In this episode of the CX Files, Mark Hillary and Peter Ryan look at the changing European nearshore landscape before Peter talks to Jeton Aliu, Founder and CEO of Olymp BPO in Pristina, Kosovo.

Jeton explains why Kosovo is becoming an increasingly important CX and BPO delivery location. He discusses the rapid growth of the local outsourcing industry, the availability of a young and multilingual workforce, and Kosovo's particular strength in languages including German and English.

The conversation also explores the growth of delivery beyond Pristina, government support for the industry, and the biggest challenge still facing Kosovo: building greater international awareness and trust as a serious European outsourcing destination.

Mark and Peter also discuss how the traditional European nearshore model is changing, as countries once viewed primarily as outsourcing locations increasingly become consumer markets themselves — creating a much more complex European CX delivery landscape.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jetonaliu8/

http://olympbpo.com/

https://kiesa.rks-gov.net/

Summary:

Kosovo was presented as a growing, multilingual European nearshore BPO destination with strong potential but limited global awareness.

• The BPO sector has expanded significantly since the early 2010s, with approximately 20,000 professionals across more than 120 companies.
• BPO and ITO reportedly generated more than $2.3 billion in 2025 and 2026, becoming a major contributor to economic growth and youth employment.
• Pristina is the primary hub, while Prizren, Peja, Ferizaj, and Gjilan have growing delivery centers.

• Kosovo offers English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, and other language capabilities.
• German and English are especially competitive, supported by diaspora connections and multilingual education beginning in childhood.
• The country is described as safe, accessible, cost-competitive, and supported by government grants for newly formed BPOs.

• How can Kosovo increase international market awareness and build trust with prospective buyers?
• Yeton identified recognition and education about Kosovo's BPO capabilities as the main challenges to industry maturation.
• KIESA, the Kosovo Investment and Enterprise Support Agency, was identified as a source of additional information.