How Are Croatian Enterprises Surviving Pandemic? Improvisation
February the 11th, 2021 - Just how have Croatian enterprises managed to cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic? Improvisation and being able to quickly alter business models has been the key to survival during these truly unprecedented times.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Blaskovic writes, the world is entering its second year of the coronavirus pandemic and, judging by the chaos with vaccine production (not to mention the appearance of new mutated strains), a return to life as we once knew it (and which we took for granted) will take time, which puts the issue of Croatian enterprises and their level of resilience in the long run at the very forefront.
Croatian enterprises, for the most part and in certain sectors, have done relatively well over the past year thanks to boasting an improvisation mentality without which the fall in Croatian GDP would have been even greater, but now is the time to truly take advantage of that.
"We in the region have shown ourselves to be creative because we're constantly living in a crisis here. We survived the first year of the coronavirus pandemic exclusively on the wave of improvisation, since Croatia enterprises generally didn't have any crisis plans, except for the biggest ones,'' stated Zlatko Bazianec, head of the Croatian office of Deloitte.
Contingency plans, for example, provide for concrete steps in the event of major disruptions, such as earthquakes. What if the location is compromised? What is the closest alternative, which people are critical, who will perform certain key actions and how - these are all steps that such a scenario has to work to predict, and in great detail.
Even the largest Croatian enterprises, however, weren't prepared for a combination of two disasters, a pandemic and a set of earthquakes at the same time. "During the first wave, we learned a lot, we adapted quickly. If we were to re-enter ''lockdown'' again we'd be more prepared because we've since learned how to perform most tasks remotely.
Due to constant improvisation, we have an advantage over those who normally live in an orderly society, such as Germany or Sweden,'' added Bazianec, who is convinced that Croatia has ''saved'' at least 5 percentage points of its GDP to pure creativity.
As a transition economy, the problem Croatia often faces is the lack of capital within its companies, so, in an environment with falling incomes and GDP, there isn't much room for tolerance for a long-lasting crisis. "That's why this advantage should be used for the future, and not just wait for a new crisis to happen," he said.
"Let's all learn something from this. We all need to be better prepared, there'es an opportunity here to shorten the supply chain and Croatian enterprises should try to conquer a new market or two. Education, investment in people and technology, health and the environment are key. The time for that is limited because when things go back to normal, then these other countries will come back much stronger and it will be too late,'' Bazianec said.
Figuratively speaking, large earthquakes, for which the term ''disruptive disorders'' is coined, can occur slowly and almost imperceptibly, like climate change, but they can also strike suddenly, like a storm.
The so-called ''film'' combination can't be ruled out either: earthquakes coincided with the coronavirus pandemic in Croatia, and political instability, protests against racism and Donald Trump's coup attempt happened across the Atlantic.
“Few organisations have been adequately prepared for the sort of turmoil we've seen on global markets during 2020. The overlapping global pandemic, social and political unrest, and deteriorating climate events have hit private and public sectors hard around the world.
An increasing number of challenges have expanded the concept of preparedness to ways that many could never have anticipated and put an unthinkable level of pressure on them,'' wrote Deloitte CEO Punit Renjen in the introduction to the 2021 Global Resilience Report.
Created by a survey of 2,260 managers in 21 study countries, the consulting firm examines how companies cope with the "new normal", how they respond to difficult choices, how they explore new ways of doing business and how they face fundamental changes in their strategies.
Such questions are crucial because most respondents believe that 2020 will not remain an exception, unfortunately. Over 6 out of 10 respondents expect new disturbances to occur, either occasionally or regularly, and as many as three quarters believe that the climate crisis is similar or even worse than the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
There's a message to be sent out to Croatian enterprises and business owners, and that is that there are several main attributes of resilient companies:
Corporate culture
They're prepared, adaptable (primarily thanks to having more versatile employees), willing to cooperate within their organisations, they're reliable (again with an emphasis placed primarily on employees) and they're responsible.
These characteristics don't arise by themselves but require desire, effort, investment and moves to cultivate and sustain them, and companies in which they intentionally become a ''mindset'' and corporate culture are at an advantage as they seek the path to a ''better norma''’ in a post- pandemic world, the study concluded.
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VIDEO: Zagreb Scooter Speeds at Over 70km/h Delivering Food
February 11, 2021 – In the capital city of Croatia, they call it fast food for a very good reason. One Zagreb scooter and its delivery driver were videoed doing incredible speeds of over 70km/h on one of their runs.
