Branko Zečević, President of Metalfer Group, participated in this year’s Adria Future Summit, held at Porto Montenegro, as a speaker on the panel “Energy-Intensive Industries in the Age of CBAM: shaping the way forward.” The discussion focused on the challenges facing energy-intensive industries ahead of the full implementation of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
The panel brought together leaders from industry, energy and the wider business community across the region, with particular emphasis on how manufacturing companies can preserve competitiveness amid rising energy costs, increasingly demanding regulatory frameworks and the accelerating decarbonisation of the European market.
The panel brought together leaders from industry, energy and the wider business community across the region, with particular emphasis on how manufacturing companies can preserve competitiveness amid rising energy costs, increasingly demanding regulatory frameworks and the accelerating decarbonisation of the European market.
In his capacity as President of Metalfer Group and founder of the Association of Serbian Energy-Intensive Industry, Mr. Zečević underlined the importance of managing the transition through sustainable and operationally viable models, particularly in sectors such as steel and metals processing, where energy remains one of the most significant cost inputs.
A key message emerging from the discussion was that companies across the region will need to act simultaneously on several fronts in the years ahead: improving energy efficiency, securing more reliable and competitive sources of supply, investing in lower-emission technologies, and engaging in a more proactive dialogue with regulators at both national and European levels.
