Panel Discussion
The Role of AI in Information System Development: Is Academia in Line with Industry?
This panel discussion will explore the dynamic landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its deep impact on the development of information systems. As AI reshapes everything from how we write code to how we make critical business decisions, we reflect on a critical topic:
Is academia keeping pace with industry’s pulse?
The discussion will be about equipping future professionals but also on conducting research that aligns with the emerging AI demands in industry. Being a dynamic ecosystem, driven by leading technology companies, cutting-edge academic research, and significant government investments, where are the main sources of AI innovation today? We will also delve into the topic from the perspective of industry trends, and challenges organizations face to identify use-cases that create real business value.
The discussion will bring together leading experts from both academic/research institutions and industry to share their perspectives on the current state of AI in information system development, identify key challenges and opportunities, expose the critical gaps and foster a dialogue on a collaborative future and responsible AI.
Panel Discussion Chair
Moderator: Ana Poledica
Affiliation: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Organizational Sciences

Bio: Ana Poledica is an associate professor at the University of Belgrade ā Faculty of Organizational Sciences. She received her PhD degree in the field of Control systems and Computational Intelligence from the University of Belgrade ā Faculty of Organizational Sciences. Ana has more than 15 years of teaching experience in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in the areas of systems modelling and control, fuzzy logic, neural networks, times series and financial systems modeling. She is the author or co-author of many scientific papers in international journals, conference proceedings and monographs. She has been involved in numerous international and national conferences, serving as a member of the program and the organizing committees. Ana has contributed as a participant in national and international research projects, managed business initiatives and commercial projects, fostered partnerships with various companies and organizations, and mentored student teams on data science projects powered by companies. Her research interests include systems modelling, fuzzy logic, neural networks, machine learning, and time series analysis. She is a member of European Society for Fuzzy Logic and Technology (EUSFLAT) and Serbian AI Society.
Panelists
Panelist: Mirjana IvanoviÄ
Affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Serbia

Bio: Mirjana IvanoviÄ has been a Full Professor at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia, since 2002, and a corresponding member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 2024. She is a member of the National Scientific Committee for Electronics, Telecommunication, and Informatics within the Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovations of the Republic of Serbia. Additionally, she is a member of the Board of Directors at the Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research and Development of the Republic of Serbia. She has authored or co-authored 17 textbooks, 30 edited volumes of international conference proceedings, 33 special issues in esteemed journals, four international monographs, and over 540 research articles. Her work spans topics such as multi-agent systems, intelligent techniques (including case-based reasoning, data mining, and machine learning), technology-enhanced learning, and software engineering education. Most of her publications are published in high-impact international journals and conference proceedings. Mirjana IvanoviÄ has contributed as a program committee member for over 550 international conferences and has served as a general chair or program committee chair for numerous events. She has also been an invited speaker at various international conferences and a visiting lecturer in Australia, Thailand, and China. As both a leader and researcher, she has played a significant role in numerous international projects.
Panelist: Jelena ZdravkoviÄ
Affiliation: Stockholm University, Sweden

Bio: Jelena ZdravkoviÄ is a Professor and Head of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) department at Stockholm University (SU). She has a Ph.D. in Computer and Systems Sciences at The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), as well as the MBA degree in E-commerce. Jelenaās research activities are centered to the requirements engineering discipline, with current focus to digital ecosystems and digital twins. She has participated in several national and international projects on related to system interoperability, capability and service modelling, and model-driven engineering. Jelena has published over 100 refereed papers in international conferences and scientific journals. She served in the Editorial Board of Springerās RE and BISE Journals, as well as she is a guest editor and reviewer for a number of other international journals including Springerās Software and Systems Modeling, Elsevierās Data & Knowledge Engineering and Information Systems, and IEEE Computing. Jelena has organized a number of international conferences and workshops in the IS Engineering discipline, and she serves in the program committees of many of them.
Panelist: Hans-Georg Fill
Affiliation: University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Bio: Hans-Georg Fill is Full Professor for Business Informatics at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He has received his PhD and habilitation from the University of Vienna, Austria. He has more than 15 years of experience in conceptual modeling and enterprise modeling both in academia and industrial research projects. He is co-department editor for Enterprise Modeling and Enterprise Engineering of the BISE journal and supporting editor-in-chief of the gold open-access journal Enterprise Modeling and Information Systems Architectures ā International Journal of Conceptual Modeling. He is speaker of the SIG Modeling of Enterprise Information Systems (MobIS) and the deputy speaker of the Cross-sectional Technical Committee on Modeling (QFAM) of the German Informatics Society (GI).
Panelist: Ogren PaunoviÄ
Affiliation: European Commission

Bio: Ogren Paunovic is a Policy Officer at the European Commission (DG CONNECT), currently working on the technological dimension of EU cybersecurity policies. He has led several strategic EU initiatives, including DNS4EU, the European Cloud Federation, EuroQCI, and 5G Corridors. His current work focuses on ensuring that EU cybersecurity policies respond to growing geopolitical and security challenges and keep pace with emerging technologies like AI. He also contributes to the implementation of EU funding programs as Digital Europe and Horizon Europe. With a background in electrical engineering and computer science, Ogren combines technical knowledge with experience in EU policymaking to support Europeās digital resilience and technological sovereignty.
Panelist: Zorana BrankoviÄ
Affiliation: Banca Intesa

Bio: Zorana BrankoviÄ is a Member of the Executive Board and Director of Operations Management at Banca Intesa. She previously held the position of director of the Digital Channels and User Experience Sector. She started her professional career at Banca Intesa in 2003 in the ICT sector, after which she successfully led numerous projects in the field of improvement and development of digital banking, such as the introduction of the first mobile banking application on the Serbian market in 2010, as well as the first digital wallet in 2016. Zorana BrankoviÄ stood out in the financial industry on the local market as one of the very important participants in the field of digital transformation and innovation, and therefore one of the creators of the wave of innovative banking business principles. Zorana BrankoviÄ graduated in 2011 from the Faculty of Organizational Sciences in Belgrade. She improved at professional trainings for the development of business knowledge and skills in the field of leadership, financial and project management.