Sarajevo is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a population of 275,524 citizens. The city is a local self-government unit built up by four municipalities Centar, Stari Grad, Novo Sarajevo and Novi Grad. Located in the heart of south-east Europe and the Balkans, Sarajevo is the leading political and social centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a prominent cultural centre in the Balkans. The city is renowned for its traditional cultural and religious diversity, with followers of Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Judaism having co-existed in Sarajevo for centuries. Because of its long and rich history, religious and cultural diversity, Sarajevo is known as the ‘Jerusalem of Europe’. 
 
The Municipality of Centar Sarajevo developed the Centre for Excellence in Entrepreneurship to provide the necessary training and mentorship for start-ups from the IT and creative industries. Plans are in place to expand this to start-ups and SMEs from other sectors and industries. One of the main strategic goals of the city is to build an IT park to further support its growing economy. The IT park will be built in the fast-growing settlement, ‘Šip’, located in the centre of Sarajevo, and will offer business and residential buildings for IT purposes, which will lead to the creation of 30,000 jobs.  

Despite Sarajevo’s complex governance structure, the city has a dense population with a high level of education and a relatively high level of economic activity. Therefore, active and responsible leadership is essential, with a focus on creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem that will promote excellence and innovation, and make Sarajevo the best place to live, work and visit in the Balkans.