About AKSS:
The Association for Quality and Standardization of Serbia (AKSS) is a non-political and non-profit organization aimed at:

• Contributing to the improvement of standardization, quality, and business to competitively integrate our economy and society into the international market;
• Encouraging scientific and professional work in the field of standardization and management systems;
• Initiating and assisting in the development of education and training systems for personnel in quality and standardization.

The Association for Quality and Standardization of Serbia strives to bring together eminent experts from home and abroad, businessmen, representatives of employers and trade unions, to collectively find solutions to improve the quality infrastructure in the region and thereby enhance economic development.

Since its founding in 1998, the Association has organized 20 national and 6 international conferences with over 6000 participants. In addition to this, the Association actively participates in numerous projects with partners from Serbia and abroad.

The Association continuously works on the exchange of knowledge, ideas, experiences, and the improvement and implementation of quality systems. The existence of the Association enables the business world in Serbia to further raise awareness of the need for the implementation and adherence to the requirements of international quality standards, thereby improving business in production and service activities in our environment.

The Association significantly contributes to raising awareness of the need to improve quality in all areas of activity and spreading a culture of quality. The work of the Association is covered in both local media and the prominent magazine “Quality and Excellence.”

The success of the Association for Quality and Standardization of Serbia is evidenced by the numerous diplomas and awards for efforts to improve the quality infrastructure in the region and Europe, such as:

• A certificate of appreciation for significant contribution to spreading the culture of quality and business excellence in Serbia and the region by the Foundation for Quality Culture and Excellence from Belgrade
• Plaque as the highest recognition awarded by the Croatian Society of Quality Managers for significant contributions to the development of the society and quality in general
• Plaque as a token of gratitude for successful and quality cooperation aimed at mutual satisfaction and contribution to the development of quality in Montenegro, awarded by the Center for Quality, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Podgorica

Key Personnel (Experts in Management Systems): Prof. Dr. Zoran Punoševac.

Short Biography:

Prof. Dr. Zoran Punoševac was born in 1956 in the municipality of Aleksandrovac. He completed his high school education in Kruševac and graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Niš. He obtained his master's degree in 2004 and his doctorate in 2008 from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Kragujevac.

He began his career as an engineer at the Miloje Zakić Industry, today's Trayal Corporation, later holding several managerial positions before dedicating himself to teaching. He worked for 10 years as a professor at the Higher School of Professional Studies “Prof. Dr. Radomir Bojković” in Kruševac, teaching subjects such as Quality Management, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior, Production Process Preparation, Business Excellence Models, Management of Small and Medium Enterprises, Production and Service Management. He is currently a professor at the Higher Technical Technological School of Professional Studies in Kruševac, where he teaches subjects: Equipment for Work and Protection Means, Maintenance of Technical Systems, and Basics of Mechanical Engineering. He is also the owner of the AQP consulting agency, whose main activity is consulting and management in quality systems, occupational health and safety, environmental management, food safety management, and personal development of employees.

He has published more than 80 scientific and professional papers in the fields of quality, occupational health and safety, entrepreneurship, and organizational behavior at both domestic and international conferences.

He has been an active member of several professional associations, including:

President of the Community of Students of the Technical School Center
President of the University Union for Physical Culture Niš
Secretary of the University Conference of the Socialist Youth Union of Niš
Vice President of the Employers' Union of Serbia
Member of the working group for amending laws and by-laws in the field of occupational health and safety
Member of the Council for Occupational Safety at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
Member of the Quality Council of the Republic of Serbia
Member of the Supervisory Board of the Republic PIO Fund and the Solidarity Fund
Evaluator for the National Quality Award "OSCAR QUALITY" organized by FQCE
Currently, besides his teaching duties, he serves as the President of the Association for Quality and Standardization of Serbia, President of the Organizational Committee of the scientific and professional conference "Quality System as a Condition for Successful Business and Competitiveness," President of the Employers' Union of Serbia - employers of Kruševac, Member of the editorial board of the journal "Quality and Excellence," Lead auditor for ISO 45001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 50001, Recognized expert of the Coordinating Body of the Government of the RS for the municipalities of Bujanovac, Medveđa, and Preševo, and Vice President of the Quality Initiative of Central and Southeast European countries.

He has received several awards, including the First Prize of Kruševac for Innovations in 1993, the Kapetan Miša Anastasijević Charter for Contribution to the Development of Standardization and Quality in 2014, and the Recognition for Significant Contribution to the Development and Activities of the Croatian Society of Quality Managers and Quality in General in 2016.

He has conducted numerous training sessions across Serbia for both the unemployed and employees in working organizations in the fields of occupational health and safety, standard application in business, and personal skills development.

He has participated in several domestic and international projects in the areas of quality, safety and health, entrepreneurship, quality, standards, and management systems.