March 13, 2022 - Legendary former Croatia water polo player Damir Burić played an official game for Pula's KK Stoja against Rijeka's Kvarner Junior in the 16th round of the Second League - West on Saturday night.  The 41-year-old talks about why he swapped the pool for the court. 

It was a historic Saturday for Pula sports and Stoja basketball, as the famous Pula water polo player Damir Burić joined them on the Stoja primary school court.

Burić was a significant part of Pula water polo history back when the city was without a pool. He won everything possible with the Croatia national team - Olympic, world, and European gold, while the same goes for the club level, as there is no trophy he did not win, reports Jutarnji List.

Here is a breakdown

Olympic games

- Gold (London 2012)

- silver (Rio de Janeiro 2016)

World Championships

- Gold (Melbourne 2007)

- silver (Kazan 2015)

- bronze (Rome 2009 and Shanghai 2011)

European Championships

- gold (Zagreb 2010)

- silver (Kranj 2003)

Champions League

- gold (Pro Recco 2010 and 2012)

Thus, Burić made his debut in the yellow and blue jersey in a significant victory against Rijeka - 119:66.

Buric participated in the victory with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and several attractive "water polo" assists, and he played for two quarters.

"Ha, ha, it turned out to be a much bigger story than I thought... It's true, but I just started training," said Damir Burić. Although the rhythm of training suggests it is more serious.

"Monday to Friday, once a day, 8 to 10 pm. Listen, after water polo, where you have two workouts a day for two and a half hours each, this is nothing, haha. In essence, I decided to train for myself, to clear my head and body. It would not be good to relax."

His connection to basketball is not surprising.

"If we look purely at height, yes, I have some prerequisites." Burić is 205 cm, after all. 

"For athletes, it's hard to separate yourself from sports just like that. I've been playing basketball since high school. When I got serious about water polo, I couldn't practice regularly anymore. But even then, when I had some free weeks, I'd play."

Can he dunk?

"I could, but now I'm not even trying, haha. I'm taking care of my spine. I train with young guys, 16-18 years old, a few 25-26 year olds, one is 33, and I am 41. So be careful. I run, I wear out, but I still avoid some things. I mean, I can dunk it in, it's not a big success, but I save myself."

How does he shoot?

"Haha, I have to admit that when I was younger, I shot better. However, it’s good and getting better."

He plays on the wing.

"Wing, center, sort of. I mean, it's the Second League. After all, we don't have a lot of tall players. Thank God it's like that because I wouldn't even bother if it was different."

How did he decide to join his hometown club, Pula's Stoja?

"In principle, I played all last summer, but not seriously training. The club president, Šime Vidulin, is a good friend of mine from school days, and he persuaded me to come to training. So I trained a little for myself because swimming and gym get a little boring when you're always alone. And then I came about a month and a half ago. I have been with them constantly ever since."

Stoja Basketball Club has certainly never had a more celebrated member! 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

March the 13th, 2022 - The concessionaire of Zagreb International Airport (Dr. Franjo Tudjman Airport) has introduced a total ban on taking videos and/or photos at the Croatian border itself.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the concessionaire of Zagreb International Airport, MZLZ d.d., confirmed the above for avioradar, which covers all things related to aviation in not only the Republic of Croatia but the entire wider region.

"Regarding your request [for this information], we are able to inform you that through its internal channels and to all of the necessary addresses, on Tuesday, March the 8th, 2022, Zagreb International Airport forwarded a notice prohibiting photography and filming in the border area transition at the request of the Airport Police Station.

The notice states that pursuant to Article 21 of the Ordinance on State Border Surveillance (Official Gazette/Narodne Novine, Nos. 30/14, 43/14 and 72/17) and the request of the Pleso Airport Police Station, unauthorised photography and filming is not permitted.

At this point, we can add that the authorities will define in the coming time what conditions are needed, in order to approve possible individual requests for photography and filming [at the border crossing itself at Zagreb International Airport].''

