ZAGREB, 7 Dec, 2021 - Croatia's IT industry has shown resilience also in the current pandemic, and in 2020 it saw revenues in the amount of HRK 28 billion and grew, though less than in 2019, going up by 3.3%. It is also looking for the status of a strategic branch considering its importance for all sectors, an analysis shows.

The analysis of the IT sector, made by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), was presented on Tuesday.

"The IT industry in Croatia employs 35,000 people or 6% more than in 2019, with the average wage having risen to around HRK 9,000, which is 60% above the average net wage in the business sector. In 2020 IT covered 5,700 companies, up 4% from 2019, which were important for digital transformation and social development. The industry could achieve more if the state improved the institutional framework and declared it a strategic branch," HGK Vice-President for Industries and Sustainable Development Tomislav Radoš said.

In that regard, expectations from a review of the Smart Specialisation Strategy are great in the sense that it could help enhance the status of the IT industry and make it even more active in digitalisation. Three more months are left to complete the review after which we can use it in negotiations with the European Commission about money from EU funds and other matters, Radoš said.

He noted that slightly more than HRK 9 billion or 32.5% of the 2020 revenue in the IT industry were exports, an increase of one billion kuna or 13% from 2019.

The State Secretary at the Economy and Sustainable Development Ministry, Mile Horvat, said that in 2022, in addition to the review of the Smart Specialisation Strategy, also expected was the adoption of a national plan for digital transformation and artificial intelligence. IT is also an important part of the National Development Strategy for the period until 2030, he added.

Share of IT in GDP 2.5%; new jobs constantly created

The HGK analysis shows that the share of the IT industry in GDP in 2020 grew to 2.5% despite the pandemic, as well as that it keeps creating new jobs, having opened 11,000 jobs in the past five years (including 2020), with 2020 alone seeing an increase in the number of new jobs of around 2,000 compared to 2019.

Most or 55% of employees in the IT industry work in IT companies that provide services, while 28.4% work in prepackaged software manufacturers and more than 6% each work with equipment and software retailers and with outsourcing providers.

Zagreb has a dominant role in the IT industry, accounting for almost 78% or HRK 21.7 billion of the revenue in the IT sector in 2020. It is followed by Istria County, with a share of 5% in the total revenue, and Zagreb County, with a share of 3%.

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ZAGREB, 7 Dec, 2021 - The Senj wind farm, a €200 million investment project by the Chinese company Norinco and the biggest Chinese investment in clean energy in Croatia, was formally opened for a trial run on Tuesday.

The 156 megawatt capacity wind farm stretches over about 60 square kilometres inland from the northern Adriatic town of Senj. It has 39 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 4 MW, and the estimated annual production capacity is 530 million kWh.

The wind farm was built by the Croatian subsidiary of the Chinese state company Norinco International Cooperation, the majority owner of the Senj-based energy company Energija Projekt.

The wind farm was opened remotely by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who pressed the button at a ceremony in the Hotel Sheraton in Zagreb, with representatives of the Chinese company attending.

Plenković said that the project would contribute to Croatia's green transition. Being a Chinese investment, he noted that this was a unique project in central and eastern Europe making Norinco one of the largest investors in the green economy in Croatia.

The project will also contribute to the active use of renewable energy sources. The 39 wind turbines and their total annual output of about 0.5 terawatt-hours will make an important contribution to total electricity production in Croatia, the prime minister said.

"One of the main objectives is to increase the production of electricity from renewable sources to 30 per cent already next year, and I think projects like this will help us achieve that objective," Plenković said. "That will help reduce electricity imports and further promote low-carbon development with the ultimate goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050," the prime minister said, noting that the capacity of the wind farms in Croatia had increased by 65 per cent over the last five years.

Project should be viewed in wider context of Croatia-China relations

The prime minister also said he wanted to put the project in the wider context of the relations between Croatia and China, which which the Croatian government decided to advance relations in recent years.

In doing so, Croatia utilised the China+17 format and hosted in Dubrovnik in spring 2019 a meeting of that initiative, which connects China and countries in central and eastern Europe, Plenković said, recalling that Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang attended.

The China+17 format has markedly advanced and intensified China-Croatia relations, with trade amounting to €1.4 billion in 2020 and even more this year.

"That shows that in a time of responsibility for this government, Croatia-China relations have gained quite another dimension," Plenković said, recalling that he officially visited China in autumn 2018, when he talked about this investment with Norinco's executives.

