Croatia Reports 688 New COVID Cases, 15 Dead
ZAGREB, 24 February 2021 - In the past 24 hours 688 new coronavirus cases have been registered in Croatia, twice as many as the day before, and 15 COVID-19 patients have died, the national COVID response team said on Wednesday.
Currently there are 2,679 active cases, including 791 hospitalised patients, of whom 63 are on ventilators, and 12,218 people are self-isolating.
To date 1,321,336 people have been tested for the virus, including 7,763 in the past 24 hours.
Since 25 February 2020, when the new virus was first registered in Croatia, 241,048 people have been infected, 5,477 have died and 232,892 have recovered, including 195 in the past 24 hours.
Jutarnji List: New Croatian Computer Developed
ZAGREB, 24 February 2021 - A group of Croatian IT companies have developed a new computer for education purposes, a counterpart to the BBC's micro:bit, the Jutarnji List newspaper wrote on Wednesday.
The name of the Croatian computer is VIDI X. It is an open-code microcomputer intended for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in schools. It was designed and manufactured by a group of domestic companies brought together by the technological and media company Vidi. Byte Lab, Rimac Automobili and Gideon Brothers were also involved in the project.
Tomislav Kotnik, the founder and CEO of Vidi, said that the new Croatian computer had been under development for more than a year and a half and that the first series was being prepared for delivery to schools.
"We have made 500 VIDI X microcomputers so far and plan to manufacture another 500. In that way we expect to cover, by the end of this year, 50 schools that have applied for it," Kotnik said, adding that the plan is to deliver the computers to 1,000 schools and colleges over the next few years and make them available to 400,000 school and university students.
"Microcomputers have proved to be an excellent tool for STEM education, and we wanted to raise this to a higher level. The VIDI X microcomputer was not bought in England, Germany or China and imported and delivered to schools here, but we brought together Croatian hardware manufacturers and professionals and designed it ourselves," Kotnik said.
Byte Lab Group is responsible for the initial development of the microcomputer and is working on its manufacture, Jutarnji List said.
Air France and KLM Remain Dominant in the Croatian Market
February 24, 2021 - While some airlines are pushing back the start of their summer flight schedules to Croatia, two airlines have stayed loyal to the country, even during the toughest times. A look at how Air France and KLM remain dominant in the Croatian market since the beginning of the pandemic.
Croatian Aviation reports that following yesterday's article about airlines that have temporarily postponed traffic to Croatian airports, there are two that stand out that have regularly connected Zagreb with two European hubs since the outbreak of the global pandemic.
Before the pandemic, the Lufthansa group was dominant in Croatian airports. However, in March 2020, Lufthansa suspended traffic to Zagreb Airport, and in the summer flight schedule, it reduced traffic to airports on the coast. KLM and Air France operated to Zagreb in the summer of last year and to Split and Dubrovnik, while Lufthansa has not been in Zagreb for almost a year. Instead, Croatia Airlines operates on the route to Frankfurt, while the Croatian national airline also suspended the route to Munich in November.
On the other hand, Lufthansa announced that it would resume traffic to Zagreb from Munich and Frankfurt at the end of March, only to cancel all flights on the route to Munich again just a few days later until the beginning of May. It remains to be seen what will happen to the Frankfurt-Zagreb route, given that there is still a month left until the start of regular operations, enough for the company to cancel certain or almost all departures for a short period.
On the other hand, the KLM - Air France group did not miss the opportunity. At the end of 2020, KLM announced that it was introducing a second daily flight on the Amsterdam-Zagreb route in February, which was optimistic given the whole situation. Hence, flights are now available from the beginning of March.
The realization of these flights will occur, and KLM will have two daily flights to Zagreb from March 1. In the first week of March, KLM offers 10 direct flights a week, in the second and third 11, and as of March 22, there are 14 flights a week on this route! The company plans to have two flights a week to Zagreb until the end of October. The original plan was to operate daily flights with an E170 aircraft, while a larger capacity aircraft, the E190, is now available on certain flights.
Air France also plans to offer two daily flights between Paris and Zagreb this summer, but only from mid-May. While KLM will operate almost twice a day to Split, Air France will also operate to Split and Dubrovnik. There is also the low-cost carrier Transavia from the same group present at almost all Croatian airports last summer, and according to the current schedule, the same will be the case in the upcoming season.
