January 5, 2023 - The Croatian dream - to live in Croatia and get income from abroad. Meet the locals who are living that dream, and find out how you could, too, in a new TCN series. In the latest in the series, meet Barbara Boltiš, who is enjoying life in Ivanić Grad.

Croatia, great for a 2-week holiday, but a nightmare for full-time living unless you are very rich, so the perceived wisdom goes. The Croatian dream is to live in Croatia with a nice income from abroad, as many foreigners and remote workers do. For Croatians, if I read the comments in my recent video, Croatia is the Best Place to Live: 8 Reasons Why (see below), salaries are too low and people are forced to emigrate in search of a better life.

While there is definitely an element of truth to this, it got me thinking. The era of remote work is here, and the workplace is increasingly global, with a labour shortage for many skills. It doesn't matter if you are from Boston or Bangladesh if you have the skills, desire, and work ethic, and are able to work remotely online.  And while it is certainly true that salaries in Croatia are low, what about the opportunities that the global online marketplace offers? If foreigners can find ways to live in Paradise and work remotely, why not locals? Curious, I posted this on my Facebook and LinkedIn:

Do I know many Croats who are living in Croatia, but working remotely for international companies who would be interested in being part of a TCN interview series showcasing living in Croatia but earning online, including advice to others on how to get started? It could be an interesting series. If interested, contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Remote Croatia.

Some 15 emails - and several inspiring stories - later, and I think we have the makings of what could be a rather interesting series, Croats Living in Croatia & Earning Abroad. Next up in the series, Barbara Boltiš in Ivanić Grad.

I’m Barbara, and if you are not from Croatia or a neighbouring country, it will be a challenge to pronounce my surname, but you can give it a try – it’s Boltiš. I grew up and I live in the small town of Ivanić-Grad near the capital of Croatia. After finishing high school in my hometown, I studied communication science at the University of Zagreb. During these years, I discovered I enjoy writing. My passion for writing inspired me to start my blog, which led to my first gigs as a content writer and also to learning more about digital marketing. After getting a university degree, I worked in a Croatian company as a Digital Marketing Specialist. When my one-year contract expired, I had a now or never moment and packed my bags for Ireland. I landed an amazing remote-first job in an international company CXC Global. In a nutshell, after three months in Galway, a series of events and many personal reasons made me pack my bags back to my Croatian hometown. The best part was being able to keep my job and not sacrificing anything in the process.

1. Many Croats are emigrating but you not only chose to stay, but managed to achieve the Croatian dream - living here and working for an international company. Tell us how you did it.

As I mentioned earlier, after quite a few student experiences and one year in a Croatian company, I just felt like there must be some kind of hack to have a better life. I didn’t want to settle. And I’m a (calculated) risk taker by nature. In August 2022, I started to apply for jobs on the Irish version of the website Indeed. By the second half of September, I was already working remotely as a Digital Marketing Specialist for a CXC Global EMEA in Galway. After three months in Galway, I just felt like I wanted to go back to Croatia. At that point, the job was the only thing I was happy with. And the people in my workplace were pleased with me too, so there was only one way to go about it – work remotely from my hometown. 

2. Looking for jobs based in Croatia can be a challenging task. How challenging was it for you to get where you are today - it must have taken a lot of determination and rejection.

Well, I think nobody will like this answer, but I would say it wasn’t the hardest thing in the world. From my university years up until now, I was rarely jobless. During my university years, I was also active in a student association, writing on my blog, having various interests, and working on different projects. All these things made me more employable, which resulted in getting the job more often than not. Before I decided to leave Croatia, I had the option to open up my business with clients in line, but I just wasn’t ready to take that step. I was also offered a job that was based in Zagreb, but I didn’t want to live through the same story again. So, I wouldn't say I experienced so many rejections, and the ones I did I see as a redirection to better things.

3. If you can do it, presumably others can too. Are you aware of others who have had similar success, but maybe in different industries?

Yes, I know quite a few people based in Croatia in different industries that can work remotely, earn more and have international clients. For example, one of my friends works as a therapist. She can have sessions with clients via phone calls or video calls. I also know some people that work in the IT industry. Even in the creative industry, there are Croatians nowadays owning Etsy shops and offer their products in a global market. I would say it’s possible but it depends on the industry.

4. What is the general feeling among people in Croatia today: Is it possible to have a good life here, or is the grass greener on the other side? 