It's worth noting that despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, traffic for the Croatian capital coming in via Zagreb International Airport has recovered in a very encouraging way, and with coronavirus restrictions likely to be even further loosened up by the Croatian authorities in the coming days, a decent summer could be upon us.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

March the 13th, 2022 - Croatian juices made by the very well known Stanic Group (Grupa) will soon be able to be enjoyed by the residents and visitors of both Oman and Doha following success at the recent event in Dubai.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, at the recently held Dubai Expo, the Stanic Group presented its Croatian juices with an emphasis on Juicy 100% juices from the Stanic Beverages range and Maraschino and Pelinkovac from the Maraska range. Juicy 100% juices have been present in the Middle East for five years now, and are mostly represented in HoReCa channels in Dubai due to their restaurant and club scene.

The recent Dubai event was also the reason for expanding cooperation with the most influential HoReCa distributor in the MENA region - Chef Middle East - with which Stanic Beverages plans to significantly strengthen business cooperation by the end of 2022 by expanding their distribution in the United Arab Emirates and opening themselves up to other markets in the premium segment of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.

Juicy is currently present in the most famous catering and hospitality chains in Dubai such as "Bla bla" and "Masti" and in leading hotels such as Westin Dubai Beach Resort & Marina, Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Center and Double Tree by Hilton Jumairah Beach Dubai.

"I'm extremely proud that the Stanic Group brand, Maraschino liqueur, thanks to its history and long tradition, was the only product from the food and beverage industry exhibited in the permanent exhibition of the Croatian Pavilion at the world exhibition. The Dubai Expo was visited by over 15 million people who had the opportunity to get better acquainted with our brands, and thanks to that we're counting on strengthening our export positions in the MENA region.

What makes me especially happy when we talk about expanding in the MENA region is the fact that Juicy Croatian juices will soon be available for people at Doha Airport and at one of the world's most famous Costa coffee chains in Oman. In the Saudi Arabian market, we're expanding our range in retail and are slowly building a HoReCa channel. At the same time, we are working intensively to expand the distribution of Juicy Croatian juices in India, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain. We're also preparing a new taste of 100 percent mango with the aim of adapting to the habits of local consumers there,'' said Zoran Mabic, President of the Management Board of Stanic Beverages.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

March the 13th, 2022 - Hrvatski Telekom/Croatian Telecom (HT) and Nokia were among the first in the entire world to test advanced 25G PON optical technology in the HT Rijeka lab.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, this is the latest generation of optical network, which increases the speed of download and transmission to unprecedented levels, and with this test, the Rijeka lab measured a speed of 20 gigabits per second.

25G PON technology is otherwise ten times faster than GPON technology, which was enabled by HT for the first time with gigabit broadband access back in 2007, then again but two and a half times faster than XGS-PON technology which was applicable within the HT network from 2021.

The equipment currently used by Hrvatski Telekom is ready for 25G PON, which means that it isn't necessary to make any further adjustments to the main systems in order to realise its commercial availability.

The biggest advantages of 25G PON optics are large capacities, cost optimisation, a generally wider application and a simple introduction into the existing HT optical network, and its application will accelerate the introduction and development of advanced high-performance solutions such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

"Ten years ago, a piece of technology was launched that enabled the transition to HDTV without which many of us wouldn't be able to imagine everyday life now, and today the 25G PON optical network is making history at speeds 200 times faster than that. By testing 25G PON optics and being among the first in the world to do so at the Rijeka lab, Hrvatski Telekom is highlighting its commitment to establishing and maintaining the best user experience through monitoring and introducing some of the world's most modern technological trends,'' said Ivan Uremovic, the director of Strategy and Planning of Access Networks.

Hrvatski Telekom is otherwise one of the first companies from the Deutsche Telekom Group to test out Nokia's broadband 25G PON optics.

Manfred Egger, head of Fixed Access Network Development for Deutsche Telekom and Central Europe at Nokia, said:

“25G PON works flawlessly on the same hardware with existing GPON and XGS-PON broadband technologies. We're very proud to have successfully completed this important test, which confirms the ease with which communication service providers can expand their scope and capacity of broadband access.''

