February the 25th, 2022 - The well known Croatian shipyard Brodosplit is busy with the construction of an innovative, modern electric passenger sailing ship.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, this week at the Brodosplit shipyard, the consolidation and joining of the sheets and the construction of sections for a passenger sailboat with zero exhaust emissions, for which electric motors will be the main drive, began.

This zero-emissions passenger vessel will be 63.5 metres long, 10 metres wide, 5.35 metres high to the main deck, and will be able to accommodate up to 24 passengers. The hull and superstructure will be made of steel, and the masts will be made of aluminum alloy.

When not using the sails, the ship will be powered by two 150 kW electric motors each powered by a system of batteries that are continuously charged from different sources, and when it reaches a speed of six knots, it will only need 60 kilowatts of power, which is quite an inconspicuous amount of power for a 500 GT boat.

The ship will be equipped with 30 tonnes of batteries with a capacity of max 2300 kWh, but due to regulatory requirements it will also have two diesel units that will be turned on only in case of need or in an emergency. According to DIV, which owns the famous Brodosplit shipyard, the very idea of ​​a zero-emission sailing ship came several years ago and with the growth and advancement of the DIV group in the field of new technologies has matured to today's realisation.

They stated from Brodosplit that work on the project began back in early 2020, and is being co-financed by European Union (EU) funds.

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January the 12th, 2022 - The famous Split shipyard under Tomislav Debeljak, Brodosplit, has got its hands on two very valuable new contracts to construct ships in 2022.

The world of Croatian shipbuilding has been suffering since long before the coronavirus pandemic struck and caused an extended period of domestic and global economic gloom. The likes of Uljanik and Maj 3 in Pula and Rijeka dominated the headlines for months on end due to their enfeebled state and attempts from the state to get things moving again.

With strikes because of wages not being paid to employees for months on end and deadlines missed taking place, domestic shipbuilding, which once held a high place on what Croatia could traditionally rely on doing and doing well, had slipped far down the list.

Brodosplit wasn't immune to shipyard and shipbuilding related issues either, but it did, on the whole, perform far better than poor Uljanik did. It seems 2022 is starting out well for Debeljak's firm, as well.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a new beginning of another brand new year is upon it and with it has come a very welcome new chance for Brodosplit. The well-known shipbuilding company has signed contracts to build two large vessels worth more than 200 million euros. The two ships are a luxury megayacht and another polar cruiser, for which Brodosplit has made quite a name.

This is of course fantastic news with which to kick off 2022 from the famous Split shipyard, which has, as stated previously, been struggling with a lack of work and liquidity in these pandemic-dominated last couple of years, which is why the payment of salaries has unfortunately been being delayed for months.

''We're sure that we will meet the deadlines that are due in the year 2025. One ship is 125 metres long, extravagant in its various aspects and for only 12 passengers and 50 crew members. The polar cruiser on the other hand is is 110 metres long, and will be intended for 152 passengers and 111 crew members,'' Dino Donjerkovic, Brodosplit's sales director, told HRT.

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ZAGREB, 2 July 2021 - Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tomislav Ćorić said on Friday that vaccination is the only way we can all be responsible and that, if the tourism season fails, it will not be possible to find the necessary funding for all the needs in the years to come.

"Our economy is in the process of recovering, but it is highly dependant on tourism. If the tourism season fails, there is no magic wand with which we will be able to find additional funds to finance our needs, this year and in the years to come. That is why we all have to be responsible towards the country we live in and its economy, particularly to the most vulnerable groups of citizens. The only way for us to be responsible together is to be vaccinated," said Ćorić.

Asked about the possibility that entrepreneurs will have to be vaccinated if they are to receive aid, and whether this has been discussed with entrepreneurs, Ćorić said that that would be a responsible move.

Ćorić said that Croatia had the lowest percentage of inoculation of all Mediterranean countries.

"Anyone who is responsible should be rewarded and those who aren't should be subjected to criticism from the rest of us," he said. "Benefits should be linked to responsible behaviour above all."

Asked about the situation at the Brodosplit shipyard and whether workers should fear for their wages or dismissal, Ćorić said that the workers would fight for their rights.

"Brodosplit is a private company on the market. There are several companies within that conglomeration. According to information received, some of them have had their accounts blocked. Some of the problems are being resolved and I hope that Brodosplit, with more than 2,000 workers, will continue operating," he said.