I think there is a general feeling of being stuck in one place. Many people are complaining about how bad everything is and not doing anything about it. Since I’m a full-on optimist, I think people can have more than a good life here in Croatia. The grass is greener wherever you water it. It depends on personal priorities and the type of risk an individual is willing to take. For me, waiting 10 years in one company to have a somewhat decent paycheck is not an option.

5. Apart from corruption and nepotism, low wages are often cited as a reason to emigrate. But with the remote work revolution, as your example has shown, as well as the influx of many foreign workers to the likes of Rimac and Infobip for example, show that a good quality of life IS possible in Croatia. What are your thoughts on that? 

I agree, the only problem that nobody talks about in these scenarios is that many Croatian-based companies still require people to be present in the offices. I believe that not everybody (including me) wants to live and/or commute to Zagreb and Split. There is still not enough trust from the employers' side toward employees when it comes to remote work. In the terms of living a so-called Croatian dream, I think many companies are saying that you can live a Croatian dream, but only if it’s in Zagreb or maybe Split. Also, we have an IT boom, while other industries are not moving so much. We cannot depend only on one or two industries as a country, that’s why I would focus more on what each individual can change for themselves, rather than looking a collective situation.

6. What advice do you have for others who would like to stay in Croatia, but have no idea where or how to find a possible remote work job or business as you have managed to do?

I know that it is scary to move on from things that seem familiar and to do something different. It’s not the most comfortable to not know where you will land or if you will land at all, but it’s so much better to try than to continue doing something you don’t like for the next month, year, or decade. Take some time out, write what you would like to do, and if you are not qualified to do this thing you want to do, start with some small goal because setting up a big goal means setting up for failure.

For example, if you would like to be a content writer, start by reading blog posts. Then, maybe you can think of the niche or industry you would like to write about. When you have these two things, you could volunteer to write a piece for a small business website or create your blog or a LinkedIn article. If you are qualified, start applying only for jobs that you like, don’t put pressure on yourself, and if it says remote-first based in a particular country, apply anyway. It can turn out that you are a candidate that they are looking for, and they would be able to make an exception, or they can contact you in the future in case something pops up.

7. Three reasons you decided to stay in Croatia, and the one thing you would like to change in this country.

1. People. I love Croatian people. I have amazing Croatian friends that I just can’t compare to anything and anyone. I love the way Croatian people are relaxed and easy to talk to and always ready to help. Also, I like our bluntness. 
2. Nature and climate. As a person that requires a lot of outdoor time to feel and be sane, I like the fact that the Croatian climate allows me to be in nature all year round. Croatian nature is indescribable, I’m so lucky to live in a country that I could spend my whole life exploring, and still wouldn’t be able to see everything worth seeing. 
3. Local food. I’m able to step outside of my house and just take everything I need to make a full meal from the vegetables in a garden behind the house I live in. In case anything is missing, there are always relatives and friends that bring eggs, pomegranates, tangerines, lemons, and all the other goodies. 

I would change more than one thing, but the main thing I feel is the root of the problem is a victim mentality. It seems like it’s always somebody else fault for everything that is happening. I feel that each individual should take the responsibility for the role they are playing in society. If you want to have a better life, move your ass and stop complaining.

****

Thanks Barbara, very inspiring, and congratulations on all your success.

You can follow the rest of this series in the dedicated TCN section here.

If you would like to contribute your story to this series, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Remote Croatia.

****

What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning - Business and Dalmatia.

Follow Paul Bradbury on LinkedIn.

Subscribe to the Paul Bradbury Croatia & Balkan Expert YouTube channel.

Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

January 5, 2023 - Euro Croatia tackling dirty play - at today's session, the government adopted a conclusion calling on everyone, from retailers to restaurateurs and craftsmen, to return their prices to the level before the conversion to the euro. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković pointed out that such price increases represent dirty play and profiteering.

"We warned there would be a negligible price increase; it was like that elsewhere. But what we are witnessing is something else. This is unjustified, pure profiteering, dirty play, and we will strongly oppose it with the Government's measures in the coming period," the PM said, as reported by 24Sata.

He called on all competent institutions to expose unfair practices from the State Inspectorate and Tax and Customs Administration.

"We will do that, and when I say measures so that there are no dilemmas, I also mean subsidies and other taxes. The government will not sit back and watch this without a reaction, and everyone who thinks that in this situation they can cast a shadow from an extremely positive and useful thing with their irresponsible business policy or harm the strategic success of the state, the government, society and all of us, they will not succeed", he said.

The Prime Minister called on all business entities to distance themselves from those who unjustifiably raised prices.

