Nikola Mektic Becomes First Croatian to Win ATP Finals
November 23, 2020 - Nikola Mektic becomes the first Croatian to win ATP Finals, which were completed in London on Sunday evening. Mektic won in the doubles final with Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof.
Gol.hr reports that Croatian doubles star Mektic and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof won the ATP World Finals title after defeating Austrian Juergen Melzer and Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6:2, 3:6, 10:5 in the final match of the season on Sunday.
"I can't express how I feel. I am really overjoyed, this is a dream come true," said Mektic, who was delighted to win the ATP Finals in London alongside partner Wesley Koolhof.
"It has already been a great success for us to qualify for this event. We played well throughout the tournament, especially in the semi-final and final. I am overjoyed to have won," the Dutchman added.
The Croatian-Dutch duo arrived in London for the tournament of the best eight doubles teams of the season as the fifth seed. On the way to the title, they lost only one match, the third in the group against Kubot and Melo when they had already secured a place in the semifinals.
Interestingly, it was their last match together because next year, they will take on the tennis world with other partners. Mektic will thus join his Croatia teammate Mate Pavic.
The Croatian tennis player won 254 thousand dollars with the title in London, which is about 1.6 million kuna. Mektic earned a total of $2.3 million in his career or about 15 million kuna.
"Wes, thank you very much. This is our first joint title. Not bad for the first," Mektic said with a smile.
"It was a great tournament for us and an amazing way to end the year," the Croatian tennis player added.
This was their third final this year and their first title since they were defeated in Marseille and at the US Open.
With this victory, Mektic becomes the first Croatian to win the title at the end of the ATP season. The closest to the title so far was Ivan Dodig, who lost to Bob and Mike Bryan six years ago with partner Marcelo Melo.
Before Koolhof, three other Dutchmen celebrated in the ATP Finals, Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis together in doubles (1993, 1998), and Jean-Julien Rojer (2015).
This was Mektic's 16th final in his career, and his eighth title.
One thing is certain - Mektic and Koolhof couldn't have wished for a better end to their chapter together - by winning the London Crown.
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Croats Urged to Buy Locally Grown and Made Products During December
ZAGREB, November 23, 2020 - The Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK) on Monday called on the Croatians to buy locally grown and made products during December and thus increase local produce sales and support local farm jobs.
HPK representatives told a news conference in Zagreb that the preservation of the local agricultural production could be possible with the raised awareness of the purchase and consumption of local food and products.
"We are soon entering December, the month marked by the biggest spending, and although we are in a specific year when we are battling COVID-19, we believe that this is one more opportunity to demonstrate our agricultural patriotism," Tajana Radic of the HPK chamber said at the news conference.
She underscored that so far this year, there has been a marked increase in the purchase of produce from local family-run farms, and called for the promotion of the Croatian agricultural production, which, she said, is a way to "help contribute to the growth of the (national) economy."
The HPK representatives said that this year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic also raised the awareness of boosting self-sufficiency in agriculture and of protecting the local production.
Croatians spent an estimated HRK 15.3 billion during the Christmas and New Year holidays in 2019, which was a half billion kuna more than in the corresponding period of 2018, Radic said.
This year, the consumption is likely to be reduced due to the corona crisis, however, this is an opportunity to focus on what we buy, Radic added.
More than a quarter of household budget goes on food
According to some estimates, Croatians spend more than 28% of their household budget on food, and similar ratio is expected during the Christmas holiday season, she noted,
"Every kuna spent on the purchase of the local products multiplies the effect on the growth and development of the Croatian agriculture and economy," she said.
During the news conference the Chamber presented the project called "Plavi Ceker" (the "Blue Grocery Bag" in an unofficial translation) launched by the City of Zagreb with the aim of promoting high-quality agricultural produce and food made by local businesses from all parts of Croatia.
The purpose of the project is to help SMEs in marketing their products on the Zagreb market.
The Blue Grocery Bag project encompasses high-quality products made by local producers.
HDZ Branches in Two Biggest Cities Get New Leaders
ZAGREB, November 23, 2020 - The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Sunday held its intra-party elections for the leaders of municipal, city and county branches, and the branches in the capital city of Zagreb and in the biggest Croatian Adriatic city of Split elected the new leaders.