Back in 2021, Hrvatski Telekom increased its fixed network with a record introduction of optics for a new 100,000 households and companies, and the total FTTH coverage increased by 30 percent compared to last year. In that same year, HT was also awarded Umlaut's "Best in Test" award for the best fixed network.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

March the 13th, 2022 - An online publication has detailed the ongoing process of the Rijeka military fortification renovation project which is set to breathe new life into these old and often neglected structures.

As Morski writes, in order to transform the slowly deteriorating cultural heritage in Rijeka, as well as lead its transformation for the purpose of cultural tourism, the cross-border project ''Revival'' was launched, as part of which the old Rijeka military fortification was restored.

The Revival project was implemented within the INTERREG VA Italy-Croatia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020, which aims to revitalise and placed back into use the neglected heritage of the entire Adriatic landscape of the two nations and to make available to the local population and tourists abandoned buildings and military fortifications and bunkers that represent an important form of local cultural heritage which also boast significant economic, tourist and cultural potential.

In the Northern Adriatic city of Rijeka, as part of the project, the ''Katarina B'' stronghold was revamped, as a representative example of the buildings of the Alpine Wall defense system in the Rijeka area. This Rijeka military fortification dates back to the 1930s, it has 12 underground tunnels and military bunkers and is located in Pulac. It is an exceptionally well-preserved fortification, and the inner and outer part of it is now accessible to visitors.

As part of the Rijeka military fortification renovation project, an online publication was published in which it has been made possible to see the development of the project as well as the activities that were carried out in each of the cities involved in it in both Croatia and Italy.

The project holder is the Italian City of Forli, with its partners; the Italian cities of Campobasso, Cesenatico and Pesaro, the City of Rijeka and the City of Zadar, and the project partners are the Public Institution RERA S.D. for Coordination and Development of Split-Dalmatia County and the University of Zadar.

The total value of the project stands at 1,825,035.00 euros, the grant provided by the European Regional Development Fund is 136,127.50 euros, and the remaining funds were provided by the project partners themselves.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

March 13, 2022 - On the last day of the Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing, Croatia's representative was skier Damir Mizdrak, who won seventh place in the slalom for the blind and visually impaired, which is his best result in major competitions.

This was Mizdrak's third Paralympic Games after Sochi (2014) and PyeongChang (2018). So far, his best slalom ranking was ninth place four years ago in Korea, while he took 11th place in Sochi. He is eighth and ninth from the world championships, reports HRT.

The victory went to Italian Giacomo Bertagnolli, in second was Austrian Johannes Aigner with 28 hundredths of a second behind Bertagnolli, while the bronze went to Slovak Miroslav Haraus (+9.40).

"I am much happier than I was in the giant slalom. In the first run, I drove solidly; the track was a bit more open. Maybe I'm a little sorry that I didn't get into the rhythm well. In the second run, there was trouble, but it was better. All in all, we did a good job at these games," said the 30-year-old from Zagreb, who will remember Beijing for the best results in slalom and giant slalom, in which he was also seventh.

"These games in Beijing are my favorite, not only because of the placement but because of the overall impression and organization. And because of the ski resort and our whole team and everything we've been through in recent seasons. I think we did a very good job," he pointed out.

The Winter Paralympics are in Milan and Cortina in four years, but Mizdrak believes that it is still too far for some plans.

"We will see; four years is still a big period, now I have to reset, and after that, we will see," he said.

His eyesight began to deteriorate from the age of five when he was diagnosed with an incurable disease of optic nerve damage. However, he did not allow his damage to limit him from playing sports.

"I was lucky because my family and friends never saw it as a problem. I’ve always been in a society where spades are made, and football is played. So I was lucky and grew up normal. I have always loved sports, and from an early age, I was involved in all school sports activities that allowed me to play with poor eyesight," said the member of SKOI Sljeme.

