In Banja Luka, on March 5, 2026, the second of three planned workshops dedicated to improving the maintenance of industrial plants and equipment was held, organized by Eda – Enterprise Development Agency, on behalf of DIH IDEMO. The workshop brought together more than 20 participants, who followed the program both in person and online.

The workshop was led by Assist. Prof. Dr. Dejan Branković from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Banja Luka, and Nikola Ritan from VIS, who presented specific challenges and good maintenance practices applied by this company in its operations.

The presentation covered examples from the process industry, including the production of hygiene paper and plastic processing, with a special focus on planning overhaul cycles, recording preventive and corrective activities, applying technical diagnostics, and analyzing maintenance for investment planning purposes. An example from VIS was also presented, highlighting the importance of timely maintenance and investment in production modernization.

During the discussion, the issue of a reactive maintenance approach—acting only after a failure occurs instead of following a planned and preventive approach—was emphasized. Other common challenges identified included equipment obsolescence, limited budgets, lack of trained workforce, and availability of spare parts. It was also noted that well-organized maintenance directly contributes to greater efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability of enterprises in the market.

The workshop was organized within the DESET project – Digitally Enabled Sustainable Energy Transition of manufacturing SMEs, with the financial support of the European Union and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ), under the EU Private Sector Development Initiative.

The DESET project is implemented by DIH IDEMO, consisting of Eda – Enterprise Development Agency as the lead project partner, together with partners – Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Banja Luka, Chamber of Commerce of Republika Srpska, Innovation Center Banja Luka, and Development Agency of Republika Srpska.