The situation at Brodosplit is a reflection of the situation on the global market as many shipyards have lost ground to the competition, above all, China, he said.

"Want we want is that workers get their wages. That is what the government wants," Ćorić said.

He recalled that the government had bailed out shipbuilding for years through state guarantees on loans.

"One of the preconditions for guarantees was that all obligations to the Tax Administration had been settled," he underscored.

Ćorić was attending  the EveryDayGreen campaign at the Rijeka farmer's market dedicated to reducing the use of plastic packaging.

The campaign is aimed at reducing the use of disposable plastic packaging and promoting the purchase of fresh produce on the occasion of Planet Day.

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ZAGREB, 10 June 2021 - SV Golden Horizon, a steel-hulled five-masted rigged tall ship, which is intended to be used as a cruise ship, left the Brodosplit shipyard on Wednesday, the Split-based dock reported on Wednesday afternoon.

The  Brodosplit company that built the vessel reported on its website that "this luxurious vessel can accommodate up to 272 passengers and will provide the service under the Tradewind Voyages from the UK."

"As far as itineraries are concerned, it is designed for voyages according to 'where the wind and sea currents take it."

The clipper is 162 meters long and 18.5 meters wide. It has five masts with 36 cross sails with a total area of ​​6,347 square meters. The vessel's carrying capacity is  2,000 tons.

On Wednesday also, the unfinished "Onega Gulf" oil/chemical tanker was towed to the Split dock for finalization.

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January 24, 2021 - Brodosplit will build the world's largest electric-powered sailing ship, leaving no carbon footprint in the environment.

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that stemming from the electric-powered river tram, an idea borne by Željko Hederić and the team from Osijek's FERIT, the world's largest electric-powered sailing ship with three masts should bear fruit in Split. 

Brodosplit will soon begin constructing a three-masted schooner, a completely eco-friendly ship that will be powered by electric motors, while the batteries will be charged by sailing, leaving no carbon footprint in the environment.

It is even more impressive that this is a project for developing a ship propulsion system from the IRI2 program, for which the European Union has co-financed 60 percent of the value. However, those responsible have not stated the amounts in question.

The project is lead by the DIV Group, which owns the Split shipyard, and partners from the scientific research community, including FERIT and Split FESB. Work on the project began almost a year ago - last February, and will last a total of three and a half years.

"Split has already made "Klara," a classic three-masted schooner, but they also wanted something more modern, and they wanted to improve the project. We, on the other hand, developed the "river tram" project at the faculty in Osijek, because we have the Drava. And you have the sea! Everything is based on the principle of using hydrokinetic energy," says Hederic.

Namely, water flows through a standing turbine and converts hydropower into electricity. In the case of this ship, the sea “stands,” and the sailboat goes, pushed by the force of the wind in the sails. Of course, the screw or propeller spins, creating electricity. The professor says that in this way - from wind energy, i.e., sails as a turbine that drives the ship - you can get four to six knots of the ship's relative speed, which gives torque to the rotation of the bolt like a generator turbine.

Thus, hydrokinetic recovery of wind energy into battery electricity.

"For example, the wind gives the ship energy for a speed of ten knots, and we reduce it to six knots and save the difference in the battery. I call it - plowing the sea. From our scientific ideas, engineers will perform a technical solution," points out the Osijek professor.

When it is not using sails, the ship will be powered by two electric motors, each with a power of 150 kilowatts. They will be powered by a system of batteries that are continuously charged from various sources. When it reaches a sailing speed of six knots, the ship will need only 60 kilowatts of power, which is a relatively imperceptible power for a vessel of 500 gross tons, explained Brodosplit.

The ship will be equipped with 30 tons of batteries, whose capacity, figuratively speaking, is like having 60 Tesla cars. More precisely, it has a total of a maximum of 2300 kilowatt-hours, which ensures more than 50 hours of cruising exclusively on stored electricity when there is no wind.

Due to navigation safety, the ship will have two diesel units that would be turned on only if needed but will be more likely to rust from non-use, they emphasized.

What will set the Split sailing ship apart from similar vessels is that the vessel will charge its batteries when sailing but in a very ingenious way. A system of the already mentioned ship propellers with variable pitch and special wing geometry will be used, which will - for sailing - serve as a hydro turbine.

Brodosplit explains that this "reversible screw" will charge the batteries in the lower deck.