In the capital city of Croatia, they call it fast food for a very good reason. But not everyone knew just how fast, until now. One Zagreb scooter and its delivery driver were videoed doing incredible speeds of over 70km/h on a city centre dual carriageway (divided highway). Standing upright on the thin deck of the electric vehicle, the Zagreb scooter manages to keep pace with the much more powerful cars and vans that surround him on the road.
The fast-moving Zagreb scooter was caught on the dashcam of another delivery driver who was making a similar run down Slavonska avenue on 7 February. The dual carriageway is one of the busiest and fastest in Zagreb.
It's not only the pace of the Zagreb scooter which lets you know he may be carrying hot kebabs, pizza or hamburgers to a hungry household. The driver of the Zagreb scooter is wearing one of the distinctive cube-shaped backpacks worn by fast food deliverymen all over Zagreb.
The delivery driver in the car keeps his distance from the Zagreb scooter, but his dashcam records the speed at which he's travelling. Despite hitting speeds of 73km/h himself, the car driver gains no distance on the Zagreb scooter.
The video footage has been copied and posted across social media many times. In their popular article of the video on 10 February, Croatian news portal Index said they had sent an inquiry to the Zagreb police about this event, and were expecting an answer during the morning of 11 February.
While some food delivery customers may not be discontented to know the hair-raising lengths to which drivers go to make sure their food arrives hot, you suspect many more would be just as happy if the drivers travelled with the utmost caution – and at perhaps more appropriate speeds – when making their runs.
Davor Filipović Officially Confirmed as HDZ Candidate for Zagreb Mayor
ZAGREB, 10 February 2021 - The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Wednesday officially presented Davor Filipović as its candidate for Zagreb Mayor in local elections to be held in May, with HDZ leader and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stressing his competence and ambition.
Plenković noted that Filipović was aware of all problems, outstanding issues and challenges in the capital city.
"With his work in the City Assembly over the past four years he has positioned himself very well, he has been recognised, he is familiar with all topics that are relevant for the future of the city's residents and with his academic career, he guarantees an exceptional contribution to the city's development," Plenković said in the party offices after an online session of the HDZ's Zagreb branch.
The most important challenges facing Filipović will be the reconstruction of the city after the 22 March 2020 earthquake and the city's financial consolidation, Plenković said, thanking members of the HDZ branch in Zagreb for supporting Filipović's candidacy by acclamation.
The 36-year-old Filipović is a lecturer at the Zagreb Faculty of Economics.
He is an HDZ councillor in the Zagreb City Assembly and chairman of its finance and budget committee. He also chairs the Supervisory Board of the Hrvatske Šume forest management company.
The secretary of the HDZ's Zagreb branch, Filipović emerged as the party's candidate for Mayor after negotiations with the temporary director of the Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Fund, Damir Vanđelić, fell through.
Olympic Qualifiers: Croatia Water Polo Team Selected for Rotterdam
February 10, 2021 - The Croatia water polo team coach has announced the final list of players with whom he is going to the Olympic qualifying tournament in Rotterdam.
The Olympic qualifiers will be held in Rotterdam from February 14 to 21, and coach Ivica Tucak has decided on 14 players for their trip to the Netherlands.
"This is the most difficult decision for every coach, including me, considering that all the guys from the initial 22 who were invited to the preparations gave their best. Eighteen of them were invited to Zagreb, four of which had to drop out. They are goalkeeper Marcelić, center Dobud, and outside players Benić and Žuvela. I want to sincerely thank all four of them for the maximum effort they put in, their desire and will. With their presence at every training session and match, they made our preparations even better, and I thank them for that. As a coach, this is a tough decision, but it was made based on the players' current state. This does not mean that the same 14 players will travel to Tokyo if we qualify, but I think that these 14 are the best that Croatian water polo has at the moment," said coach Tucak.
The player list includes Marko Bijač, Marko Macan, Loren Fatović, Luka Lončar, Maro Joković, Luka Bukić, Ante Vukičević, Andro Bušlje, Lovre Miloš, Josip Vrlić, Rino Burić, Javier Garcia Gadea, Toni Popadić and reserve Franko Lazić.
The International Federation of Water Sports (FINA) has decided that each team can travel to the tournament with a maximum of 22 people.