"With the conclusion of the Government, everyone is invited to immediately revise the prices to those before January 1, 2023, at the end of December. All departments are tasked to strengthen supervision, the Ministry of Economy to take all measures to collect complete and accurate information on price monitoring, the Ministry of Agriculture to collect food and product prices", said Plenković.

He stated that the purpose of the euro is not for someone in a crisis to get rich unjustifiably at the expense of citizens.

"We will not welcome any phenomena that lead to an increase in inflation, but we will sanction and fight against it with all mechanisms to protect consumers and ensure fair business practices," he stressed.

"In this period, all authorities will contribute to uncovering unfair practices. The state inspectorate, and the tax and customs administration, will be given a specific task to act as soon as they see irregularities - said the prime minister and called on everyone to revise the prices and return them to what they were at the end of December - he added.

Minister Davor Filipović presented the Government's measures against price increases.

"All business entities, including credit institutions and other financial service providers, and all those who have raised prices against the law are obliged to revise the retail prices of their goods and services and that they be determined by the price level as of 31 December", said Filipović.

"The inspectorate, tax, customs, ministries, CNB... are tasked to implement increased supervision of entities within their jurisdiction without delay", he said, adding that the Ministry of Economy will monitor prices and offer price comparisons at various entities.

He called on the Ministry of Agriculture to immediately collect the prices of agricultural products.

Chief State Inspector Andrija Mikulić was also present at the Government session and reported that they had intensified monitoring of received consumer complaints. In terms of dual pricing, before introducing the euro, inspectors found 1,744 violations of the law from September to the end of 2022. From January 2 to 4, the inspection was carried out by more than 200 inspections in trade and service industries.

"Bearing that business entities freely set the price, inspections have begun based on the applications received. From January 2 to 4, the inspection carried out over 200 inspections in the area of retail trade, including bakeries and service industries. These were mainly hairdressing services, body care, and maintenance services. According to the first results, an increase in prices was determined. In the shops, a price increase of 3 to 19 percent was recorded for chocolate, baked products, beer, coffee, and chocolate... We will determine if this is unjustified. If this is established, misdemeanor measures will be taken", said Mikulić.

"Most submissions concerned bakeries, hairdressers, and body care services, where price increases have been confirmed. In the shops, some subjects raised prices from 3 to 19 percent for chocolate, bakery products, beer, butter, sour cream, toilet paper, coffee, and other items. If they determine that it was unjustified, in accordance with the law on consumer protection, they will be prohibited from engaging in unfair practices and will be subject to misdemeanor measures. In service activities, the price increase there, unfortunately, ranges from 10 to even 80 percent", said Mikulić.

In the last two days, out of 306 inspections, 96 violations were found, which is 31 percent, and the inspections continue.

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

January 5, 2023 - Looking for a job in Croatia? A new weekly feature on TCN, in partnership with leading job site agency, Posao.hr, who present a selection of weekly job listings.

How hard is it to find a job in Croatia, and what is on offer?

We spoke to Ines Bokan, director of leading jobs site Posao.hr, who kindly took the time for this excellent interview overview.  

Ines has kindly agreed to work with us on a new weekly feature on TCN - a weekly selection of 10 job listings, as chosen by Posao.hr.  Details and links to the job opportunities below in the latest edition of this feature.

Lindner Montage + Service GmbH is hiring a person in the position of Structural Engineer / Construction Designer (m/f). The place of work Arnstorf / Leipzig (Germany) or the surroundings of Zagreb (Croatia). For this position we offer you comprehensive training, a long-term perspective, work from home and a dynamic work environment. Send complete applications via link until Jan 24^th.

Scalable Global Solutions d.d. is hiring a person in the position of C#/.NET Software Developer (m/f/d). Workplace Zagreb. Experience in the development of software for real-time systems or embedded systems. Send complete applications via link until Jan 31th.

Gotlib Cattle Trade Srl is hiring a person for the position of Personal Assistant (m/f). Place of work Home. Flexible working hours. Send complete applications via link until Jan 22th.

EMBL European Molecular Biology Laboratory is hiring a Senior Network and Security Engineer (f/m/d). Place of work Heidelberg, Germany. Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, a comprehensive pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances. Send complete applications via link by Jan 14^th.

Rittmeyer AG is hiring a person for the position of Project Manager IT (a). Place of work Baar, Switzerland. We also offer attractive employment conditions and are a well-positioned company in a market environment with future potential. Send complete applications via link by Feb 3th.