He voiced hope that there will be more Chinese investment in Croatia, and mentioned the construction of Pelješac Bridge, calling it the most visible and significant project by Chinese companies in Croatia.

The prime minister also recalled China's assistance in the procurement of protective gear during the pandemic.

Addresses were also made by representatives of Norinco, a representative of the Chinese Embassy, and by Norinco CEO Jiao Kaihe and Croatian Ambassador Dario Mihelin via video from Beijing. A note of congratulations from the Chinese prime minister was also read out.

The Belt and Road Initiative

The Chinese highlighted their Belt and Road Initiative as part of which they are funding infrastructure building in many countries. For the project in Senj and Brinje they hired more than 40 local subcontractors and suppliers as well as 260 domestic workers.

They also said the project will contribute to green and low-carbon development, the development of the local community, and deeper Croatia-China relations.

They said China will accelerate its green transition as well as actively support and intensify international cooperation in the green economy. Also, they said China's development is not a threat but can benefit the whole world, including Croatia.

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ZAGREB, 7 Dec, 2021 - Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said on Tuesday that an amendment put forward by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the city budget proposal for 2022 would be accepted to increase kindergarten capacity in the capital city amid plans to phase out allowances for stay-at-home parents.

The SDP is a junior partner in the city assembly to Tomašević's We Can! party.

"We plan an amount of HRK 52 million, which is twice as much money as the average in the past five years. An additional HRK 15 million will be set aside to rent facilities to serve as temporary kindergartens," he said.

The mayor said that an amendment regarding the stay-at-home parent scheme, put forward by the opposition HDZ party, would not be accepted.

"They asked that we take around HRK 200 million in subsidies from the ZET (city public transport company) to compensate for the decrease in allowances for stay-at-home parents. That would make ZET a lossmaker and prevent it from applying for EU funds," he explained.

Tomašević said that the opposition Bridge party was late with submitting an amendment regarding teaching assistants, which was why it could not be accepted but added that an even higher increase in the hourly wage for those assistants would be accepted, to make it amount to HRK 30. The mayor said he hoped next year money for that purpose would be obtained from EU funds.

The city administration will propose the City Assembly a budget in the amount of HRK 15.12 billion, which is 1.1 billion more than the revised budget for 2021.

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December 7, 2021 - The first business presentation and tasting of representative Hvar wines was held at the Cornaro Hotel in Split, called '' The Best of Hvar '', a collaboration between the Hvar Winemakers Association, the Wine Stars Evaluation Project, and the Jelsa Tourist Board.

On Friday, December 3, 2021, at 4 pm at the Cornaro Hotel in Split, the Hvar Winemakers Association organized the first business presentation and tasting of Hvar wines for representatives of the HORECA sector called The Best of Hvar. This event is designed as a continuation of good cooperation between the Hvar Winemakers Association and the Wine Star Evaluation Project which, with the support of the Jelsa Tourist Board, has been organizing a large island wine evaluation for the third year in a row. Every year the wines are getting better, and this is shown by the ratings that we monitor from year to year.

(Photo: Julio Frangen)

At the Split presentation, Bell'Iakov, Vina Carić, Hvar Hills, Vina Leše presented their young wines and new vintages "en primeur" according to the evaluation categories of the 3rd Jelsa Summer Wine Tasting by Vinske zvijezde - bogdanuše, other white wines, plavci - Luviji, Pavičić vina, Vina Svirče, Vina Tomić, Vina Ventus, Podrum Vujnović and Zlatan Otok. The winning wines of this year's evaluation were at a special exhibition place: Bogdanjuša Carić 2020, Pošip Tomić 2020, Hvar Hills Plavac mali Pharos Maxvmus 2013. The wines were accompanied by excellent Hvar extra virgin olive oils, awarded at domestic and international evaluations: Božić Uje, OPG Eva Curin, and OPG Magdalena Plenković oils of Athens.