"Considering the rhythm that awaits us there, eight games in eight days, extreme effort in physical and psychological terms, I decided to take two physiotherapists and doctors to the tournament. This medical care, along with Professor Kuterovac, who will help regeneration and rest, is critical. For that reason, we leave with 14, not 15 players. Franko Lazić is traveling as a reserve player, who can only join the team if one of the players confirms himself as COVID-positive," Tucak explained.
In Rotterdam, 12 national teams will be divided into two groups. Croatia is in Group B with Germany, Russia, Romania, the Netherlands, and France, and Group A consists of Greece, Montenegro, Brazil, Canada, Georgia, and Turkey. After five games in the group, the four best teams from each group will play in the quarterfinals.
"Every game is difficult, every game brings its own challenge, and every next one is even harder and even more important than the previous one. What we need to focus on is our performance. I think we have quality, and we are better than any national team in the group, but we have to show that in the pool," concluded Tucak.
"The quarterfinal match will be difficult in the psychological sense, and then the semifinals. We have no right to make a mistake. We are opening the tournament with Romania, we know their best player Cosmin Radu well, he is mine and Bušlje's club teammate. I think he will take care of them and will certainly cover them well. We will try to tire him out as much as possible and, of course, hope to win. We expect to qualify for the Olympics. I think that we are the best team and that we will succeed," said Croatia national team player Luka Bukić.
His teammate Andro Bušlje sees the greatest strength of Croatia in the team.
"We believe in each other and encourage each other when we are doing well, as well as in those difficult times when we are not doing well. We did a lot of physical preparation because an extremely demanding tournament awaits us. As the tournament progresses, we will be more and more tired, but I don't think there will be any problems, and we will show ourselves in the best light in Rotterdam. We are doing all this and preparing to get that long-desired visa for Tokyo," said Bušlje.
Croatia travels to Rotterdam on Friday, February 12, and the first match of the tournament will be played on Sunday, February 14 at 7 pm against Romania.
Source: HVS
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Plenkovic on Easing Measures in Croatia: Citizens Should be Rewarded
February 10, 2021 - Andrej Plenkovic spoke about possibly easing measures in Croatia, saying that the Government will present several possible options on Thursday.
After the HDZ presented Davor Filipovic as a candidate for mayor of Zagreb, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also commented on the possible easing of epidemiological measures.
"I think that under these circumstances we should reward our fellow citizens who have shown a great deal of patience and responsibility. We are thinking about several possible steps that we will present to the government tomorrow," said Plenkovic, as reported by N1.
It should be reminded that the presence of the UK COVID-19 variant has been confirmed in Croatia. Whether this will affect the easing of measures, a member of the government's Scientific Council, Ozren Polasek, explained to N1.
"Certainly, we all want to think about giving in because now we understand the psychological and economic cost of this situation in which such measures are in force. I was hoping we would go in that direction. However, the emergence of these strains and the situation from other European countries does not give us much hope, but this is not the end of the world. We are currently in a good situation, and today we discussed how to keep it, regardless of the environment and the fact that a new variant was confirmed today, which was probably with us before. Still, today we have definite confirmation that it is expanding with us," said Polašek.
Asked whether they will ease the existing epidemiological measures, Minister Vili Beroš said today that there is no unambiguous answer to this question and that it will be discussed further. He thinks that individual decisions based on the epidemiological situation will be made in the coming days.
"We will base our decisions on epidemiological data and common sense. We all agree that measures should not be further tightened, but relaxation should be considered very carefully. I think we will make certain decisions that will be based on the situation in the coming days," Beros said.
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HZZ: 165,345 Unemployed People at End January
ZAGREB, 10 February 2021 - A total of 165,345 unemployed persons were registered with the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) at the end of January 2021, up by 3.4% from the previous month and by 18.2% compared with January 2020, the HZZ said on Wednesday.
HZZ records show that there were 5,500 unemployed people more at the end of January 2021 than at the end of December 2020 and 25,421 more than at the end of January 2020.
Daily figures, available on the HZZ website, show that 163,884 unemployed persons are currently registered with the HZZ, which is 1,461 fewer than at the end of January. Currently, 13,473 job vacancies are advertised.
