Thanks to the financial support of the European Union, within the framework of the “STAR” project, which promotes tourism and attracts digital nomads to rural cross-border areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, the four-day Cross Border Coworking Conference (CBCC) 2025 was successfully completed.
The conference, held from 14 to 17 October in the Bay of Kotor, brought together around 170 representatives of coworking spaces, digital nomads, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and representatives of the public and private sectors from the region, Europe, and around the world. CBCC 2025 confirmed its role as a key regional platform for promoting innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable tourism based on the concept of coworking and cross-border cooperation.
Through lectures, workshops, and panel discussions, participants exchanged experiences on the future of work, the role of artificial intelligence in marketing, networking among coworking communities, and the importance of connecting with local communities. The speakers included globally recognized experts Rowena Hennigan and Nora Dunn, while interactive sessions such as “Boost Your Marketing with AI” and “Pitch Your Coworking” attracted particular interest.
During an excursion to Kotor, participants had the opportunity to further connect and explore the cultural richness of the Bay of Kotor, with the support of the local community and the Mayor of Kotor, Vladimir Jokić.
Regional Cooperation as the Key to Sustainable Development
The organizers – INTERA Technology Park (Mostar), the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tehnopolis (Nikšić), and the National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro – emphasized that CBCC is an example of how, through joint initiatives and projects, the region can build a resilient and sustainable community of innovators and entrepreneurs.
“CBCC has become more than a conference – it is a movement that connects people, ideas, and values. This year, we showed that cooperation without borders is not just a slogan, but a reality we are building together,” the organizers stated.
Remote work, especially in rural areas, has been recognized as one of the key development opportunities for the cross-border region.
It was recommended that, through the continuation of the STAR project and similar initiatives, cooperation among countries in the region be further strengthened, new models of work supported, and greater mobility of digital professionals encouraged, with the message that the community gathered around the coworking and nomadic movement continues to grow and strengthen – knowing no borders.
The STAR Project – Strengthening the Tourism Offer in the Cross-Border Area by Attracting Digital Nomads to Rural Areas is implemented through the IPA III Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021–2027.