical training and industrial know-how, "Chinese brain" is increasingly welcomed in Serbian industry. ■