Eumetsat is hiring a Remote Sensing Scientist – Hyperspectral Infrared Level-2 Products (m/f) for work in Darmstadt, Germany. The company is offering an excellent salary of up to 7.500 € net per month, flexible working time, private medical coverage, and much more. Apply via this link by Feb 2^nd.

Falkensteiner Hotelmanagement d.o.o. is looking or a Event Marketing Manager (m/f) in Zadar, Croatia. The company is offering a competitive salary, all-inclusive onboarding, an employee discount, and much more. Apply by Jan 20^th by clicking here.

Next Step career network is hiring a Children Animator (m/f) in Austria. The net monthly salary is 1.700 €, with 14 full salaries a year and 48-hour weeks. All the details are available here, and applications are open until Jan 20^th.

CCPOTER Sp. z.o.o. is looking for a Sales Advisor with Croatian (m/f) for remote work. Other than 100% work-from-home benefits, they are also offering a competitive basic salary with attractive sales bonuses, flexible working hours, and more! Apply here by Jan 24^th.

Strabag BRVZ d.o.o. is looking for a Linux System-Administrator / DevOps (m/f) for work in Zagreb, Croatia or Belgrade, Serbia. The company is offering a chance to work in a global, multinational working environment with a strong team spirit, a competitive salary, and much more. Apply until Jan 15th by clicking here!

For more career options and job listings, visit posao.hr.

These weekly job listings will appear in the weekly TCN newsletter - you can subscribe here.

****

What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning - Business and Dalmatia.

Follow Paul Bradbury on LinkedIn.

Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

January 5, 2023 - The demographics of Croatia are changing. An interesting snapshot from Varazdin resident and entrepreneur, Milan Horvat.

During the 2018 World Cup in Russia, a bizarre discussion emerged in the international media complaining that Croatia had no black players, and that is was a 100% per cent white team. Nobody seemed to mind that most of the African teams were black by comparison. It started a bit of research into just how many foreigners where living in Croatia, and the results you can read in the article of the time, 99.3%: Croatia, the Most Racially Pure Caucasian Country in the World.

Fast forward four years, and one does not have to be long in a supermarket or cafe to see that there has been a seismic change, as foreign workers from Africa and Asia are increasingly doing jobs which Croats are reluctant to take due to low wages. 

One of the people I follow on LinkedIn is a chap called Milan Horvat in Varazdin, whose posts are always thought-provoking. Below is a translation of his latest, a fascinating snapshot of the rapid change Varazdin has undergone in just a few years.

****

In the city where I live, Varazdin, there are just under 3,000 foreigners from Europe, Asia, and Africa, and that is almost 15% of all employees. Without them, the economy of this city has no chance of functioning normally.

It is the city with the lowest unemployment rate in the Republic of Croatia. Only 7 years ago, there were barely 50 foreign workers in it, and then everything began to change abruptly. In the Croatian public, there is talk of our people going to work abroad, and Varazdin, for example, in 2021 had a greater number of immigrant citizens than they moved away. What happened?

We entered the EU a decade ago, and the other day we entered the euro monetary union and the Schengen zone, and it's time to start discussing the European value system.

Varazdinians have been working in the border towns of Slovenia and Austria for as long as I can remember, especially after 2013. A lot of them travel there to work and back as well as to Zagreb, and a smaller part of them have rented cheap accommodation because they spend weekends at home. They work where their work is better paid.

Less than a decade ago, Varazdin was an example of an ethnically-clean city with extremely tolerant and hardworking people. In just a few years, everything has changed. Today, almost every ninth working person in my city is from another part of the world, and you can no longer walk around the city or go to the store to buy groceries without meeting people from another continent, of colour and race, from other countries. They are not tourists, they are my fellow citizens, my associates at work, and with them, life in the city is more dynamic, interesting, richer, and better.

The European value system implies, inter alia, that a city or region must make sure that they become attractive to the lives of citizens and be able to attract other people because they need them to be able to function and develop, and not to act as if it is self-evident that the people who were born there will stay here to live and work.

At the same time, such an approach retains the existing residents and offers them opportunities for a better life for both them and newcomers. What is best in my story is that Varazdin entrepreneurs are aware of this, but so too are the HDZ county prefect and SDP mayor, so they are both trying in accordance with their capabilities and powers to make the best possible conditions for living and working for all citizens.

Life in the EU is not a black-and-white film, and we are becoming more and more aware of it, and Luckily I was raised to love all that colorful colour, and I grew up and live in a city where it has always been cool.