All relevant information will be collected and supervised on the bridge, or command center. From meteorological data, so that the commander knows where the wind is most favorable, to all other ship systems and propulsion, electricity supply in batteries, engine operation, solar panels, wind farms, hot water, and energy consumption.

"All "revenues" and "expenditures" of energy on the ship will be managed and controlled from one place," said the Split shipyard.

Experts from Split FESB, led by Branko Klarin, work on the sailing system and its robotics, wind turbines, and photovoltaic panels. At the sailboat's bow and stern, two vertical wind turbines are planned to supply the ship with electricity while in port or at anchor.

A photovoltaic solar power plant will be installed on the roof of the superstructure. Klarin's team will address how to extract and store heat from a solar photovoltaic power plant by cooling the panels to be more efficient in producing electricity. Photovoltaic panels work most efficiently at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, but on their surface, on sunny days, it can be as high as 80 degrees, so excess heat can be used to heat water.

Thus, the sailboat will be supplied with electricity, heat, and water from entirely renewable sources: all the energy will be obtained without any carbon dioxide emissions.

"In short, there are no costs for fuel and power supply of propulsion machines, as well as all devices inside the ship, air conditioning, and kitchen," concludes Hederić, emphasizing that electric drive is three times more efficient than diesel.

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January 4, 2020 – A map showing production across the former Yugoslavia details the sustained prosperity of many Croatian favourites as some of the strongest Croatian brands are shown not only to have survived but have succeeded following independence

Media across Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia have surprised younger readers and reminded older readers with the publication of a map detailing production in the former Yugoslavia. While this trip down memory lane has caused a range of reactions across the countries of the former republic, looking at the map from a purely Croatian perspective gives some enlightening information. Namely, many of the strongest Croatian brands visible on the map are recognisable today. Some of the strongest Croatian brands not only survived independence but have since grown.

Bajadera - one of the most popular products made by Zagreb-based chocolate and confectionery manufacturers Kraš

Zagreb-based chocolate and confectionery manufacturers Kraš, Požega-based confectionery and drinks manufacturers Zvečevo, oil company INA, Koprivnica-based food company Podravka and Koprivnica-based pharmaceuticals company Belupo, vitamin drink Cedevita, Varaždin-based food company Vindija, Vukovar shoemakers Borovo, Varaždin clothes designers and manufacturers Varteks and multi-use condiment Vegeta are just some of the strongest Croatian brands that are present on the map. You are still likely to see these brand names on many Croatian high streets. Some have succeeded in reaching further into international markets since Croatian independence.

Croatian-made condiment Vegeta is sold all over the world

Of course, not every brand visible on the map of Yugoslavia production has fared so well. In their coverage of the map, Ri.portal reminds that “Some of the Yugoslav products were used by literally the whole world - ships, cars, planes, trucks, weapons and even computers were produced... However, many of these companies no longer exist or are bankrupt.”

In their coverage of the map, Bosnian website Klix reminds that Croatian shipyards Uljanik in Pula and 3 Maj in Rijeka were at world level and produced large ships for customers from all over the world. Split-based shipyard Brodosplit, which can also be seen on the map, survives to this day.

Croatian vitamin drink Cedevita comes in a range of flavours

Ri.portal goes on to remember that Yugoslavia was one of only five countries in Europe at the time that manufactured its own computers. “Probably the most famous is the Galaxy, while the first computer produced was the CER-10,” they say. One of the Yugoslav computer makers on the map, popular in the late 1970s, was Digitron, based in Buje in Istria.

Sadly, not all of the strongest Croatian brands have made it until today. Famous tractor and agriculture equipment manufacturer Tomo Vinković of Bjelovar is no longer in production. Their famously-reliable machines are much in-demand on the secondhand market. Two new tractor manufacturers, Hittner doo and the Prima tractor factory still make tractors in Bjelovar.

December the 4th 2020 - The very real fear of spiralling and uncontrolled coronavirus spread has seen the well known Croatian shipyard send some of its employees home. Some Brodosplit workers are now no longer on site.

As Morski writes, the Split-based shipyard Brodosplit published a notice on the measure for the additional protection of Brodosplit workers from the potential exponential spread of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has been published on its website.

"Given the increase in new cases in Split and Split-Dalmatia County, there is a real danger that the new coronavirus virus will start spreading uncontrollably, in which case it will inevitably affect a large number of Brodosplit workers," the statement said.