Mizdrak's guide on the ski slope is Marija Coch. They are connected by a Bluetooth device which acts as his “eyes on the track.”

"I am happy and satisfied that we managed to achieve this placement and perform at the Games in general. This is my first time, and I still need time to process some things, to become aware of everything," said the 22-year-old from Zagreb.

"Like Damir, I prefer slalom, which is good because of our communication. It is faster and more dynamic, and it is easier for us to ski slalom because the distance is smaller and we are close. In the giant slalom, when Damir makes a mistake, it is harder to get back on track," added Coch, who has been skiing and working with Mizdrak for the last three years.

Coach Luka Dobrinić pointed out that Mizdrak did well in these Games, achieving his best placements in slalom and giant slalom.

"These are his third Games and the best placements. It is a beautiful thing; it can be seen that we are advancing, not going backward," said Dobrinić, referring to Mizdrak's performance in slalom.

"Damir had two good runs; the second was a bit better. The trail is not easy, it is quite steep, and the second was even more demanding. Nevertheless, he had a good Games, he gave his maximum, and I have no objections. Congratulations to the entire team that has been working here for these four years," Dobrinić emphasized.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

March 12th, 2022 - TCN intern Toni Petričić takes a look at the Croatian beer industry in 2020. 

In this industry overview, I will try to analyze the Croatian beer industry and show its structure, the most prominent players, trends, and position compared to other beer markets.

From the latest statistical report from the European Brewers association, we can see that there are 98 breweries registered in Croatia, which had a total of 1690 direct employees. 

In 2020, the Croatian beer industry shrunk by 12% compared to 2019, according to Heineken Hrvatska financial reports.  The pandemic year was marked by lockdowns and lower-performing tourism season, which are the main reasons behind this drop. When looking at the distribution channels, the HORECA channel (hotels, restaurants, and catering) was hit the most with a staggering drop of -38,8%. However, the decrease mentioned above was partially reimbursed by the rise of 1.9% in the retail channel and “on the go” channel (gas stations and kiosks), with an astonishing increase of 61.9%.

Production

According to the European Brewers Association, beer production in Croatia has amounted to 2344 thousand Hl, which was a drop of 28% compared to 2019. For comparison, in the EU 27 member states, there was a drop of 6%. Furthermore, in the period before the pandemic from 2014 to 2019, Croatian beer production dropped by 5%, while in the same period, the beer production in the 27 EU member states rose by 5%.

Consumption

In 2020, beer consumption in Croatia was 2808 thousand Hl, which is a drop of 22% compared to 2019. European countries that were surveyed had in total 8% lower beer consumption. From 2014 to 2019, beer consumption in Croatia increased by 11%, while in surveyed European countries, it increased by 5%. 

It is more interesting to look at the consumption per capita, where Croatia holds a strong sixth place among the surveyed European countries with 81 liters of beer consumed yearly. In 2019 it was fifth with 88 liters of beer consumed yearly,

Distribution channels

In 2020, 69% of beer sales came through off-trade, including wholesale and retail, while 31% came from on-trade, which has pubs restaurants, i.e., the hospitality sector.  The same ratio was 40%-60% in 2018, which clearly shows the impact of the pandemic.

Trade

In 2020 Croatia imported 995 thousand Hl, of which 83% came from EU member states. Imports made 35% of all beer consumed in Croatia in 2020, a significant increase compared to 2019 when imports made 27%. The graph below can observe beer imports and exports from 2009 to 2020. We can notice that Croatia went from a beer net exporter to a beer net importer in that period. In the same period imports and exports from and to EU countries have increased by 189% and 143% each respectively. On the other hand, imports from non-EU countries have increased by 102%, while exports have decreased by 18%. From 2013 onwards, when Croatia became an EU member state, the trade relations with the EU intensified more rapidly. 

