Vučić opens "Ložionica": The face of both the country and the city has changed PHOTO/VIDEO

During his tour of the Ložionica complex, President Vučić emphasized the importance of digitalization for Serbia.

He also addressed the issue of cyberattacks on the country’s infrastructure, noting that there had been around two million attacks originating from various foreign countries, including Chile, Mexico, Russia, and the United States — yet none had managed to compromise the State Data Center.

“In August, we faced the highest level of cyberattacks on state and public infrastructure — over two million of them. They couldn’t do anything to the data stored in the Data Center. But they did manage to cause damage to EPS, the cadastre, and the Ministry of Justice because those institutions thought they were smarter and didn’t store their data there. If you refuse to do so — fine — but if we experience a blackout or power outage for a day or two, you’ll be held accountable and go to jail,” Vučić said.

He pointed out that the State Data Center in Kragujevac, which will house a second supercomputer by the end of the year, is a major development for the city — boosting employment and the local budget — but also warned of a looming electricity supply issue.

“There will be a huge problem with electricity and energy costs. We must work on expanding capacity in Kragujevac and across Serbia. We need to ensure additional electricity capacity for Kragujevac — and we must do it quickly,” Vučić stressed.

Speaking about EXPO 2027, Vučić said:

“I assure you, we will have flying taxis and flying cars for the EXPO. Only eight years ago, people protested here in Belgrade Waterfront with yellow ducks — now they’re buying apartments here. We will complete the National Stadium on time — it will be ready before May 1, 2027 — the most beautiful in the region and one of the most modern in Europe.”

He added that by the end of the year, the Belgrade Water Tower will also be opened as a venue for modern exhibitions.

During the tour of the Ložionica complex, it was noted that the Water Tower has been fully preserved in its original form, only restored, and will now serve as a venue for modern digital exhibitions, incorporating artificial intelligence technology.

The first exhibition will focus on the history of Ložionica, featuring archival photographs from 100 years ago, enhanced by AI applications.

While watching a film depicting the construction of Ložionica, President Vučić remarked that the transformation of the site reflects the broader renewal of the city and the entire country.

“This place used to be an eyesore — and look at it now, everything has changed. It’s beautiful,” he said.

“By the time of EXPO, we will accomplish a great deal across Serbia. We will soon visit the construction site of the most modern maternity hospital in southern Serbia, in Niš. Two new factories will also open in Niš. We are working all across the country,” Vučić emphasized.

About NIS

When asked about sanctions against NIS, President Vučić said that efforts are still underway to find a solution.

“It will be very difficult for us to get out of all this. We will try to protect our country, and at the same time, I hope the company will not have to lay off many workers. We will talk with the Russians. We have nothing to discuss with the Americans — they’ve made their position clear. The Europeans will support them. Janaf will cut off the oil supply. An even bigger problem will be the banking part of the sanctions.

We have one state-owned and one private Serbian bank, but neither wants to risk collapsing because of sanctions. Countless problems are emerging, and we will have to find ways to deal with them. For months we’ve been trying to reach a solution, but everyone remains firm in their positions, and no one is willing to compromise,” Vučić said.

On Ložionica 

The “Ložionica” center will be a place open to all citizens of Serbia, who will be able to attend exhibitions, lectures, theater performances, film screenings, concerts, and fairs. It will also feature dedicated educational and entertainment content.

The total area of the Creative Industries and Innovation Center “Ložionica” complex is 23,200 square meters, and the project’s conceptual creator is the national platform “Serbia Creates.”

The Office for IT and eGovernment is the investor on behalf of the Government of Serbia, and the total investment in the entire complex and its equipment amounts to 63 million euros.

Restoration work on Ložionica began two years ago, with the goal of preserving its cultural and historical heritage while adding modern elements.

The Ložionica complex consists of five units. The first and main building is the Ložionica itself — a multifunctional space designed for events, coworking, exhibitions, research, office use, and a gastronomic section. Covering 4,800 square meters, it will offer numerous opportunities for creative activities such as workshops, classrooms, meeting rooms, presentations and rehearsals, as well as exhibition spaces.

The building includes a ground floor, a gallery, and a large multifunctional event hall, known as the “Black Box.” It was designed and equipped according to the studies of leading acoustic experts and will be used for various types of events and gatherings.

 

House of eGovernment

The House of eGovernment (Annex of Ložionica) serves as the headquarters for the Office for IT and eGovernment and related activities. It spans 11,000 square meters and is envisioned as a space where employees working on digitalization, the development of electronic government, and artificial intelligence will collaborate with the business sector, startup community, and academia to create new IT solutions that will contribute to Serbia’s economic growth.

Izgradnja Ložionice Beoinfo

Within the House of eGovernment, there are artificial intelligence laboratories as well as a cyber and information security lab.

In keeping with the idea of ecological progress, the House of eGovernment will feature a vertical forest with over 200 giant bamboo plants surrounding the building.

The Water Tower, which is part of the Ložionica complex, will serve as a venue for multimedia and digital exhibitions. It is connected to the main Ložionica building by a pedestrian bridge that crosses the new Ulica Ideja (Ideas Street), allowing visitors to directly enter the exhibition area.

The outdoor area around the former turntable is part of a 10,000-square-meter open space designed for outdoor events — 30% of which will be covered in greenery. The fifth part of the complex is an underground garage with approximately 180 parking spaces.

 

New Creative and Innovation Center

The construction and adaptation of Ložionica will directly impact the development of 52 industries within Serbia’s creative sector, while indirectly improving the overall quality of life for all citizens by adding value to traditional industries.

The mission of Ložionica is to create a model demonstrating that it is possible to be both creative and economically sustainable, to connect fields that traditionally do not cooperate — art, science, business, and technology — to provide infrastructure for creatives, and to show that the creative industries are a real and powerful economic and social driver.

Through the export potential of creative industries, Ložionica aims to become a center for promoting Serbia globally as a modern and creative country and to attract new investments.

So far, Ložionica has established partnerships with organizations and institutions from the United States, China, Russia, South Korea, Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Turkey, the Netherlands, Greece, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria, among others.

The Ložionica building, constructed exactly a century ago, was one of the first reinforced concrete structures in Belgrade and Serbia. Along with the Main Railway Station, it represented a major technological achievement of its time, serving as a facility for housing, repairing, and servicing steam locomotives — the technological marvels and engines of the Second Industrial Revolution.