A comparison of data from the previous months shows that the rise in the number of jobseekers has been slowing on an annual level since April 2020. The annual unemployment growth rate decelerated to 21.3% in December 2020 and fell below 20%, to 18.2%, in January 2021.
A total of 16,132 people registered with the HZZ in January 2021, which is 30% fewer than in January 2020. 75.3% of the newly-registered jobseekers, or 12,146 people, signed up after losing their previous employment, while 10,632 people signed off, which is 28.5% fewer than in January 2020.
Fifth Solin Winterfest: Cultural, Natural, Religious Heritage in 15 Videos
February 10, 2021 – Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the fifth Solin Winterfest takes place in a virtual edition for the first time. Solin Tourist Board prepared 15 videos in four thematic units – Water, Grace, Heritage, and Love – to present Solin's rich cultural, natural, and religious heritage.
With its 30,000 inhabitants, there are 6,500 young people under 18 and positive demographic growth, and the city of Solin holds the title of "youngest" city in Croatia. Since it's the City of Families and Children's Friend, Solin shows to fellow citizens, visitors, and tourists the importance of family and life with the Winterfest project.
Besides educating its fellow citizens (children and adults) and designing cultural facilities during the winter months, this project aims to develop the off-season tourist offer. Following the strategic goals of tourism development in Croatia, the goal is to position Solin as a destination that lives 365 days a year.
Salona amphitheater / Photo: Romulić and Stojčić
The first unit – Water – presents the project "Jadro – the source of life" for sustainable use of natural heritage through valorization and transformation of previously degraded space into a unique visitor area of a special reserve of endemic species – Solin soft-skinned trout.
The Gašpić restaurant host, Zoran Kljaković Gašpić, better known as Medo, shows in a gastronomic workshop how to prepare trout in broth, a traditional Solin dish.
In a virtual walk through the old Solin mills, in Gašpina mill, one of the few preserved mills on the river Jadro built at the beginning of the 18th century, you can find out what they are and how many of them there were.
The second unit – Grace – is dedicated to the Solin's religious heritage. Find out more about Queen Jelena's reign through the Interpretive Walk "Royal Stories from Solin" – Our Lady's Island, the oldest Marian shrine in Croatia. There is also the Story of the Salonitan Martyrs, told by Don Frane Bulić, a priest and archaeologist, long-time director of the Archaeological Museum in Split, the father of Croatian archeology. Don Fran Bulić was embodied by Nino Švonja, curator of the Archaeological Museum in Split.
In the third unit – Heritage – with Don Frane Bulić, you can also get to know the history of Solin and the Salona site, the largest archeological park in Croatia. The heritage of Prince Trpimir leads to the archeological site of Rižinica, and there is also an Archaeological Workshop.
The fourth unit – Love – places particular emphasis on the family and children since Solin is the youngest city in Croatia due to its positive demographic growth. Also, this unit is associated with the upcoming Valentine's Day.
How many times have we heard that love goes through the stomach? In the gastronomic workshop "Taste the Love," Medo again presents an exciting recipe for your better half – Filet mignon with gnocchi and pancakes with fruit in a currant sauce.
The Solin City Theater held a workshop for children "Mouse in Love," and there is also a course of dance steps "Dance of the Heart" because – what is Valentine's Day without dancing?
"The events have so far been realized in cooperation with partners indoors in the city of Solin. They consisted of interactive workshops, mini schools, interpretation events, music programs, themed trips, and city tours for all ages," said Jelena Stupalo, Solin Tourist Board director, for the portal Turističke priče.
In recent years, the Solin Winterfest response has been excellent, although the event is regional. Visitors are mostly from the cities of Split-Dalmatia County and tourists who are in accommodation facilities.
All videos can be found on the Solin Tourist Board's website, as well as on YouTube.
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HGK: Nearly 500 Companies Take Part in Business Talks between Croatia and Israel
ZAGREB, 10 February 2021 - Nearly 500 companies took part in online business talks between Croatia and Israel, laying the groundwork for stronger economic cooperation, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) said on Wednesday.
The talks were held as part of a new cycle of online business meetings within the HGK's export promotion platform "Go Global, Go Virtual," the HGK said, adding that it was continuing this project because of a great interest among businesses.
HGK president Luka Burilović said that Israel had some of the best research institutions in the world, spending about 5% of GDP on research and development and 8.1% of GDP on education.