From left to right: Joško Stella, director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board; Marija Marjan, director of the Jelsa Tourist Board; Ivana Klarić, director of Cornaro hotel; Marija Vukelić, Wine Star project manager; and Ivana Krstulović Carić, president of the Hvar Winemakers Association. (Photo: Julio Frangen)

The winemakers and business representatives were greeted by the director of Cornaro, the host hotel, Mrs. Ivana Klarić, emphasizing the satisfaction that a special event for Hvar's top winemakers is taking place in the top hotel. Mr. Joško Stella, director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, praised the initiative, reminded of previous collaborations with the Hvar Winemakers Association, including an important presentation in Rome, and expressed the wish that such events continue. The director of the Jelsa Tourist Board, Marija Marjan, presented two significant Jelsa projects involving winemakers, oil producers, and family farms - "Wine, Olive and heritage festival" and announced the framework program of the jubilee 70th Jelsa Wine Festival, which is planned for last week in August 2022, Ivana Krstulović Carić, president of the Hvar Winemakers Association, reminded that the association has been operating successfully since 2010: "When we first met, we realized that the branding of island wines is extremely important, The island of wine, from 384 BC. Kr. In conclusion, Marija Vukelić, Wine Star project manager, praised the better ratings of Hvar wines, which give winemakers better visibility and placement in our and foreign markets.

(Photo: Julio Frangen)

Representatives of the caterers were able to taste for the first time at the first joint exhibition place young bogdanuša, wines of the original white variety of the island of Hvar. In the second exhibition place were other white wines of the island of the varieties prč and pošip, and cuvée of white wines, and in a special place were plavci, new vintages on the market and some already existing and renowned. Three categories and three exhibition places gave an insight into the community of winemakers and the top quality of wine from the whole island. Winemakers and guests at The Best of Hvar event were satisfied with the way of presentation, expressing a desire to organize the Zagreb "En primeura Hvar wines".

The wines were accompanied by excellent Hvar extra virgin olive oils, awarded at domestic and international evaluations. (Photo: Julio Frangen)

The Best of Hvar 2021 is the first business event of winemakers on the island of Hvar, popular "B2B" - business to business, which provides caterers with the opportunity to (early) assess the quality of new harvests, purchase (larger quantities) in advance for next season, on favorable terms - but also a reminder of existing harvests and Hvar wines that can be found on the holiday table and under the Christmas tree.

Croatian wines and grapes are among the best in the world, and you can find more information about them in Total Croatia’s Guide to Croatian Wine HERE.

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December 7, 2021 - Abundant natural resources and a variety of locally-made products are Croatia’s secret to healthy living.

Before arriving in Croatia, I was traveling in many countries learning about wellness practices in different parts of the world. I’m interested in how people think about their wellbeing and what role culture plays. From temazcal in Mexico to a curandera in Colombia, Reiki in Japan, and more, I experienced a variety of indigenous modalities.

Once here, I looked for Croatia’s offer beyond the popular Mediterranean diet and the outdoor lifestyle. Initially, nothing seemed exceptional, but over time I noticed a pattern. Nature blessed Croatia with abundant resources and people are adept at cultivating them and producing goods. I’m talking about food, wine, rakija, and herbal, beauty, and medicinal products. It’s a way of life that a surprising number of people embrace; usually for personal/family use and often as a side hustle. While I can talk long about the (delicious) consumables, the plant-based treatments are equally intriguing.

Plant products

Hvar’s annual lavender festival was my introduction to Croatia’s natural, homemade products and the women who make them. Kantarion (St. John's Wort), smilje (immortelle), nevin (calendula), and of course lavanda (lavender) grow wild here and they’re main ingredients in various creams, balms, lotions, oils, and soaps. Numerous healing/soothing/preventative benefits can be derived from these plants. Commercial products containing these ingredients are sold around the world, but here you can find them made in kitchens and backyards—fresh, clean, and devoid of additives, preservatives, and unpronounceable chemical components.

Grapes grow abundantly near the Adriatic coast. The climate provides unique characteristics that help Croatian wines routinely win awards in international competitions.

What’s the big deal, you may ask? For starters, a lot of women know the plants here—where to find them, how to work with them, and how they keep the body and skin in good working order. Their healing remedies and beauty tonics are in the family medicine cabinet. By the way, have you noticed how many Croatian women have beautiful, supple skin? That brings me to the next point—these things work.

Here are two women with very different stories and motivations for getting into plants.

Hag Made

Ivana Magdalenić with some of her products at Hvar’s annual lavender festival.

Ivana Magdalenić made her first remedy eight years ago to help a friend with a foot injury. After lots of research and tinkering with a recipe, she found the right mixture that healed her friend’s wound. Ivana realized she had a knack for working with plants and she went on to create a natural product line that treats a range of issues—from acne to burns, wounds, scars, psoriasis, wrinkles, joint pain, and more.

