According to Serbian Economist, the authorities in Subotica have issued a permit for preparatory work prior to the construction of a mega-factory for the production of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries.
The investor in the project is ElevenEs d.o.o. Subotica. The permit obtained relates specifically to site preparation—soil preparation, demolition of existing structures, and creation of ancillary infrastructure. A separate permit will be required for the construction of the production and auxiliary facilities themselves.
According to published data, the complex is planned on cadastral plot 36916/1 (Donji Grad) on a 178,001 sq. m. plot of land privately owned by the investor. The total gross area of the future facilities is stated at 24,607 square meters. The preliminary cost of preparatory work is estimated at 116.55 million dinars (excluding VAT), and work can begin after the decision comes into force and notification of the start of work is submitted.
The project for a mega LFP battery plant in Subotica, previously referred to as the first factory of its kind in Europe, was announced in 2023. According to earlier estimates, the total investment could amount to around €1 billion, and employment could reach around 1,000 people. In the first phase of hiring, ElevenEs planned to hire approximately 350 employees. At the same time, in 2025, industry reports also mentioned a target investment of EUR 700 million in two phases and about 1,000 jobs in the context of a declaration of support signed by the company with representatives of the European Commission and the Serbian Development Agency.
The declared capacity of the plant in Subotica is 1-2 GWh per year (depending on the production program), with a daily output of 3,000-8,000 batteries (depending on the type). The plan is to produce prismatic LFP blade cells (with side terminals), without nickel and cobalt, for stationary energy storage systems (wind, solar, etc.) and electric transport, including buses and trucks.
The project is important for Serbia’s economy as it integrates the country into the European energy storage supply chain, a segment that is accelerating along with the growth of renewable energy and electric vehicles. LFP technology is generally considered by the market to be a more affordable and thermally stable alternative to nickel and cobalt batteries, which increases the attractiveness of local production for mass applications and energy systems.
The spot price of platinum exceeded $2,900 per troy ounce for the first time during trading on Monday amid growing demand for safe-haven assets due to fears of another US government shutdown.
As of 14:28 GMT, platinum was trading at around $2,888 per ounce after hitting a record high above $2,900.
The precious metals market is also being supported by expectations related to the financing of US federal agencies: the federal government is expected to run out of funds on January 31, and investors are assessing the risk that Congress will not approve a new financing package before that date.
Platinum is one of the key industrial metals: it is widely used in catalytic systems to reduce harmful emissions (including in the automotive industry), in petrochemicals and the chemical industry as a catalyst, as well as in the manufacture of electronics and in certain types of hydrogen technologies where corrosion-resistant and high-temperature materials are required.
Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center released a video analysis of the production of platinum group metals by the world’s leading manufacturers for the period 1971-2024, – https://youtube.com/shorts/vj4mBkJVxrg?si=pPTU6_l0t9-iCBb4
The crypto asset market started 2026 with increased volatility and periodic sell-offs amid nervousness in global markets. On Monday, Bitcoin is trading at around $87,800, and Ether at around $2,900. The key short-term pressure factor is institutional demand behavior through exchange-traded products. According to Bloomberg, US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw five consecutive days of outflows totaling approximately $1.7 billion last week, which heightened market participants’ caution. Additionally, Yahoo Finance reported notable weekly outflows from this category of funds.
At the same time, the crypto market remains linked to overall risk sentiment. Reuters recorded large capital flows in traditional markets in January, with investors more sensitive to geopolitics and trade restriction announcements, which typically increase demand for liquidity and reduce appetite for risky assets.
At the same time, the price decline is stimulating the launch of new strategies by major players. The Financial Times reported that Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy plans to launch a $100 million hedge fund in the first quarter of 2026, hoping to capitalize on market volatility and “maturation.”
A separate long-term trend is the acceleration of regulatory certainty and the convergence of the crypto industry with traditional finance. Reuters wrote about the introduction of a bill in the US that should clarify market rules and the distribution of roles between regulators. Against this backdrop, traditional asset managers are more actively testing tokenization: Reuters reported on F/m Investments’ application to tokenize ETF shares on US Treasury bills.