Thus, the HDZ branch in Zagreb will be led by Mislav Herman, a gynecologist, who succeeded Andrija Mikulic at this position. Herman was the sole candidate for the Zagreb HDZ president in Sunday's elections.
The HDZ branch is Split will be led by Vice Mihanovic, the head of the Port of Split, who succeeded Petar Skoric who was at the helm of the local HDZ branch in the last eight years. MIhanovic was the only candidate for the post.
In Rijeka, the two new candidates ran for this position, and the winner was Josip Ostrogovic who mustered 349 votes while his rival Kristjan Stanicic won 273 votes. The former HDZ leader in Rijeka, Lucijan Vukelic, did not rerun for the position.
In Osijek, Ivan Radic was re-elected for that city.
The party's 209,271 members were eligible to vote according to the one member, one vote principle at 576 polling stations across the country, including 17 in Zagreb. If necessary, a runoff will be held on December 6. The vote was the continuation of intra-party elections which began on March 15 with the re-election of president Andrej Plenkovic and were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Croatian GDP Drop Expected to be Significant Within EU Parameters
As Novac/Marina Klepo writes on the 23rd of November, 2020, after falling 15.1 percent in the second quarter, seven Hina analysts predict that the Croatian GDP will sink slightly less in the summer quarter, averaging 10.4 percent. Their estimates range from 9.5 to 11 percent, and if they materialise, despite a better-than-expected tourist season, Croatia will find it extremely difficult indeed to avoid one of the biggest declines among all EU countries.
According to the first Eurostat data for 21 countries, the average decline across the EU in the third quarter was 4.3 percent, and except for the United Kingdom with a deficit of 9.6 percent, the Spanish economy was most heavily affected with a decline of 8.7 percent, while in In Italy it stood at 4.7 percent.
Tourist spending
As one Hina analyst explained, with the easing of anti-epidemic measures during the summer months, most activities began to recover and the first high-frequency indicators confirmed growth in the third quarter compared to the March-June period, but a relatively high annual Croatian GDP decline is inevitable.
CBS datas show that retail trade turnover fell by 7.6 percent in the third quarter when compared to the same period last year, among other things due to significantly lower tourist spending. At the same time, industrial production fell by 1.3 percent, the value of merchandise exports in the first nine months of 2020 was 4.8 percent lower than it was during the very same period last year, and imports fell by an alarming 10.1 percent. Finally, government spending remains the only component of Croatian GDP that mitigated these utterly negative trends.
The CNB estimates that the ''real'' Croatian GDP in the first nine months of this year was 8.3 percent lower than it was back during the same period last year. Given the rapidly deteriorating epidemiological situation, expectations for the fourth quarter have also deteriorated alongside it.
Economic analysts also expect that Croatian GDP will continue to decline very sharply indeed because of, among other things. lower amounts of disposable income, lower festive spending and a further decline in exports. According to their expectations, the decline this year will stand at around 9.2 percent, similar to the EC's forecasts, which are at 9.6 percent, while the Croatian Government and the CNB believe that it will amount to 8 percent.
Next year, however, the government and the CNB are currently convinced that the domestic economy will grow by 5 percent, and the European Commission believes that its growth will stand at a decent 5.7 percent. The latest EBRD forecasts, on the other hand, claim that there will be slightly more modest growth in 2021, of only 3.5 percent. In addition, they point out that negative risks prevail, especially those related to the spread of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The EBRD has since reiterated its position that Croatia needs structural reforms in order to properly increase the competitiveness of the economy, and in addition to those already undertaken, the improvement of the quality of Croatia's typically horrendous institutions and governance is considered to be particularly important.
The business environment
In addition, as they point out in the latest Transition Report, it is necessary to improve the business environment in Croatia and remove all of the draconian and mostly entirely unnecessary red tape and administration, but also to diversify the economy properly. The current pandemic, according to the EBRD, has shown the danger of relying too much on one or two sectors, and Croatia must now think twice about lying on its tourism laurels.
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Croatia Registers 1,973 New Coronavirus Infections, 45 Deaths
ZAGREB, November 23, 2020 - Croatia has registered 1,973 new cases of the coronavirus infection over the past 24 hours, as well as 45 related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Monday.
The number of active cases in Croatia stands at 19,275. There are 2,060 COVID patients in hospitals, including 235 on ventilators.