Ivana sells her complete line of Hag-Made products at her shop in Stari Grad, Hvar.

Her company name, Hag Made, is a charming wordplay on hand-made and was inspired by a dream about witches brewing over a cauldron. In this narrative, Ivana is a “good witch” who creates healing potions from the heart. I used her Kantarion Plus on some acute burns and within a few days I stared at my skin in disbelief at the marked difference in appearance along with the pain relief. Her Smilje cream gave my skin that Cro dewiness overnight.

Hag-Made Kantarion Plus has strong anti-inflammatory properties and worked miracles on the author’s badly burned skin.

Everything Ivana uses grows naturally on Hvar, where she’s from, and she knows the difference between a plant that comes from the south side of the island where the sun is more intense versus plants on the north side. It’s an important distinction because product quality and effectiveness are priorities; nothing is sold without being tested. She’s part artist, musician, inventor, and free spirit who seems to have a special connection to the earth’s energy, which undoubtedly guides her business.

Ivana in her shop, near the door leading to the outdoor garden where she enjoys coffee and the company of friends.

Grandma Ruža

Grandma Ruža’s childhood house in Gustirna, near Trogir.

Conversations about healing often include somebody’s grandmother and Grandma Ruža is a queen. She’s been making oils and creams with kantarion, smilje, and nevin (calendula) for decades. She administers these for sunscreen, sunburn, wounds, hemorrhoids, cuts… for anything, she tells me. She’s been known to pan-fry dried chamomile flowers in olive oil to make chest wraps for reducing colds and inflammation, and she brews tea from various herbs to improve assorted ailments. To relieve her rheumatism, Grandma Ruža visits a secret location on Šolta where she smears the black mud on her entire body and face; home-made rakija infused with herbs helps too. Funny.

Grandma Ruža with a picture of her mother.

Her range of knowledge comes from life experience. Growing up at the end of World War II in the countryside near Trogir, people in the villages survived off agriculture. She was on the front line with her mother for handling plants and animals and producing a long list of food—meat, cheese, vegetables, oils, herbs, wine, and brandy. When Grandma Ruža quit school at age 10 to work and help take care of the family, her hands-on education on plant medicine began too.

Grandma Ruža cleaning up in the yard around her childhood home.

She regularly picked sage, immortelle, and wormwood, and tree fruits including oskoruša (used as medicinal tea for stomachaches and constipation) and maginje (a Croatian “strawberry” containing high amounts of vitamin C and dietary fiber)—some of the more direct healing plants. Today, she’s still going strong and the family still benefits from her preparations.

Recycled containers come in handy for Grandma Ruža’s homemade oils and balms, which the whole family uses.

Natural fortunes

Not many places in the world have Croatia’s diversity or abundance of natural resources that provide food, nutrition, and healing. I’m not sure how many Croatians realize their good fortune in this regard, but it seems obvious to me, and it feels like I’m constantly learning about a new food or plant here that provides some benefit.

Maginje fruit are called Croatian strawberries. Although the shape, texture, and taste are different from typical garden strawberries, their health benefits are similar. Unlike the garden variety that grows in plants low to the ground, maginje grows wild in trees and in great quantity.

To be able to produce food with readily available, indigenous vegetation, animals, and other means AND nourish your body (hello Mediterranean diet) AND heal your ailments, seems like a triple win. I’m glad to have found Croatia’s natural wellness; to my mind it enhances everyone’s prospects for healthy living.

For more of Cyndie's experiences, check out her Croatia Through the Eyes of a Digital Nomad column.  

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ZAGREB, 7 Dec, 2021 - The Serb National Council (SNV) said on Tuesday that Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević would pay his respects to Aleksandra Zec and her family as the first representative of the City of Zagreb to do so in the past 30 years.

The commemoration is being organised by the Antifascist League of Croatia and the SNV on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the murder of members of an ethnic Serb minority family, Aleksandra, Marija and Mihajlo Zec. 

Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević, and SNV president Milorad Pupovac will also attend the commemoration.

"This crime is one of the most shameful chapters in recent Croatian history. The perpetrators were all members of special police forces who were acquitted due to procedural errors. Croatian institutions protected them and sent an intimidating message to Croatian citizens and shamed Croatia and the City of Zagreb," a press release said.

