Within the initiative launched by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Siemens Serbia, and the “Engineer of the Year” association to inspire young women to pursue studies and careers in engineering, Dr. Lidija Tomić was named Serbia’s Engineer of the Year 2024 today. Dr. Tomić is an air traffic engineer and teaching assistant at the Aviation Academy College of Applied Studies.
Since her teenage years, Lidija has dedicated her life to aviation, and earlier this year she earned her PhD with a perfect GPA of 10 at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering in Belgrade, becoming the youngest doctoral graduate in the Department of Aircraft Engineering. She completed the first doctoral dissertation in the Serbian aviation industry and academic community on the topic of drones as a threat to the safe operation of civil air traffic. At the ceremony held at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lidija Tomić stated that all ten finalists are winners of this competition.
Addressing the audience, Mihailo Vesović, Director of Strategic Analysis, Services and Internationalization at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that we live in an era of science, technology, and engineering. “The world is changing at an incredible pace, particularly in technological terms. It is important that we keep up with global developments, and we can only do that if we have domestic engineers capable of following these processes,” Vesović said, adding that it is important for Serbia that women’s participation in science and engineering exceeds both the global and European averages.
“In Slovenia, we have held six ‘Engineer of the Year’ selections so far, while Serbia and Croatia have each held two. This means that together we have built a community of 100 engineering talents for whom borders do not exist. Imagine the power of this team of 100 outstanding female engineers and what they could create together—what a remarkable community in action,” emphasized Medeja Lončar, President of Siemens for Serbia, Slovenia, and Croatia. She added that it is important to reduce the “dream gap” — the difference between girls’ dreams and ambitions and the realization of their full potential as adults — which arises not from a lack of ability or talent but from insufficient support from society. According to her, stereotypes and the lack of role models remain the greatest challenges women face.
“Engineering is not only about building bridges or programming software; it is about building the future. As engineers, we have the power to turn ideas into reality, create solutions that improve lives, and drive technological progress that shapes our world. Engineering needs women’s perspectives, creativity, and approaches to problem-solving,” Ana Petrović, CEO of Global Substation Solutions and last year’s Engineer of the Year, told young people.
The Engineer of the Year initiative was launched by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Siemens Serbia, and the “Engineer of the Year” association, with support from Comtrade, A1, and NLB Komercijalna Banka—companies that also employ engineering professionals and recognize the importance of the profession to future economic development.
This is the second edition of a broader initiative aimed at presenting female engineers from different companies and institutions to the Serbian public—women whose personalities and work can serve as role models and inspiration for young women deciding on their future careers. Following a public call for applications and the selection of ten finalists, four juries determined who would receive this year’s title of Engineer of the Year: the finalists themselves, media representatives, high school students and teachers, and representatives of the organizers and partners.
This year’s finalists for the title of Serbia’s most inspiring woman in engineering were:
§ Dr. Dragana Bajović, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Associate Professor
§ Katarina Boberić, Continental Automotive Serbia, Lead Engineer
§ Zorana Vukičević, Vega IT, Software Engineer
§ Dr. Tijana Geroski, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kragujevac, Assistant Professor
§ Željana Grbović, BioSense Institute, Researcher § Dr. Milana Guteša Božo, Termoinženjering Zrenjanin, Director of Research and Development
§ Milena Nedeljković, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Senior Packaging Engineer
§ Aleksandra Petrović, Electric Power Industry of Serbia (Zvornik Hydropower Plant), Lead Mechanical Engineer
§ Jovana Stanojević, Johnson Electric Niš, Senior Process Engineer
§ Dr. Lidija Tomić, Aviation Academy College of Applied Studies, Air Traffic Engineer
More information about the initiative is available on the website www.inzenjerka-godine.rs.
