Istrazivanja i projektovanja za privreduJournal of Applied Engineering Science

Development of petrochemical industry in Serbia has started in the early 70s of the last century. By disintegration of Yugoslavia the dimension of "domestic" market for petrochemicals was first drastically reduced, what was followed by new "strikes" in a row (UN sanctions, NATO bombing campaign and unprofessional implementation of the privatization process) so that the Serbian petrochemical industry found itself in great problems. Nowadays, a number of factories that had manufactured petrochemicals are in the bankruptcy with process plants out of function, and some plants for the production of petrochemical derivatives are sold abroad or even cut and finished as scrap. Factories that have survived are struggling with huge problems, and this applies particularly to those that produce the high-volume base petrochemicals. The paper analyzes the internal and external factors that led to the current critical situation in which there is Serbian petrochemistry, and proposed some measures that could contribute to the recovery of this very important industrial sector. Particular emphasis is placed on revitalization of existing manufacturing facilities and construction of new plants for the production of higher-order derivatives, which are products easier and more economical to sell. Investments to achieve these development goals, in contrast to widespread opinion, need not be high.