Two surviving family members Dušan and Gordana Zec were paid one-off compensation in 2004 and that is the only support they received from the state.

Members of a special police unit under Tomislav Merčep came to the home of the Zec family in Zagreb's Tresnjevka district shortly after 11 pm on 7 December 1991 and shot dead 38-year-old Mihajlo Zec as he tried to escape. Marija and Aleksandra (12), who witnessed the murder, were then taken in a van to the Adolfovac mountain lodge on Mount Medvednica, overlooking Zagreb, where they were killed and the mountain lodge was burned down. The perpetrators were Munib Suljić, Siniša Rimac, Igor Mikola, Nebojša Hodak and Snježana Živanović, according to the press release.

One of the murderers, Siniša Rimac, later become the then Defence Minister Gojko Šušak's bodyguard and was even decorated by President Franjo Tuđman.

Aleksandra, Marija i Mihajlo Zec are buried in Gornja Dragotinja (near Prijedor, northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina), Mihajlo's native town.

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ZAGREB, 7 Dec, 2021 - The state secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Ivo Milatić, said on Tuesday that in addition to HRK 390 million set aside for the energy renovation of family housing, as much money would also be allocated to companies for the same purpose.

HRK 400 million will be allocated from the national recovery and resilience plan to companies which failed to get funding in the tender process because there wasn't enough money, Milatić said in response to the question from MP Tomislav Okroša of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) during debate on the final text of the renewable energy bill.

Okroša said that 8,850 applications had been received as part of the call for the energy renovation of housing and the construction of systems for the use of renewable energy sources, while only HRK 390 million was available. He wondered if this call would be issued again and whether this amount would suffice.

Milatić expressed hope that the amount would suffice, "and if not, calls will continue from the new financial perspective and the Environmental Protection Fund," and that all this investment would result in the installation of "a serious amount of solar panels" by the end of 2022.

He dismissed the claim by Zvane Brumnić (Social Democrats group) that the bill had been changed between the two readings indicating that investors would turn an enormous profit at the expense of citizens.

"I don't know where you found this. I categorically deny that private companies will make an enormous profit, that's out of the question," Milatić said.

He said that the bill promoted the use of renewable energy sources and aimed to increase the share of renewable energy in the heating and cooling sector by 1.1 percentage points as the annual average calculated for the period until 2025.

This bill seeks to ensure that there is at least 36.6 per cent of renewable energy in final energy consumption by 2030, the state secretary said.

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December 7, 2021 - Advent in Split is even richer this year - ride to Zvončac Advent in style with a festive train from Sv. Frane every day! 

'Click on Advent' is the theme of this year's Split Advent, so visitors near and far can 'click' on gastronomy, culture, and games thanks to a new website, ensuring Split's festive season is never too away. 

A handful of exciting events will be held this year in various micro-locations around the city, including the Cornaro ramparts, Perivoj, Imaginarium Advent Zvončac, and Mertojak. 

One of the most interesting locations this year is Imaginarium Advent at Zvončac Park, which opened its program with the Split Majorettes, Alen Islamović & Thrill Band last week. In addition to a packed concert program, UJE oil bar, Bajamonti Pizza, Steak & Fish House, Konoba Lanterna Siber, Mazzgoon, Charlie's Bar, Moby Dick, Caffe Bar - Bistro NoStress, BEPA, and ZINNY are providing tasty culinary creations to enhance the Advent atmosphere at their holiday houses. 

The organizers announced a colorful concert program as well, with Petar Dragojević playing on his uncle Oliver's birthday (December 7), Gustafi, and Split favorite TBF to ring in the new year. 

But that's not all. 

If you were worried about how you'd get to Zvončac, fret not - an Advent train will depart from Sv. Frane to Zvončac every day! The train costs 5 kuna per passenger and will work on Monday to Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 12 pm to 10 pm. 

Admission is free to Zvončac Advent and Covid certificates are required for the evening part of the program, which begins at 7 pm. For those who do not have a Covid certificate, testing is available at the entrance for 50 kuna. 

You can find the full program at: https://advent.imaginarium.hr

Advent Zvončac is organized by Imaginarium Events & Weddings with Radio Dalmacija as the media sponsor. Other sponsors are the Croatian National Theater in Split, President Hotels, and the Split Tourist Board. 

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