In his address to the attendees, the President of the Economic Chamber, Branko Azeski, emphasized that GS1 standards—most notably represented by barcodes—are not merely a technological tool, but a fundamental support mechanism for the competitiveness, digitalization, and global visibility of Macedonian companies.

 “GS1 Macedonia has spent three decades tirelessly working to connect our companies to the world, bring order to data, and facilitate trade, logistics, and market access. Today, it unites 1,300 member companies under one roof. The monograph provides a chronological account of GS1 Macedonia’s development and achievements, as well as its vision for the future in the digital age. It covers key projects and results that have left a lasting mark on the Macedonian economy, along with the future vision—digitalization, integration of 2D barcodes, and global competitiveness,” Azeski noted.

 As part of the celebration, the newly established “GS1 Standards Ambassador” award was presented for the first time. The award is intended to recognize companies that most consistently implement and promote GS1 standards. The first recipient of this honor is Alkaloid AD Skopje, which has been a member of GS1 Macedonia since 1994.

 Today, GS1 standards are applied in more than 118 countries worldwide. In our country, the use of barcodes began as early as 1982. Following the country’s independence, a sector within the Economic Chamber was established in 1994 for issuing EAN MAK barcodes, which became a full member of EAN International. In 2006, following international developments, EAN MAK was renamed GS1 Macedonia, and in 2009 a separate legal entity was formed, followed by the first session of the GS1 Macedonia General Assembly.