Since 25 February 2020, when Croatia registered its first case, a total of 105,691 people have contracted coronavirus, 1,398 of them have died, and 85,018 have recovered, including 2,638 in the last 24 hours.
There are currently 40,083 people in self-isolation.
To date, 683,104 people have been tested for coronavirus, including 6,139 in the last 24 hours.
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VIDEO: Boy Who Visits Rimac Automobili Taken for Ride in Concept_One
November the 23rd, 2020 - Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac never has a good gesture far from hand, and he has dished out yet another wonderful surprise to a young boy from Sveta Nedelja who visits Rimac Automobili on his bike every day - a ride in no less than the amazing Concept_One.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the boy Ante from Sveta Nedelja visits Rimac Automobili's headquarters every single day on his bike to watch what is happening there. His wish was to ride in Rimac's incredible Concept One. Rimac decided to fulfill that desire for him, and he took to Facebook to let the world know what happened, attaching the boy's video of the ride.
“In the Q3 public report video I posted, I mentioned the [company's] campus and how I want it to be without fences so anyone from the public can come into the closest contact with what we do. One of the goals is for local kids to grow up with the sight of hypercars and various prototypes of all possible manufacturers being tested on the surrounding roads and thus encourage them to one day pursue a technological occupation.
But that’s really nothing new - that’s how we functioned all the time until recently. A bunch of kids come on bikes and ride around the company's headquarters, they even go into plants and offices and walk around freely, look at the cars and talk to the employees. Ante is one of those who came by bike almost every day. After a while we all already knew him and let him enter freely. His biggest wish was to get a tour of the Concept_One - so I fulfilled that wish for him, as was done for many other kids in the area (only they didn’t post the video of the ride on YouTube).
Unfortunately a year ago we had to put up a gate and a fence because all sorts of things were going on and we needed to be sure none of that could pose any harm to us. From the beginning, our headquarters has been designed so that anyone can come the company and enter certain spaces, but that there's a clear boundary from which only employees can go further (eg in offices) - this idea was built in right from the very first concept, so the equipment is designed as such,'' explained Mate Rimac.
Watch the video of the boy who visits Rimac Automobili on his two wheels every day take a ride in Rimac's amazing Concept_One:
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3 Female Returnees Bring Digital Nomad Work, Play & Living to Diocletian's Palace
November 23, 2020 - What if remote workers could combine the world of digital nomad work, play and living in one place - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and retirement home of a Roman Emperor, perhaps? Well now you can thanks to three enterprising female entrepreneurs in Split.
Having been brought up a Brit, it is hard to admit I have a hero who is Australian. Actually, not one, but three - all inspiring ladies from the Croatian diaspora who moved to Croatia to try their luck in the land of their ancestors.
And all three have succeeded, despite the many obstacles thrown in their way. It has been a pleasure to cheer from the sidelines as I have charted their path to success. And now a new chapter, as my three heroes have teamed up together for the first time to offer the option of digital nomad work, play and living in one exciting concept - located in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former retirement home of a Roman Emperor no less - Diocletian's Palace in Split.
There is a lot of buzz and talk about digital nomads in Croatia at the moment. A combination of the initiative to make Croatia only the sixth country in the world to offer such a visa, as well as the realisation that Croatia's current accidental tourism 'strategy' needs an urgent reset, has had many tourism providers looking to cater to this new digital nomad tourism opportunity.
Most are completely missing the point.
It has been mildly amusing to see the number of businesses in Croatia who are suddenly advertising themselves as digital nomad friendly, as though a bed and reasonable WiFi is all that is required. While both are a prerequisite, there is a little more to it than that. Two of the major planks of a successful digital nomad tourism offer, at least in my humble opinion, are lifestyle and community. Travelling the world is a rewarding experience, but it can also be a lonely one. If you are working remotely and you can find a place to live, work and play all in one, then that is a lot more appealing.
Enter my three Australian heroes - Tanja, Maria and Korana - all of whom will be familiar to longterm readers of TCN.