The KLM - Air France Group has significantly increased its presence in Croatian airports in this crisis, which the Lufthansa Group has in some way made possible by an almost complete withdrawal from the Croatian market. Namely, there were only two Eurowings lines to Zagreb and one to Split (which did not operate all winter), while KLM briefly introduced the Amsterdam-Split line during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The question is whether the Lufthansa group will allow it; by all accounts, it seems that this is exactly what is happening at the moment.
For the end-users, us passengers, it is certainly good that these two groups have entered into a kind of "conflict" in our market. When both groups are launching several operations at Croatian airports (which will certainly happen at some point this summer season), companies will have to attract passengers to their routes and hubs at affordable prices. The only question is who will be more successful in this and whether we will travel to destinations in Europe and the world via Amsterdam and Paris or Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels, or Vienna.
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Croatian COVID-19 Vaccination Registration Website Launched!
February the 24th, 2021 - Many questions are flying around when it comes to the vaccination process here in Croatia. With many on the list and with things moving frustratingly slowly, there is a lot of frustration with what many feel should be a simple process. Do I ask my GP? Where do I sign up? Mass vaccinations are happening in Zagreb now, so how do I get in? To make things more simple, a Croatian COVID-19 vaccination website has been set up.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, this past Tuesday, a Croatian COVID-19 vaccination registration website was launched on a trial basis where citizens and legal residents can apply for their coronavirus vaccination. It is in operation from 06:00 to 21:00 and officially begins operating today. On Tuesday, applications could also be made from 18:00 to 21:00, and applications for vaccination made at that time will have been duly received.
The Croatian COVID-19 vaccination registration website cijepise.zdravlje.hr has, as stated, now started its trial operation, through which those interested can apply for vaccination against the novel coronavirus.
As previously mentioned, the site was in running but in its test phase on Tuesday, but despite that, people have already managed to sign up and any application made on that day will have been logged. There is also an explanation on the page about who should be vaccinated, about those who have already had the virus and what they should do, and the necessary information that should be entered when making an application for vaccination.
An OIB or MBO (the number of the insured person from their health insurance card) and their date of birth are sufficient for registration. Those who don't have internet access to access the Croatian COVID-19 vaccination registration website for whatever reason are free to register for vaccination via the toll-free number: 0800 0011.
Please note: If you access the website and come to a screen stating that the official opening of the website is coming soon, just bookmark the page and keep checking back.
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Katarina Milicevic: Croatia Has Chance to Break Free of "Sun and Sea" Concept
February the 24th, 2021 - Croatia has long been tied to the post as a ''sunshine and sea'' destination, taking its place next to the likes of Spain, Greece and other similar countries. With so many other things to boast of and an all but undiscovered continental and Eastern part of the country, does Croatia have a chance to finally break free of that very limiting categorisation? Katarina Milicevic believes so.
As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatia was experiencing tourist stagnation even before the ongoing coronavirus pandemic struck back in early 2020, because it got stuck rolling around in the cage of the tired old ''sunshine and sea'' cage, and the pandemic gave the country the opportunity to finally start to accelerate the process of creating new quality, certified products and content that will be the basis for future tourism.
''Croatian investors and destinations should persevere in their development, despite the decline in enthusiasm that the pandemic may have brought with it,'' said Katarina Milicevic, a partner at Horwath HTL.
Is this crisis an opportunity to work more on ensuring quality?
"We've seen throughout this crisis how important tourism is to Croatia, and we shouldn't be discouraged by the fact that it holds a high share in Croatia's GDP. Many countries which rely on tourism, although they have also developed other activities very successfully too, have also opted for the development of tourism, had a clear goal and didn't regret it. Such countries act as great examples today. Tourism will recover, people will continue to travel, and we have the opportunity to work on quality now,'' added Katarina Milicevic, who sees the recovery of tourism globally in the medium term, but doesn' want to predict details.
New beginnings for Croatian tourism in 2021
When it comes to the 2021 tourist season, Croatia is being promoted like the other 30 leading tourist destinations across the world, in accordance with the possibilities and events that could be permitted within the circumstances, Katarina Milicevic believes.
The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) announced yesterday that their campaign on social media "Croatia Full of New Beginnings" across 15 foreign markets achieved excellent promotional results in just one month, achieving over 30 million impressions, while the total number of user interactions with ads climbed to higher than two million.
The campaign was conducted on the wildly popular social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and TikTok across European markets. Those markets are those of Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, France, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Belgium and Switzerland.
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Krk Companies are Strongest Registered Enterprises on Croatian Islands
February the 24th, 2021 - Krk companies are the strongest of all enterprises registered as being headquartered on Croatia's many islands, with impressive revenues to boast of.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Blaskovic writes, Krk companies enjoyed an amazing 12.1 billion kuna in revenue back in pre-pandemic 2019, a tenth of the total revenue generated by the tourism sector that record year.
