Zenica-Doboj Canton

Zenica-Doboj Canton contains Bosnia-Herzegovina's industrial heartland, centered on the Zenica steel complex that employed 20,000 workers at its Yugoslav-era peak. This metallurgical concentration created classic company-town dynamics: when steel thrived, Zenica prospered; when global steel markets shifted and post-war disruption hit, the entire region suffered. The ArcelorMittal-owned mill now employs a fraction of its historical workforce, though it remains the largest industrial employer.

The canton's position along the Bosna River valley provides natural transport advantages. The planned Corridor 5c motorway will eventually connect Zenica to both Sarajevo and Croatian ports, though construction delays have persisted for years. Coal deposits around Zenica and Kakanj feed thermal power plants that generate electricity for export, though decarbonization requirements create long-term challenges for this carbon-intensive energy base.

Diversification attempts have mixed results. Vitez and Tešanj developed automotive supplier industries that connect to European manufacturing chains. Food processing, wood products, and textiles provide alternative employment. The canton's population—second largest in the Federation—creates domestic market scale that smaller cantons lack. Whether Zenica can complete the transition from steel monoculture to diversified manufacturing depends on infrastructure completion and EU integration that remain works in progress.