I have been spending quite a bit of time on and offline with Tanja Polegubic from Saltwater Nomads this year. Founder of a co-working space of the same name in Split, Tanja has put a lot more thought than most into the potential (and the pitfalls) of Croatia embarking on the digital nomad route (and for those interested, 10 Ways Croatia Will Be At The Forefront of Countries with a Digital Nomad Visa is a worthy read). Tanja also organised the first Digital Nomad conference in Croatia last month, is a founder of the Digital Nomad Association, and we will shortly be announcing her latest cool event, a digital nomad boot camp to coincide with Advent in Zagreb.
Maria and Korana are lifelong friends who came to Split as naive 22-year-olds who thought they spoke fluent Croatian almost 20 years ago. As some of the few foreigners who have been working here as long as I have, it is always fun to catch up with them and have a laugh about the good old days. Having famously flooded the main square of Diocletian's Palace on the first day of opening their first business, a fast food joint, they have gone from strength to strength with a combination of determination, vision, charm, sound decision-making and 10 lifetimes of hard work. The first legally registered hostel started the empire which then blossomed into three hostels, one of the most popular hangouts in Diocletian's Palace (Charlie's Bar), and two excellent restaurants, Zinfandel and Brasserie on 7. Life was good for the owners of Zeven Gastronomy Group and Split Hostel Group.
And then came corona.
Not for the first time in their Croatian odyssey, it was time for a rethink, this time over a glass of wine with Tanja. What if all the assets and components of both businesses could be realigned for the greater good? A co-working business, hostels, a bar and two restaurants. What kind of package could that be if it was all made available to customers to work, live and play?
And that is exactly what these three heroes have done. As Tanja explained:
Around mid-September, I was contacted by nomads looking for co-living options. There weren’t any in Split. We already find long-stay accommodation options, so a hostel - especially as they had been hit so hard by Covid19, was a logical option. I contacted Korana, and it started very quickly.
All this was happening while the preparations for Dubrovnik Digital Nomads was underway. Korana and Amanda - our Saltwater member who ran the bar at our Beach Office Bacvice Bacvice this summer.
In our first week of opening, our two top floor “penthouse” private offices (Bill and Ted) filled up! Couples from US/Canada and UK/USA. Since then, we’ve had quite a few people trial, and some join.
Coworking isn’t an easy business - it’s very transient. It is more about the community activity and events. Plus some good ole fashioned Dalmatian ‘pomalo’... things happen slowly here. Which is fine; we’re in this for the long haul. Especially as it’s very fun to run.
So what does the digital nomad work, play and living combination look like?
Some of the stone wall hostel rooms have been converted into shared workspaces, private offices, meeting rooms - already fitted out with showers, communal areas and kitchen. And the authentic stone walls as your Zoom background come as standard.
One of the hostels remains as a coliving option - starting at 250 euro month to stay in the Centre of Old Town Split in Diocletian’s Palace.
And what better location for your new office. Not only in a World Heritage Site, but also above the team's Charlie's Bar, offering a steady supply of coffee, cocktails and beer on tap with a nomad discount.
Feeling peckish or looking for a change of workplace scene? Both Zinfandel and Brasserie on 7 are available with discounted prices for registered Saltwater and Split Hostels customers. And with B7's fabulous waterfront location at the centre of Split's famous riva, there are few better more beautiful locations for a temporary office.
The sense of community is crucial to a happy experience, and all three of these fabulous ladies have long experience in producing outstanding customer service, and so it is no surprise that this new nomad offer comes with a little fun in addition to the basic services.
The weekly Nomad Table combines food, wine, entertainment and great company. Education of Croatian wines are already proving popular, a Zinfandel speciality, and some ice-breaking games at the events so far have helped bring people together. The first, held on the inauspicious date of Friday 13, 2020 (what could possibly go wrong?) included an icebreaker game lining up cards with guest and staff point of origin and distance to Split. The furthest away was Hamilton, NZ - although this was strongly contested by Dunedin and Taupo hometowners!
Last week, the Crljenak, Plavac Mali and Posip was washed down with COVID bingo - “68 late for your Tinder Date, 83 Gluten Free and 88 Wills and Kate”. It’s very 2020.
The next event is on Friday 27th - a wine flight and group dinner, with another icebreaker game to be decided. And every Friday and Saturday has live music.
Word of mouth seems to be moving quicker than even the most dedicated blogger. Several Zagreb nomads are heading south for a taste of a Mediterranean winter. So far there have been nomads from Paraguay, USA, UK, Canada, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, and a couple from Poland who are sharing their newly adopted home with people back home on Ewa’s Let's Split blog - documenting their journey from Poland to their new home in Croatia.