In Europe, the focus is shifting to the practical implementation of MiCA. ESMA reminds that for companies that operated under national rules until December 30, 2024, “grandfathering” applies — they can continue their services until July 1, 2026, or until a decision on the MiCA license is made. National regulators are also publishing their clarifications and transition schedules.
In the coming weeks, investors will typically look at the dynamics of flows in spot ETFs, regulatory news in the US and EU, and whether demand for “quality” within the crypto market — Bitcoin and the most liquid assets — will continue, while riskier tokens traditionally react more strongly to any spikes in volatility.
The spot price of gold exceeded $5,000 per troy ounce for the first time on Monday amid growing demand for safe-haven assets. As of 8:02 a.m., the spot price of gold rose 1.8% to $5,078.54 per ounce, reaching $5,093.05 per ounce during the session.
The price is supported by fears of another US government shutdown and the weakening of the dollar: the DXY index, which reflects the dynamics of the US currency against six major world currencies, is down 0.5%.
Since the beginning of the year, gold has risen in price by 15.5%.
Earlier, the Experts Club analytical center presented an analysis of the world’s leading gold-producing countries in its video on YouTube channel — https://youtube.com/shorts/DWbzJ1e2tJc?si=BywddHO-JFWFqUFA
Odrex Medical Center (Dom Meditsiny LLC, Odessa) has undergone an inspection for compliance with licensing conditions, and the Ministry of Health has confirmed its compliance, according to the clinic’s CEO Tigran Arutyunyan.
“In January 2026, a commission from the Ukrainian Ministry of Health conducted an unscheduled inspection of Odrex Medical Center’s compliance with licensing conditions. Based on the results of the inspection, the Ministry of Health confirmed that Odrex Medical Center fully complies with licensing conditions, operates within the law, and has no violations,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
Arutyunyan specified that the inspection lasted three days and covered key areas of the hospital’s activities.
He noted that “Odrex continues to provide medical care as planned.”
As reported, two doctors from the Odrex clinic were accused of causing the death of its 62-year-old patient, businessman Adnan Kivan, who was undergoing treatment for cancer at the Odrex medical center from May to October 2024. He died on October 27, 2024.
During the investigation on October 24, 2025, investigators handed over suspicions to the head of surgical department No. 2, surgeon-oncologist Vitaly Rusakov, and clinical oncologist and chemotherapist Marina Bilotserkovskaya.
The clinic officially expressed its willingness to cooperate with the investigation and called on the media to avoid unproven accusations against its doctors in the patient’s death and to wait for the official conclusions of the investigation. At the same time, the clinic believes that this investigation is of a commissioned nature.
For its part, the Ministry of Health launched an unscheduled inspection of the Odrex clinic after this incident.
The Ministry of Economy, Ecology, and Agriculture has included VUSO Insurance Company (Kyiv) in the list of insurers eligible to insure agricultural products with state support.
According to the ministry’s website, insurance companies INGO, Universalna, and VUSO are currently authorized to provide such insurance.
As reported, the state budget for 2026 provides for UAH 60 million to support agricultural insurance for the first time, for which the Cabinet of Ministers adopted the relevant changes to the procedure for providing state support on December 31.
The resolution provides for compensation for part of the insurance premiums paid, in particular up to 60% of the cost of insurance premiums for agricultural producers working in frontline communities and up to 45% for other agricultural producers.
To insure agricultural products, agricultural producers must apply to insurance companies that have been granted the right to provide such insurance in agreement with the National Bank of Ukraine. The list of such companies is published on the website of the Ministry of Economy.
Agricultural product insurance contracts will be concluded in accordance with a list of standardized insurance products, which, in particular, provide protection for winter grain crops during the winter period, for winter grain crops throughout the entire growing season, and for future grain crops during the spring and summer growing season.
VUSO Insurance Company was founded in 2001. According to the NBU, the company ranks fourth among non-life insurers in Ukraine in terms of premiums collected for the first nine months of 2025.
On April 23, 2024, the National Bank of Ukraine reissued the company’s licenses to conduct insurance activities (33 for voluntary and 17 for compulsory types of insurance). IC “VUSO” has 34 representative offices, 2 branches, and more than 20 agency sales centers throughout the country.
