Diagram Group in Serbia: Driving Digital Transformation in the Country’s Agri-Food Sector
Roberto Mancini, CEO of Diagram:“We want to support the country with a view to a future EU accession, and bring to bear all the experience the group has gained in digitalization and agricultural aid management in Italy, the UK, and other countries.”
Jolanda di Savoia, 1 february, 2025 –
Starting a digitalization process in Serbia: this was the central theme of Diagram Group’s participation in the Italy-Serbia Business Forum held in Belgrade. Diagram is the leading Italian agritech hub and one of the top players in Europe. The forum was organized by ICE Agency, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Italian Embassy in Belgrade, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The event was part of the Bilateral Intergovernmental Summit, aimed at strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries. The Forum featured high-level institutional speakers and dedicated working groups on key sectors such as the circular economy, energy transition, agritech, and Industry 5.0.
“Our participation in this event confirms our commitment to fostering synergies between Italian and Serbian companies, creating new growth opportunities in a rapidly evolving market. We want to support Serbia with a view to a future EU accession, as the country is part of the EU Stabilization and Association process,” said Roberto Mancini, CEO of Diagram.
“Our goal is to strengthen ties between the two countries and leverage the extensive experience that Diagram Group has developed in digitalization and managing agricultural subsidies in Italy, the UK, and other countries where we operate,” he added.
The Italian government delegation, including Minister Antonio Tajani, joined Diagram and other Made in Italy companies to boost trade and economic relations between the two countries.
“During the talks, we addressed the development of the agritech sector in Serbia. The aim of the mission was to work alongside the Serbian government and local companies to build a digitalization path for the country’s 630,000+ farmers who cultivate around 3.3 million hectares, mostly used for grain crops (57%),” Mancini emphasized.
During its visit to Serbia, “we had the pleasure of meeting Jelena Begović, Serbian Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation. In our discussion, we explored opportunities for collaboration to support Serbia’s EU integration journey and optimize the management of agricultural subsidies.”
Mancini concluded:
“We are excited to bring our expertise to this evolution, contributing to a future of shared innovation and growth”
Diagram was established in 2024, following the transformation of Ibf Servizi, a leading group in precision agriculture solutions, after its acquisition by the Nextalia fund. Thanks to a focused M&A strategy and strong commercial development, the company quickly became a leader in Italy and Europe in providing precision agriculture services and developing farm management software.On December 21, 2024, the official signing—subject to the approvals required by Italian and European regulations prior to finalization—was completed between Nextalia and BF, the current shareholders of the Diagram Group, and CDP Equity and Trilantic Europe, who, together with BF as a reinvesting party, will proceed with the acquisition of 100% of the group’s shares.As a leading provider of precision agriculture services, technological solutions, and professional software applications for the agricultural sector, Diagrammi serves a client portfolio spanning over 3 million hectares in Italy and more than 500,000 hectares internationally. The company employs around 1,000 people, including both staff and collaborators, across multiple locations in Italy and the United Kingdom.
Agriculture in Serbia
According to ICE Agency data, the average Serbian farm holds 4.5 hectares of land. Most are sole proprietorships. The main state subsidies they receive are for crop production and fuel consumption. Agricultural production in Serbia is sufficient to meet the needs of the domestic processing industry, while surpluses are exported.
Crop production accounts for 70% of the total agricultural output, and livestock farming for 30%. According to 2017 data, agriculture and the food industry make up 11.9% of the country’s total GDP, and the gross value of agricultural production was estimated at $4.384 billion USD.
Serbia’s main agricultural products include corn, wheat, sunflower, sugar beet, soybeans, potatoes, apples, plums, grapes, pigs, cattle, poultry, and milk.