Did I mention customer service? New vegan options are being added to the menu, as three of the early members are vegans.
Fabulous stuff, and I look forward to seeing how this initiative evolves. With the connections and creative minds of the founding mothers, the prospects are enticing indeed.
The potential of digital nomad tourism in Croatia - with or without the visa - is immense. In order to take advantage properly, it will require a little more than a bed and a good WiFi connection. Good luck to my three heroes - I have been saying for a while that Croatia needs to move from Croatia, Full of Life (whatever that means) to Croatia, Your Safe, Authentic, Lifestyle destination. The Zeven Hospitality Group/Split Hostel Group/Saltwater partnership does exactly that.
For more information, you can contact the team via the Saltwater website.
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HNL Round 12 Recap: Osijek Topped Dinamo, Hajduk Better than Belupo
November 23, 2020 - The 12th round of the Croatian First League was held from November 20 to 21, 2020. In this round, Osijek topped Dinamo 2:0, and Hajduk won away at Belupo.
Lokomotiva v. Varazdin (2:2)
Lokomotiva and Varazdin opened the 12th round on Friday, November 20, 2020, in Zagreb.
Delic scored the first goal for Varazdin in the 7th minute, though Chajia was quick to equalize for Lokomotiva with a goal three minutes later for 1:1. An own goal by Hendija gave Varazdin the 1:2 lead in the 60th, but a last-minute equalizer by Papadopoulos ended the game 2:2.
Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 8 points, while Varazdin is in 9th with 8.
Sibenik v. Gorica (1:3)
Sibenik and Gorica met for the second match on Friday, November 20, 2020, in Sibenik.
While Ampem gave Sibenik the lead in the 7th minute and through the first half, Gorica woke up in the second and scored all three of their goals - Cabraja in the 62nd, Suk in the 81st, and Lovric in the 3rd minute of added time.
Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 13 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 19.
Osijek v. Dinamo (2:0)
Osijek and Dinamo met on Saturday, November 21, 2020, at City Garden Stadium.
While the first half went without goals, Osijek's Pilj gave the home team the lead in the 54th minute, and Zaper increased their lead to 2:0 in the 89th for the final score of the match.
Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 23 points, while Dinamo is in first with 26.
Slaven Belupo v. Hajduk (0:2)
Belupo and Hajduk closed out the 12th round on Saturday, November 21, 2020, in Koprivnica.
Hajduk Nayir scored the first goal of the match just before the half for 0:1. An own goal by Soldo increased Hajduk's lead to 0:2 in the 56th minute, which was the final result.
Belupo is currently in 7th place with 11 points, while Hajduk is in 5th with 14.
At the request of Rijeka, which counted seven footballers positive for coronavirus, the Croatian Football Federation postponed their 12th round match against Istria 1961, which was to be played on Saturday, November 21, in Pula.
See the full HNL table HERE.
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Flights to Croatia: Turkish Airlines Selling Over 5,700 Seats on Istanbul-Zagreb Route in December
November 23, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Turkish Airlines is selling over 5,700 seats on the Istanbul-Zagreb route this December.
Croatian Aviation reports that in December, Turkish Airlines will operate four times a week on the Istanbul-Zagreb route.
The Turkish national airline has stabilized the number of operations to the Croatian capital, with four flights a week available since mid-September this year.
In the last month of this year, Turkish Airlines will keep the same number of weekly flights as before, operating between Zagreb and Istanbul on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
The B737-800 and A321 aircraft, which have a capacity of 151 and 188 seats, respectively, will operate on the route between Zagreb and Istanbul. Given the announced 17 flights between the two mentioned cities, Turkish will offer as many as 5,726 seats in both directions in December, which, given the current situation, is more than satisfactory.
Turkish Airlines currently offers daily flights to Zagreb from January 2021, but it is actually an old schedule that the airline has not yet revised. It is expected that the number of flights in the coming winter months will be reduced between three to four flights a week.
The Turkish airline operates regularly to Zagreb and there have been no ad-hoc flight cancellations on this route, given that there are no restrictions on travel to Turkey, and a number of people travel to Istanbul for a short vacation.