"Investing in research and development, promoting the start-up culture and introducing new technologies are the factors that make Israel one of the world leaders," Burilović said.
He expressed hope that virtual meetings would result in concrete contracts and improving cooperation.
Burilović said that the purpose of the "Go Global, Go Virtual" project was for "as many Croatian companies as possible to export their products to Israel and other developed markets, not just because this will directly benefit our economy, but also because our companies will get an invaluable experience in doing business with the best."
The Israeli Ambassador to Croatia, Ilan Mor, said that the "Go Global, Go Virtual" platform was ideal for strengthening economic relations at the time of the global coronavirus pandemic. This project is the first step in tapping the large potential for economic cooperation between our two countries, he added.
The president of the Croatian-Israeli Business Club, Saša Missoni, said he hoped such meetings would open up new prospects and create new business ideas that would be realised in the near future.
Dan Catarivas, director of the Foreign Trade and International Relations Division at the Manufacturers' Association of Israel, said that the two countries were not exploiting the full potential of their economic cooperation and that this was an excellent opportunity to change that regardless of the coronavirus pandemic.
Israeli and Croatian companies are quite compatible, and the possible areas of cooperation are broad, ranging from agriculture and industry to tourism, Catarivas said.
Croatia's Ambassador to Israel, Vesela Mrđen Korać, said she was confident that Israeli companies would find good partners in Croatian companies with highly-skilled labour. Companies from the two countries have an opportunity to embark on joint ventures together on the EU single market and use EU funds, she said.
In 2019, trade between Croatia and Israel reached €90.1 million, of which €50 million accounted for imports from Israel. Last year economic relations were affected by the coronavirus crisis, with trade staying below €50 million in December 2020, the HGK said.
President, GE Executives Talk Interest in Investments in Croatia
ZAGREB, 10 February 2021 - President Zoran Milanović on Wednesday met with a delegation of the General Electric company whose representatives expressed interest in investing in Croatia to contribute to curbing the emigration of highly skilled workers, the Office of the President said.
The GE delegation consisted of Endre Ascsillán, GE Vice President for Government and Strategic Affairs in Central and Eastern Europe, and Tungsram Group President and Chief Executive Officer Joerg Bauer.
President Milanović welcomed the interest expressed in investments to help keep highly educated workers in Croatia, expressing hope such investments would contribute to Croatia's economic development.
The US company General Electric, headquartered in Boston, is one of the world's biggest and most diversified corporations, with a number of products, from electric and electronic equipment to airplane engines and financial services, and it employs around 205,000 workers.
The company has been present in Croatia since 2015, when during the takeover of the French company Alstom it took over its business in Karlovac. General Electric Croatia exports more than 75% of its products and services.
Museum of Illusions Becomes World's Largest Chain of Private Museums
February 10, 2021 - Museum of Illusions has become the largest chain of private museums in the world!
HRTurizam writes that today is another historic day for Croatian tourism and Croatia in general.
Namely, the Museum of Illusions opened its 30th franchise, this time in New Delhi, and thus became the largest chain of private museums in the world.
Europe is still closed, while the American and global markets are slowly opening up and becoming more active, points out Roko Živković of the Museum of Illusions.
“The partners we work with throughout the project have continued to build new museums. Europe is all closed, and this is where the expansion of the franchise cares most about the coronavirus pandemic. On the other hand, the American market is very active, and soon, through the franchise model, the Museum of Illusions will open in Miami, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and Washington, as well as in Cairo and in the capital of Saudi Arabia - Riyadh," says Zivkovic, and concludes how happy they are that in this crisis, the franchise is expanding and developing all over the world, especially because people from Croatia are working on the project.
Interestingly, Roko Živković and his business partner Tomislav Pamuković got the idea for the Museum of Illusions by watching the popular BrainGames series on National Geographic. Six years after the first museum in Zagreb in 2015, today, the Museum of Illusions has become the world's largest chain of private museums.
"Museum of Illusions offers interactive, immersive, and fun experiences for children, parents, couples, grandmothers, and grandfathers – a perfect, unusual, and exciting place for all generations. Amusing and awesome tricks will teach you about vision, perception, the human brain, and science, so it will be easier to perceive why your eyes see things which your brain cannot understand," reads the Museum of Illusions website.
It is important to emphasize that this is a Croatian tourist export product, which includes a Croatian team, and all exhibits are more or less produced in Croatia.
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