Balkans: The 21st century is increasingly viewed as the digital age, with computer science and data-focused jobs becoming more commonplace. The digital revolution has spurred a population boom in the Information Technology sector. With this surge in demand, many countries have begun investing in educational institutions to train an educated workforce for these roles. To successfully compete in this new digital economy, countries must ensure that their human capital meets the necessary technological standards.

The Balkans is one of the most IT-friendly regions worldwide, especially when it comes to software development and virtualization. According to different researches, the region is showing promising signals — especially with Albania and Kosovo, as new tech talent sources are growing fast.

The growth of Albania and Kosovo in the IT sector

The countries of the Balkans are undergoing significant development in the IT sector, with Albania and Kosovo playing a substantial role in digitalization. This is an important step forward for the region and will undoubtedly impact the economy positively. The IT sector is one of the fastest-growing in the world, and by investing in it, the Balkans are positioning themselves for a bright future.

This digitalization is also opening up new opportunities for businesses in the region. With more and more people online, there is a growing market for online services and products. This is an excellent opportunity for businesses to reach a wider audience and grow their customer base. One of the main factors in this digitalization process is access to the Internet and the ability to implement e-portals with many users for different everyday methods.

According to the report by ICEDA (DIGITAL AGENDA OBSERVATORY 2021), in Albania, a total of 7,705,068 applications for e-services have been submitted, and a total of 1,210,093 citizens and businesses served through the e-Albania portal. As a major step forward, in February 2021, Kosovo launched the national e-services portal, e-Kosova. The portal has 5,945 registered citizens and businesses, and 57,414 services have been used through it, mainly related to paying taxes and police- and health-related issues.

“To begin with, through the Cross-cutting Strategy on Digital Agenda 2015-2020 (CSDA) Albania aimed at increasing and promoting the usage of e-services, promoting ICT as part of education, and consolidating digital infrastructure, demonstrating its will to implement the DA. The greatest public attention of CSDA 2015 – 2020 was focused on the creation and functionality of the government portal, through which the general public and businesses could access public e-services. Meanwhile, the digitization process in Albania is being administered through an Action Plan 2020 – 2022.” – as stated in the report.

The number of applications for e-Albania services makes it clear that people can obtain services quickly. During 2020, 1,210,093 citizens and businesses submitted 7,705,068 applications for e-services. In addition to training 12,000 administration employees to provide digitized, electronically signed public services, the administration trained 2,000 employee-based counter personnel to assist citizens in applying for services online. To increase the number of users and facilitate the understanding of digital procedures for obtaining online public services, NAIS plans to realize 132 promotional and instructional videos for e-services, 141 infographics about e-Albania and instructions on how to use certain e-services, and 30 explanatory materials in the media by the end of 2022.

On the other hand, the digitalization of Kosovo has been notable too. It is stated that Kosovo has made significant progress in digital transformation by implementing strategies that address DA-related issues, joining the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and passing legislation that encourages digital transformation. The Kosovo government is currently developing the next DA strategy and strategies on cybersecurity, public administration reform, e-governance, and other issues. The ‘Efficient Governance’ program, a key part of the government’s administration program for the next four years, is expected to be accomplished through public administration reform, e-governance adoption, establishing interoperability, and expanding the e-Kosova portal, among other things.

Why have these two countries become so desirable to recruiters?

The Balkan countries have diverse IT industries with many technologies and industries. This diversity has allowed them to develop a large amount of computer science talent available in Europe today. Many talented software developers work in local languages, such as Albanian and Kosovo, that are available to help with various IT management needs when developing your business.

According to the study made by ETF, Western Balkan freelancers have become known for their presence on global online platforms. Five (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) ranked among the global top 10 for the number of freelancers per 1,000 people in 2018. The number of regional workers on international platforms increased more than 3.5 times from 2017. Western Balkan platform freelancers are well represented among creative and multimedia professionals, software development, and other tech work. This vast number of professionals in the IT sector, which is shown to be growing each year, makes it very attractive for recruiters worldwide to approach this new and less-discovered market.

In conclusion, it is a fact that the IT sector is going through a significant transformation, with the development of new technologies and fields of expertise. Also, the growth of the IT sector in the region has been effective, where we have witnessed countries such as Albania and Kosovo growing rapidly towards this direction. Fortunately for the region, this rapid growth seems far from stopping and keeps going forward at full speed.