Turkish Airlines continues to monitor the situation with the coronavirus pandemic. It is expected that in the spring of next year, the growth of demand will result in more weekly flights on this international route, with the possible return of this airline to Dubrovnik Airport.
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Blossoming Croatian IT Sector Continues to Make Global Waves
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes on the 22nd of November, 2020, the Croatian IT sector is continuing to achieve great levels of success and recognition, which has been confirmed by the 21st edition of Deloitte's list of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Central Europe, in which, in addition to companies from 18 countries, Croatia also participated.
Electrocoin, whose main activity is intermediation in cryptocurrency trading and processing, took 6th place in the category of the 50 fastest growing companies in Central Europe with impressive growth of 2617%. Nikola Skoric, a nuclear engineer, founded the company back in 2014, one year after Croatia's EU accession, and was soon joined by Marin Marzic, a computer security expert. It all started as a mere hobby, but Skoric and Marzic ended up creating the fastest growing Croatian fintech startup, little did they know at the time.
"It turned out that we were able to innovate and make a profit, grow at warp speed, push crypto into the mainstream and start a revolution in the payment industry," said Skoric. Electrocoin's bitcoin-mjenjacnica.hr is the first and most popular online exchange office in all of Croatia. In cooperation with Croatian Post (Hrvatska posta), the Crypto Centre was opened last year, which enables the sale of cryptocurrencies across 50 Croatian post offices, and in May, Sveta Nedelja was among the first cities to start the process of accepting cryptocurrencies, pushing the growing Croatian IT sector even further forward.
In 36th place on the list comes the consumer platform for online shopping, Bazzar.hr. with excellent growth of 695%. It is the Croatian counterpart of Amazon, founded by brother and sister Viktor and Tana Zimmermann.
"The biggest challenge was to change the perception of people in Croatia when it comes to online shopping, as well as to position themselves out there on the e-commerce market. Despite everything, we've been recording 100% growth from year to year since the very beginning. We're proud that Deloitte has included us on this prestigious list for the second time, which is another confirmation of the decency of our business model,'' the owner stated. This year, they've recorded more than 250,000 users, while next year they will focus on growth right here on the Croatian market, with investments going to innovation and service improvement, a wider offer, better prices and a better overall user experience. "We're also planning strong expansion into the regional market," Zimmermann announced.
In 39th place is Agrivi, which grew by 640%. The company is credited with developing one of the most successful agricultural production management platforms in the whole world. With impressive growth of 549%, 44th place was taken by Include from Solin, which is engaged in the development and production of urban street equipment for smart cities and the production of solar benches. Zagreb's Eco Mobile, which specialises in ICT solutions to support waste management processes took 47th place with brilliant growth of 530%.
The rising Croatian IT sector stars of... Krizevci!
In the Rising Stars category, Speck placed third with amazing growth of 1076%. In a mere two years, this Krizevci-based IT agency has acquired clients for whom they work on web and mobile development and design services.
"After three years of working in a team consisting of more than 40 experts and creating solutions for global clients with a massive influence at Fintech, EdTech and MarTech, I'm proud to say that the teamwork is truly a dream," said director Tomislav Tenodi.
In the special category Stars of Positive Influence, which was launched only this year, three Croatian companies were presented - Rimac Automobili, Infinum and Infobip. Josip Biscan, managing partner at Infinum, says that when Infinum was founded, there weren't many who knew how to programme for mobile devices and the "boom" of the Apple Store hadn't yet happened. Then, they started hiring smart people who didn't yet have any experience, but did have a true desire to learn, and Matej Spoler, the co-founder of Infinum alongside Tomislav Car, taught them to programme for the now wildly popular iPhone - today's iOS platform.
''We've continued to employ those who love technology, want to learn and share their knowledge. We have maintained this practice to this day and that's why Infinum is continuously growing. The average annual growth over the last five years has been around 40% per year and the goal is to continue to grow sustainably, not fast or exponentially,'' says Biscan. Together with their colleagues from no less than the gigantic Porsche, they want to employ about 100 experts in the development of digital solutions for Porsche and beyond at Porsche Digital Croatia located here in Zagreb.
"The Croatian IT sector is a strong community with a lot of potential, to which the general public may only now be beginning to pay any real attention,'' he concluded.
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