When compared to back in 2018, the income of Croatian enterprises operating in various municipalities, towns and cities of Croatia's many inhabited islands increased by a fifth in just one single year, according to the analysis of the Financial Agency (Fina).
The strongest island enterprise registered currently in Croatia is GP Krk with a massive 686.5 million kuna in revenue, followed by Trgovina Krk with 428 million kuna and Jadranka hotels with 299.7 million kuna in revenue.
The analysis of financial statements included 4954 Croatian island enterprises registered across 51 cities and municipalities. They employed 23,977 employees in total, equal to 7.1 percent more than were employed back in 2018. When it comes to total export revenue from such companies, as much as 1.7 billion kuna was calculated.
Unsurprisingly, the most numerous of these island-based enterprises operate in the activities of providing accommodation and food preparation and serving, of which 1108 were analysed, and together they generated 3.2 billion kuna, 26.5 percent of the total revenues of companies based on Croatia's islands.
Unsurprisingly again, tourism activities are also the largest employers: they employ 7,378 workers, which is 30.8 percent of the total number of employees working for island-registered companies. This is followed by trade with 682 companies and 2,874 employees enjoying 2.4 billion kuna in revenue, and construction with 564 companies, 3,195 employees and 1.8 billion kuna in revenue.
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First Croatian Venture Capital Fund Succeeds With Startup Investments
February the 24th, 2021 - The very first Croatian venture capital fund, South Central Ventures, has done excellently over the last five years when it comes to investing huge sums into regional startups.
As Novac/Bernard Ivezic writes, the first Croatian venture capital fund is now worth an impressive 40 million euros. It recently announced that in just five years of operating both independently and in a group, it has invested as much as 77.6 million euros in startups operating in Croatia and the immediate region.
The first Croatian venture capital fund has so far invested in a total of 28 startups across five countries within the region. Here in Croatia, SCV, together with its co-investors, participated in the realisation of 35.5 million euros worth of investments in six promising startups.
Jure Mikuz, co-founder and partner at South Central Ventures, says that the startup community here in Croatia is developing extremely rapidly and more and more innovative projects based on the latest technologies are now being launched.
''I'm proud that as the first Croatian venture capital fund, we were able to support the growth and development of innovative projects here in Croatia and across the entire region, which are now recognised as valuable and successful companies that are accelerating digital transformation and contributing to the development of the entire startup community in this region,'' stated Mikuz.
When it comes to Croatian companies, SCV has already supported the growth of Agrivi, which develops software for agricultural production management, in two rounds of financing. Agrivi is otherwise now well recognised as being among the top 10 such solutions globally and is the best here in Europe.
Furthermore, the Croatian venture capital fund has invested in AdScanner, which develops smart TV ad analysis systems, and which is used by more than 50 brands across several European countries. On the list is also Cognism, which is a complete artificial intelligence (AI) sales promotion solution that already does business with more than 700 companies globally and employs more than 180 workers. Cognism has also recorded significant revenue growth from month to month and is one of the most desirable employers in the United Kingdom.
On top of that, SCV has also invested in Sentinel Marine, which is developing a smart solution for boat telematics and surveillance and is the global leader in the number of boat owners who use them. It has invested in Bulb, which is developing advanced platforms for digitising customer support, and which has recently embarked on a strategic partnership with the M+ Group.
Finally, SCV has invested in DaiBau, a platform that connects users with construction contractors and operates right here in Croatia under the eMajstor brand by DaiBau. It is a startup that is a leader in its industry across several European markets, and it recently received an investment from no less than Henkel.
Of the other countries in the region, the first Croatian venture capital fund has invested in fourteen startups in Serbia, five in Macedonia, one in Kosovo and two in Montenegro.
"This pandemic has only further accelerated the development of these companies in which we've invested precisely because of their extremely strong technological background, and we're especially proud of the teams from these companies who didn't fail to miss the opportunity to take big business steps last year, as well as adapt with more adjustment and extra effort,'' concluded Mikuz.
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Rijeka's Rakhia Bar Expanding Business through Franchising
February 24, 2021 - After many years of successful business, Rijeka's Rakhia Bar embarks on a new challenge - going global through franchising.
HRTurizam reports that despite the pandemic, they did not give up on their idea because they were confident in this project from the very beginning. They believe that it would be a real shame for such an original and above all successful business concept to remain in only one city, without giving the world an opportunity to experience it.
