Diskobolos 2010 Marked by DIGITAL EUROPE

Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-government, Ministry of Justice, The Institute Mihajlo Pupin, Saga, EuroSky and Business School Milutin Milankovic from Belgrade, as well as Ministry for Information society of Montenegro, Musala Soft from Sofia, Lanaco from Banja Luka, Telfor, Radio Beograd, Mikroknjiga, and IBM are the winners of this year’s Diskobolos. But, e-Skills Week, held in March this year, at the initiative of the European Commission, and in the organisation of DIGITAL EUROPE and EUN Schoolnet from Brussels, touching 65 million people with IT training, excelled more than others, achieving a convincing victory in the education category.

At the closing ceremony at the Continental Hotel Beograd on December 21st, 2010, at the international Diskobolos recognitions awarding, the awards for this year’s highest quality solutions in the application of information and communication technologies in almost all sectors of economy and non-economy were announced. We also had a chance to see a presentation of a large number of achievements from the USA, India, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, and also from former Yugoslav countries.

The ceremony was attended and awards were conferred according to Diskobolos categories by high representatives of the Serbian Government, Mr. Peter Skundric, Minister of Energy and Mining, Mr.Milan Markovic, Minister of Public Administration and Local Government, Mr. Dejan Pasic, Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr. Nebojsa Vasiljevic, Deputy Minister of Information Society, Mr. Radule Novovic Deputy Minister of Information Society of Montenegro, Mr. Goran Ciric Managing Director of PTT Serbia, Mr. Vladimir Batanovic, Managing Director of the Institute Mihajlo Pupin, Mr. Henrik Fulop President of Hungarian Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Mladen Glasenhard President of the Croatian Information Technology Society, Mr. Niko Slalmberger President of IT Association of Slovenia, and many other distinguished local and foreign guests.

The ceremony was opened by Djordje Dukic, President of Union of ICT Societies of Serbia, with the presence of the highest representatives of the jury, led by the President of Council of European Professionalism Informatics – CEPIS, Mr. Dr. Vasile Baltac, President of European Chamber of Commerce, and Dr. Heinz Vejpustek. Mr. Dukic in his welcoming speech highlighted the fact that Diskobolos has gained European reputation more than ever before, so it can be expected that this recognition for positive experience in the application of information and communication technologies start moving towards Brussels or other European cities.  Then he stressed that he is happy that citizens of Serbia can see foreign achievements and especially the fact of investments into information education of employed people, who had not had the opportunity to receive the training during regular education, which, unfortunately, was not the case in Serbia in the previous year, so the computer literacy gap between citizens of Serbia and surrounding countries has widened.

The extraordinary ceremony was complemented by short video clips with presentations of IT achievements of the candidates for Diskobolos in the New Year’s Eve atmosphere with an artistic program, led by Tanja Boskovic, Rade Marjanovic, Marijana Zlopasa, and an incredible Director Milena Vasic, together with the Terazije Theatre Dance Group.  

The event was broadcasted live over the Internet, while significant media support was given by prominent domestic radio, TV, and news companies.