PS Last year, Varazdin was declared the best city to live in Croatia and not for the first time, nor is it accidental.

You can see the original post in Croatian and/or follow Milan Horvat on LinkedIn.

****

What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning - Business and Dalmatia.

Follow Paul Bradbury on LinkedIn.

You can subscribe to the Paul Bradbury Croatia Expert YouTube channel here.

Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

January 5, 2023 - The Croatian Government announced some of its new measures for 2023, including accelerating the process of issuing work permits to foreigners, tightening sanctions for violence against women and children, and expanding single-shift school days.

As Glas Slavonije writes, the preparation of amendments to the Foreigners Act is one of the priorities of the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They are adopted to harmonize with the acquis of the EU regarding the entry and residence of citizens of third countries to employ highly qualified workers and simplify and speed up the procedure for issuing residence and work permits. In cooperation with the Croatian Employment Service, the existing application is expected to be upgraded to more efficiently issue residence and work permits; the MUP points out.

In the first quarter, the Ministry of Justice and Administration should prepare a package of legal changes that will tighten sanctions for violence against women, especially in the case of violation of preventive measures, and increase the rights of women - victims of violence while expanding the support system for victims and witnesses. Drafting of a new law on the protection of children from violence is planned for the last quarter, and it will cover the sanctioning of all forms of violence against children, especially when it comes to sexual abuse and child exploitation. The issues of redefining the terms for rehabilitation for the commission of these criminal acts will also be considered, while the issue of using data from criminal records will be defined, with the intention is to introduce additional verification mechanisms.

The Ministry is also working on a salaries act to eliminate the imbalances in the salary system, both in civil and public services. The new law will define a wage system that will be fair and sustainable, with full application of the principle of equal pay for equal work, the Ministry says, which is also preparing a new law on conciliation and a new law on non-litigation proceedings.

This year, the Ministry of Interior will continue the projects of improving and modernizing the work of the traffic police and introducing cameras on the uniforms of police officers, which will contribute, as emphasized, to the improvement of the relationship between the police and citizens in cases of disputed actions, and to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens, but also to protect police officers from unfounded complaints.

In accordance with the National Mine Action Program, the area of Osijek-Baranja and Šibenik-Knin Counties are planned to be demined entirely this year (a total of 15.4 square kilometers). The Ministry of Science and Education is preparing an invitation from the National Plan of Resilience and Recovery for the beginning of 2023 for the construction, extension, and reconstruction of schools for the transition of all elementary schools in Croatia to single-shift work.

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

January the 5th, 2023 - The Croatian Djuro Djakovic Group has some very ambitious plans for this year, and following a rather complicated procedure which is now finally completed, railway wagon production could see the group catapulted to new heights at no less than the EU level.

As Marija Brnic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a complex process involving the restructuring and recapitalisation within the Croatian Djuro Djakovic Group was finally carried out in 2022, which enabled the strategic partner, the Czech company DD Acquisition, to acquire majority ownership. At the very end of that same year, it was announced that another decision had taken place, and one which has aims for this year set very high indeed.

The construction of more brand new plants

According to information on the Zagreb Stock Exchange, CERP signed an agreement on behalf of country with the Croatian Djuro Djakovic Group (Special vehicles) on the entry of claims into the company's share capital in the amount of 8.97 million kuna, thereby acquiring five percent of the shares, all based on the restructuring programme and the decision made by the Croatian Government back on February the 3rd, 2022.

The Special vehicles company is part of the wider Croatian Djuro Djakovic Group, and is also its "backbone", but exactly which claims are involved, when and how they arose, hasn't been stated in the announcement, nor has the government's actual decision, since it is marked as confidential.

The state already included the claims that the banks had from the companies which make up the Djuro Djakovic Group during earlier assemblies, after which DD Acquisition carried out its recapitalisation by investing a massive 231 million kuna. The Croatian Djuro Djakovic Group otherwise held a 99.9% stake in Special Vehicles.

This segment is still waiting for a some fresh perspective to take charge, because the new owners have some big plans for the Croatian Djuro Djakovic Group precisely in the business of the production of railway wagons, but also in a military sense.

Adam Sotek, the CEO of CE Industries, owned by one of the partners in DD Acquisition, had a recent interview with the Slovakian business daily Hospodarske noviny, in which he pointed out that in 2023, the production of more than 800 wagons is planned within the group, while 264 were produced in 2021, and 580 in 2022.