''In order to further reduce the risk of such an outcome and protect key construction projects, in particular the completion of the construction of the Ultramarine polar cruiser and the construction of the Janssonius polar cruiser on slipway No. 3, as well as the production of the elements of the ''Ston'' bridge, Brodosplit's management has decided to send some Brodosplit workers home to use their annual leave as of the 7th of December 2020 as an additional measure to protect the shipyard from a major coronavirus outbreak.

It is expected that with the minimum number of workers present on site at Brodosplit, the risk of the uncontrolled spread of the virus will be reduced to a more reasonable extent and as such, Brodosplit can successfully complete all of its key projects within the agreed deadlines, the eventual cessation of which would be fatal to the shipyard due to the spread of the pandemic.

Closing the shipyard down was absolutely not an option for us at any point, so we have to do everything we can to avoid it. Let’s stay responsible, take care of yourselves, your colleagues, and especially your families. We hope that the situation with the pandemic will calm down soon and that we'll be able to return to our previous, normal lives and normal work activities as soon as possible'' Brodosplit said in a statement intended for its workers.

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November the 30th, 2020 - Tomislav Debeljak, the owner and president of the well known Croatian shipyard Brodosplit, has spoken about the effect the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has had on his business, and his expectations that more contracts for the construction of vessels, some of which will be global sensations, will continue to be concluded.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Tomidlav Debeljak has stated that in the forthcoming period, Brodosplit will complete the previously contracted polar cruisers, and they're busy constructing four coastal patrol boats that they contracted last year after the OOB-31 ''Omis'' prototype successfully passed all of its testing.

''We'd like to thank the Croatian Government because, despite the pandemic, it found ways to finance the continuation of the construction of these vessels and they'll be completed on time as a result of that. We also expect to conclude several more contracts for the construction of ships, some of which will be international sensations. After the announcement of the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the market came back to life and every day we have more and more inquiries, as well as updates on negotiations that were stalled due to the pandemic,'' Debeljak added.

''Since the beginning of the pandemic, we've done everything in our power to preserve the health of Brodosplit's employees and maintain the production process. Although it's constantly hanging over our heads, closing the shipyard isn't an option and we're actively doing everything to avoid that. That's why we underook virus protection actions even before anything like that was officially organised in our area.

The entire DIV group is operating positively and has more than 1.8 billion kuna in capital and reserves, making it the group of the largest employers in Croatia, as well as being among the largest exporters. In the first three quarters of 2020, at the group level, we realized 540 million kuna in exports.

Profitable shipbuilding, which we deal with, shows its results in revenues, ie the value of an individual ship and the percentage of the Croatian component that is built into it. In our case, it's at least 70 percent, in which the largest part is Croatian intelligence (design), Croatian knowledge and ability (construction), Croatian subcontractors and suppliers, energy, and also the amount of financing costs that remain within Croatia,'' Tomislav Debeljak explained.

''So far and for the most part, these export operations have been monitored by HBOR, with whose help we've managed to position ourselves as an unmissable player out on the global market in the segment of medium-sized polar cruisers, which has suffered much less during this crisis than the shipyards which deal with mega cruisers have. Arrangements are already being made for polar cruisers, they'll be the first to set off in the spring with travel, and this immediately aroused greater interest from customers, so we expect to continue filling Brodosplit's order book.

We also have our own fleet of boats, so, with the Katina luxury yacht, we've still managed to successfully achieve 126 days of charter throughout the past 12 months, regardless of the coronavirus crisis.

We're building a technologically advanced ship for polar expeditions called ''Ultramarine'', contracted with Quark Expeditions from the USA, it's the most expensive polar cruiser contracted in Croatia so far, and a job worth more than 100 million euros. We're also participating in offshore construction projects. We've come to an agreement with the Greek AVAX-on the construction of a steel structure for the Ston Bridge and the Prapratno Viaduct. This strengthens our position as a European shipyard which is fully capable of building extremely demanding steel structures,'' Tomislav Debeljak stated.

More than 2400 employees work for Brodosplit each and every day. The company has many young, ambitious people who have enormous amounts of energy and a true and deep love for shipbuilding and Brodosplit has stated how it as a company enjoys working with them.

''We're proud of our successes and we're looking forward to the future with optimism,'' concluded Tomislav Debeljak, Brodosplit's owner.

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As Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes on the 18th of November, 2020, keels for new builds (novogradnje) 543 and 544 have been laid at Brodosplit, the last two ships from the series of coast guard vessels, contracted for the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia.