Market structure

According to my analysis, the Croatian beer market valued at approximately 2,25 billion HRK in 2020. 72,6% of that market is held by the 3 most prominent companies, which leads us to conclude that the Croatian Beer Industry is a concentrated market. HHI index, which is a measure of market concentration, was approximately 2280, making this market moderately concentrated. Still, it is very close to the upper boundary of 2500, where highly concentrated markets start. 

Biggest players

The three most prominent players are, in order of their market share, Zagrebačka Pivovara, Heineken Hrvatska, and Carlsberg Croatia. 

Zagrebačka Pivovara is the market leader in the Croatian beer industry, with a 40,7% market share in 2020. It was established in1892 in the city of Zagreb. In 2012, they were acquired by Molson Coors Brewing Company, one of the world's largest beer producers. Today they have 577 employees and total revenue of 1.01 billion HRK. Their flagship beer brand is Ožujsko, but they also control brands such as Beck's, Corona, Leffe, Nikšićko, Staropramen, Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, and Lowenbrau. 

Karlovačka Pivovara was established in 1854 in the city of Karlovac. In 2003, Heineken International acquired it and was later renamed Heineken Hrvatska. Today it holds the position of the second-largest beer company in Croatia, with a market share of 23%. Heineken Hrvatska employs 326 people and has a total revenue of 542 million HRK. Their brand include: Karlovačko, Heineken, Laško, Union, Krušovice, Desperados, Stari Lisac, StrongBow, Affligem and Edelweiss. 

Panonska Pivovara was founded in 1971 as part of Podravka. Carlsberg Breweries has been a shareholder since 1994 and was steadily increasing its share. In 2004 Panonska Pivovara became Carlsberg Croatia. Today Carlsberg Croatia has 295 employees and total revenue of 319 million HRK. Their beer brands are : Pan, Carlsberg, Tuborg, Somersby, Holsten, Grimbergen, Budweiser, Zanatsko and 1664 Blanc. 

This graph shows the profitability of these three most prominent market players measured by the EBITDA margin, and the difference is pretty obvious. There are numerous possible reasons behind this, including utilization of economy of scale, bargaining power with suppliers and buyers, the extent of automatization, among many others. However, one thing is certain Zagrebačka Pivovara currently has the best position in the market with the highest market share and highest EBITDA margin. 

The Croatian beer industry can be characterized as a mature industry with not much growth potential; for example, from 2016 to 2019, Zagrebačka Pivovara is the only one of the three companies above that had a positive CAGR of around 3%. The biggest trend that is fueling the growth of this industry is the craft beer revolution which I already covered in my other article.  Even these big mainstream beer producers are beginning to realize the potential of this new niche segment, with Zagrebačka Pivovara rolling out their craft beer brand Grif. 

Other beer producers worth mentioning, in order of their total revenue, are Osječka Pivovara, Pivovara Daruvar, Istarska Pivovara, Pivovara Medvedgrad, Garden Brewery and Pivovara Ličanka. These were among the top 10 Croatian beer producers in 2020; they accounted for another 10% of the market.

It will be interesting to observe how will Croatian beer industry develop in the coming years, will the three significant forces hold their positions while adapting to the changing consumer preferences, and how will the craft beer scene affect the whole market.

For more, check out our business section.

ZAGREB, 12 March 2022 - In 2020, textile businesses netted HRK 81 million in profits, up 42.4% on the year, according to the Financial Agency.

That year there were 334 textile businesses with 3,521 employees.

Their revenues totalled HRK 1.6 billion, down 4.2% on 2019, while expenditures were HRK 1.5 billion, down 5.6%. Profits totalled HRK 99.5 million (+17.1%), while losses were HRK 18.6 million (-34.1%).

Most of the textile businesses operated in Zagreb (84), followed by Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (33) and Krapina-Zagorje County (27).

The average net monthly pay was HRK 4,618, up 5.6% from 2019 but down 22.7% from the national average.

In 2020, the biggest revenue was generated by the Aquafilcro company, HRK 219.4 million, while the biggest profit was generated by Meditex, HRK 17 million.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

For more, check out our business section.