Stevan Dedijer

Stevan Dedijer (25 June 1911 – 13 June 2004) was a Yugoslav academic and a pioneer of Business Intelligence.

Stevan Dedijer was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina to Milica Dedijer and Jefto Dedijer.

He attended secondary school in Rome, Italy, and graduated from the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, in 1930. He earned a degree in physics at Princeton University in 1934.

Stevan worked as a journalist in Pittsburgh and New York City and later, after World War II in Yugoslavia.

He served in the American army as a paratrooper in The 101st Airborne Division from 1942 to 1945. During his time with the famed 101st Airborne Division, Stevan deployed into Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge December through January 1944. General Eisenhower and his battle staff had only the 101st ABN and the 82nd ABN in the immediate area to hold back the German offensive. Both divisions endured great hardship during those months when no supplies were able to reach the "Battling Bastards of Bastogne".

Finally, at the end of January 1945, the weather improved allowing for airdrops into the area of operations. Nearly 24,000 US military died during the Battle of the Bulge, perhaps the more casualties than any other battle during World War II.His brother Vladimir Dedijer fought for Tito's Partisans. After the war Vladimir was Tito's biographer.

He was also the Head of the Belgrade Nuclear Institute 1949–54.

Stevan was awarded a Honorary PhD from the University of Lund in Sweden. He was also the founder of the Research Policy Institute at Lund University.

His research focus was on Business Intelligence and he has been named the grandfather of business intelligence by his friend, the late CIA Director William Colby.

Prof. Dedijer was the first person in Europe to teach business/competitive intelligence at a university. He was a co-founder of the Swedish Intelligence Network BISNES (Business Intelligence & Strategy Network Scandinavia) together with his Ph.D student Hans Hedin and the Swedish Intelligence firm Docere Intelligence AB.

Stevan Dedijer was awarded the SCIP Meritorious Award for his services in this field.

He died at his home in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

During the air war in Kosovo, Stevan lived in Dubrovnik and became friends with Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Hampton, US Army who had spent nearly 45 months in the Balkans. LTC Hampton was in Dubrovnik as part of an advance party which would deploy into Kosovo for post war operations. During those months, Stevan would meet LTC Hampton and review not only his years with the 101st ABN Division, but the ramifications of the war in the Balkans both historical, political and social. LTC Hampton along with a Norwegian OSCE (Organization For Security and Cooperation In Europe) human rights representative, Cathrine Andersen hosted Stevan's 88th birthday at the Marco Polo Restaurant in Old Town Dubrovnik.