The 43.16-metre-long and 8-metre-wide coast guard vessels will be equipped with basic weapons used by all coastguards across the world, namely a 30-millimeter-diameter automatic cannon and two 12.7-mm manned machine guns, as well as 4 hand-held portable anti-aircraft missile systems.

''During the visit of President Zoran Milanovic, we thanked him for supporting this Croatian industry and for promoting it abroad, but we'd also like to thank the Croatian Government for finding a way to continue financing the coast guard vessel project. This ship is the most complex product that Croatian industry can produce. The ships we make for export contain 70 percent Croatian components, and from the really favourable price at which we build these coast guard vessels, 45 percent of the amount is returned immediately or in a short time to the state budget,'' stated Tomislav Debeljak, President of Brodosplit.

''For new builds 541 and 542, the production of the bow parts of the steel hull was completed after the keels were laid back at the beginning of September this year. Today's laying of the keels for new builds 543 and 544 is a continuation of the project of building ships for a series of coast guard vessels for Croatia, which will place the Croatian coast guard alongside the most modern coast guards of the world,'' said Leonardo Martinovic, the director of this construction project.

The ships from the series will be equipped with protection against nuclear-biological-chemical action with a special system for NBK filter ventilation and sealing of ship's working and living spaces. They will be equipped with a stern ramp and a 7.7-metre-long rigid hull sailing boat for 6 crew members with a propulsion diesel engine that provides speeds of 40 knots and a sailing autonomy of 60 NM.

The capacity of the ships is 17 people with a sailing autonomy of 10 days. They are very capable of pursuit and achieve speeds of up to 29 knots, which are provided by the main marine engines of 2 x 2525 kW.

A special feature is the optimisation of marine systems where with one fuel injection they can sail 1000 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots. Optimised fuel consumption due to the innovative hull shape design and excellent sailing properties allows for very efficient use, resulting in significant savings compared to similar ships. With the introduction into operational use of the coast guard vessel series, the project of modernisation and development of new capabilities of the Croatian Navy will continue.

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As Morski writes on the 14th of November, 2020, recently, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, accompanied by his associates, visited the Brodosplit shipyard in the Dalmatian city of Split.

President Zoran Milanovic was welcomed by Tomislav Debeljak, President of the Management Board of Brodosplit, and Tomislav Corak, Member of the Management Board. With a walk-through of the Brodosplit shipyard, the President was introduced to the current work and projects that are underway there, and especially to the continuation of the construction of coastal patrol boats, contracted for the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia.

''The impressions are good because the shipyard is working. It went through restructuring, the state had a role to play there and it ended many years ago. They started working and are profitable. I'm glad that part of that programme also includes something that the Croatian Government ordered from them in a tender, and those are the coast guard ships, one of which has already sailed, that is "Omis". Two are currently under construction, so one should be finished by the end of 2021, the other after that and then two more every six months,'' said President Zoran Milanovic, expressing his clear satisfaction with the way things were going.

Two years ago, with a prototype of the coastal patrol ship ''Omis'', the president recently paid an official visit to neighbouring Montenegro. With its technical equipment and navigable characteristics, it has significantly improved the capabilities of the coast guard, and is a regular party in search and rescue operations.

''There are a number of countries that have needs for such products and that need to procure such vessels. There is space, these are very high quality products and they're cheaper than some that some other countries in the Mediterranean bought in the north of Europe,'' President Zoran Milanovic pointed out.

''I'd like to thank the President of the Republic of Croatia for supporting this Croatian industry and for promoting it abroad. The ship is the most complex product that Croatian industry can produce. The ships we make for export contain 70 percent Croatian components, of the truly affordable price at which we build these ships, 45 percent of that amount is returned immediately or in the short term to the state budget.

In addition to thanking the President for his support, we'd also like to thank the Croatian Government, which has found ways to continue financing the construction of these remaining four vessels during the coronavirus crisis. This is very important to us because over 400 workers are currently working on them,'' said Tomislav Debeljak, President of the Management Board of Brodosplit.

During the tour of the production facilities, President Zoran Milanovic was especially impressed by the tour of the ''Ultramarine'' polar cruiser, which is 128 metres long and will be able to accommodate 200 passengers housed in 103 luxuriously equipped cabins, which will be taken care of by 116 crew members. The ship is in its final stages now, and a contract has been signed with Quark Expeditions from Seattle, USA, as part of the Travelopia Group.

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