The goal, on the other hand, is for the Croatian Djuro Djakovic Group to become the third largest wagon manufacturer in the entire EU. With small investments in the existing facilities, he says, 1,200 wagons can be produced annually.

Part of the production will take place in Serbia?

"Our vision is to have two separate factories with a total production of 2,500 wagons. That would make us third in Europe," said Sotek.

The Croatian Djuro Djakovic Groups's share in the wagon market back at the time the restructuring programme was approved was insignificant, standing somewhere between 3 and 4 percent, and the key players were Greenbrier Europe and Tetravagonka with around 30 percent share, and Transvagon with 10 percent share. It is a market with somewhat stronger growth, because the demand for rail transport is on a strong upward trajectory.

The new owners will direct the production of wagons with higher added value to Slavonski Brod, and due to costs, at least according to Sotek's interview, they aren't ruling out the possibility that part of the production will be done in neighbouring Serbia as well. The defense programme, which is also under Djuro Djakovic Special vehicles, has a weaker representation when it comes to the group's revenues, but the new owners have pointed out that changes are set to come in that segment as well.

For more, check out our dedicated business section.

January the 5th, 2022 - Ericsson Nikola Tesla has contracted work in the impressive amount of 2.4 million euros, carrying out jobs related to the much talked about digital transformation of multiple Croatian ministries.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Josipa Ban writes, at the very beginning of this year, Ericsson Nikola Tesla signed new contracts with Croatian state and public institutions worth 2.4 million euros. These contracts, according to the press release of one of the largest Croatian technology companies of all, are aimed at digital transformation.

Throughout the rest of this year, Ericsson Nikola Tesla will work on the digital transformation of the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and the ''Dr. Fran Mihaljevic'' Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb.

For the Ministry of Culture and Media, which is headed by Nina Obuljen Korzinek, Ericsson Nikola Tesla will work on the development of the National Archival Information System, the purpose of which is to improve the management of documentary and archival material within the state administration and within other such public services, and to increase the availability and usability of information for all who require access to it.

On the other hand, as the aforementioned press release states, cooperation in the field of green border protection continues, as part of which new mobile systems for monitoring the green border will be delivered in the summer of 2023. This project will be realised in cooperation with the companies Securitas Hrvatska (Croatia) and Hidraulika promet (traffic).

When it comes to the work Ericsson Nikola Tesla will carry out for the ''Dr. Fran Mihaljevic'' Clinic for Infectious Diseases,  a contract was signed on the maintenance of their integrated hospital information system. The amounts of each individual contract haven't been specified, but with the total sum being as high as it is, it can be safely said that Ericsson Nikola Tesla is starting the year as it hopefully means to go on.

For more, make sure to follow our dedicated business section.

January 4, 2023 - Cricket and Antoinette (Cvrčak i Mravica), one of the most ambitious film ventures so far in Croatia, has premiered in cinemas. It is the first Croatian feature animated film made in 3D technology.

According to the blurb, the film is a new take on the famous fairy tale first told by Aesop and then Jean de la Fontaine. Ket, a guitar-playing cricket, leads a band to entertain the carefree bugs. Nearby lives Antoinette, heiress of the anthill, where music is forbidden, and only discipline and hard work are allowed. By accident, they meet, and affection grows between them. The ant girl tries to warn the crickets of the upcoming winter, to no avail. When Antheodor, an over-ambitious ant, kidnaps Antoinette, it’s Ket and his friends who come to her rescue.

As HRT reported, the reactions of the audience during the premiere in the Kaptol Centre were excellent; both halls were filled with laughter and enthusiasm from children and adults alike. There are many reasons to celebrate.

This film marked the beginning of the film year 2023, and distribution in 40 countries worldwide has already been agreed upon. One of the distributors will be HRT, which will also be the first television to show the film.

Cricket and Antoinette

A lot of effort was put into the project in the 13 years of work, involving more than 150 professionals from all over the world.

When it comes to 3D animation, the producer himself pointed out that it is not a film for which 3D glasses need to be used and that 3D stands for the technique.

Based on Aesop's fable, the producer couple Krpan decided to make the film to present it to their daughter, who was 5 years old at the time and recently turned 18.

"I am very happy that this cartoon has songs. The best part, which I wish would be done more often in animated films, is that I had my partner right there in the room", said Tara Thaller, the voice actor for the character of Princess Antonette.

The director of the film, Luka Rukavina, was also satisfied with the result.

"3D animation is specific, but somewhat more rewarding than classic animation. From a director's perspective, it simply gives us more options.

Cricket and Antoinette

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