Company iFORM d.o.o. from Široki Brijeg represents a strong example of how the principles of sustainable development can be consistently integrated into industrial operations as part of a long-term growth and development strategy. Since its establishment in 2015, iFORM has built its position as a highly specialised manufacturer of tools and metal parts for the automotive industry, with production almost entirely oriented towards export to demanding international markets.
“From the very beginning, iFORM has based its operations on high standards of environmental protection, sustainability, and care for employees’ working conditions. For years, we have been systematically improving our processes in order to integrate sustainable development into every segment of our business,” the company states.
This long-term and systematic approach was recognised when iFORM was named the overall winner of the SDG Business Pioneers Award in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2025.
The SDG Business Pioneers Award in Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the programme Translating the SDG Framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina into Sustainable and Inclusive Growth (SDG2BiH), funded by Sweden and implemented by UNDP in partnership with UNICEF and UN Women, as part of broader support to authorities and the private sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina in implementing the SDG Framework. Through this initiative, Sweden provides long-term support for the promotion of responsible business practices, the strengthening of ESG approaches, and the integration of the SDGs into company business models, with a particular focus on alignment with international standards and the requirements of the European market.
Helena Lagerlöf, Ambassador of Sweden to Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated:
“Sweden proudly supports initiatives that recognise and highlight the role of the business sector in building a more inclusive, just, and sustainable future.”
People as a strategic resource, not just a workforce
One of the elements that particularly distinguishes iFORM is the way the company approaches its employees. During 2024, almost all employees participated in some form of professional training, with an average of more than 120 hours of training per employee. At the same time, the company systematically invests in employing young people without prior work experience, opens production positions to women in traditionally male-dominated occupations, and enables continued engagement of retired workers.
“The ‘S’ component of ESG is equally important to us. We strive to create a working environment that ensures safety, development, and employee satisfaction, with incomes that enable a dignified life and clear opportunities for professional advancement,” representatives of iFORM emphasise.
Salaries at the company are on average 56% higher than the sector average, accompanied by regular salary reviews, bonuses, and a high level of transparency towards employees. Today, iFORM employs 190 people, 60% of whom are under the age of 35, clearly indicating a long-term development orientation.
Measurable results in resources and the environment
In the area of environmental protection, the company’s focus is directed towards concrete measures of energy transition. In 2024, solar panels with a capacity of 0.5 MW were put into operation, covering 40% of total electricity consumption, while the remainder comes from a grid supplied exclusively by renewable energy sources. As a result, the company’s total electricity consumption is fully based on renewable sources.
Alongside the energy transition, additional practices have been introduced, including the reuse of industrial textiles instead of paper in production, the use of electric vehicles, biological wastewater treatment, recycling of all production waste, and the use of waste heat from air compressors for heating production facilities. These measures are further structured through ESG reports for 2023 and 2024, as well as a five-year ESG strategy with clearly defined objectives.
For iFORM, receiving the SDG Business Pioneers Award did not represent an endpoint, but rather a confirmation of its strategic direction.
“This Award is a confirmation that sustainability is the right and necessary strategy for us. It is particularly important that it comes from organisations that themselves live the principles of sustainable development, which gives this recognition additional weight,” said Ivana Bošnjak, CFO of iFORM.
She added that the recognition further motivates the company to extend the principles of responsible business to its suppliers and partners, particularly in European Union markets, where sustainability is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for competitiveness.
If your company already applies the principles of sustainable development in practice, the iFORM example shows how such an approach gradually becomes an integral part of corporate identity and the way business is conducted. Through the SDG Business Pioneers Award in Bosnia and Herzegovina, such stories are given space to be told and recognised, not as exceptions, but as a direction in which the business community can move.
With Sweden’s long-term support for the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals and responsible business practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Award continues to place the spotlight on companies that live sustainability in their everyday operations, strengthening both their competitiveness and their broader societal impact.