Only a few days after they went public, inquiries for the franchise started arriving, not only from Croatian but also from European cities, points out Matija Blažević, one of the owners of Rakhia Bar, and adds that their offer of 100 types of rakija, and the entire concept, delighted the world.
"The situation with the pandemic did not discourage us because we really believe in this project. Rakhia Bar is the first 'rakhijarnica' to be franchised. We were surprised by the number of inquiries that arrived in such a short time. Most of them came from Croatia, and we were especially pleased with those from Italy, Slovenia, and Malta," Blažević points out.
The Rakhia Bara offer includes more than 100 types of rakija.
It is the heart of fun and nightlife for all young people in Rijeka. It is one of the few bars that does not follow trends but creates them. Rakhia Bar offers unique items; one of the most popular is a meter of rakija that can hold 21 different flavors and original entertainment concepts. They have also launched many products - rakija ice cream, mulled rakija, cocktails with rakija, and many others. In 2019, 85,956 rakijas were sold, an additional indicator that Rakhia Bar is truly a small paradise for all lovers of this spirit.
In the first phase of expanding the franchise, the owners will be focused on Croatia, but they will also enter the foreign market very quickly. "From the beginning of the idea until its final realization, it takes a lot of time, effort, and work, but also Andrija Čolak, our biggest support during this franchise trip. Andrija Čolak is the owner of the only Croatian international franchise - Surf ‘n’ Fries, present in 16 countries and a specialized group for franchise consulting. We had really excellent cooperation with him, for which we are extremely grateful," adds Blažević.
In addition to the franchising process, during the pandemic, they created a new home brand of rakija- The Hogster.
"We have decided to complete our offer of over 100 types of rakija with our own line. The idea for creating The Hogster came after years of working with rakijas, and the inspiration for the flavors comes directly from our guests, so we adapted the flavors to their wishes. So far, we have marketed 13 rakijas, we have developed a recipe for 20, and we will continue to expand and complete our range with even more exotic flavors," concludes Blažević.
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Nexe Našice Handball Team Records Fourth Consecutive Victory in EHF European League
February 24, 2021 - The Nexe Našice handball team achieved their fourth consecutive victory in the EHF European League, defeating CSKA Moscow 32-31 (14-14) on Tuesday in Našice.
The victory was confirmed by Mario Tomić with a goal seven seconds before the end when he sent the ball into the undefended net.
Slobodan Kadić
With this Nexe victory and the expected defeat of the Swedish team Alingsas away to the leading Magdeburg (36-21), Nexe theoretically secured their spot in the last 16 of the EHF European League's first season.
Slobodan Kadić
Nexe played a very even match against the Moscow team, who they lost to in November by 11 goals (29-18).
Halil Jaganjac and Janko Kević scored six goals each for the home team, Fran Mileta scored five times, and Dorian Markušić scored four goals. Goalkeeper Moreno Car had 15 saves, and Mihailo Radovanović had two. Ilchenko, Astrashapkin, and Fokin scored five goals each for the Russian side.
Slobodan Kadić
One round before the end, Nexe is in fourth place with 10 points. CSKA and Montpellier have 10 points each, but with a better goal differential. In first is Magdeburg with 14 points. Alingsas has four points, and the Turkish club Besiktas, which lost all nine games, will not advance to the next round.
Nexe will play in Montpellier on March 2 in the last round of the group stage.
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HDZ Announces Legal Action Against Index.hr News Website
ZAGREB, 24 February 2021 - The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has announced legal action against the Index.hr news website for creating a pop-up asking its visitors to say if they are human beings or members of the HDZ before entering the website.
"Since the use of audio and/or audiovisual media services for incitement of hatred or discrimination on the grounds of political or other convictions is prohibited in Croatia, we expect the competent authorities and the Croatian Journalists Association to act accordingly, and the HDZ will take appropriate legal action," the party said in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening.
Index.hr today had a pop-up asking visitors to identify themselves either as human beings or HDZ members before proceeding further onto the website. The former option enables visitors to access the website, while the latter offers its articles about corrupt HDZ members.
The HDZ strongly condemned this act of discrimination against its members and sympathisers, saying that it came "ten days after there has been no public reaction to the hate speech of the owner of the Three Monkeys cafe in Rijeka."
The cafe owner, angered by decisions of the government and the national COVID-19 response team, wrote on his Facebook page ten days ago that HDZ members and supporters were not welcome in his establishment.
The move by the Index.hr website has been condemned by several cabinet ministers and HDZ MPs, MEPs and members.
