June 21, 2021 - An exciting new step for Croatian energy efficiency is happening at the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP), as the Institute makes significant changes to its building which will also help to educate other experts for energy efficiency.

As the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP) gave great support and input in REPLACE Project that brings energy efficiency to Rijeka and Kvarner region, just put a new log in Croatian energetic efficiency. The start of June saw the contract for granting non-returnable funds for founding nZEB- the National Training Center on Nearly Zero Energy Buildings, EIHP reported on its website. The project is financed from the „Energy and Climate Change“ Fund, part of the Financial Mechanisms 2014 – 2021 in Croatia, courtesy of the European Economic Area (EEA).

1,600,000 Euros is the total value of this project on which EIHP collaborates with the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb. The goal is to empower all the actors in reconstructing buildings to meet the nZEB standard.

With the center being established in the building of the Požar Institute undergoing reconstruction at the moment, it will be a vivid example of the modern technologies that are implemented in nZEB design.

„We will show and share with the widest professional community the solutions that will be developed through this project. The whole process of reconstruction will be followed and documented, and detailed, and serve as an example in the training program as the Institute becomes the first public building in Croatia reconstructed in such a manner. With the appliance of green energy technologies (electrification of heating and cooling systems with a crane that uses shallow geothermal source, integrated photo charged electric plant on the roof, energy containers, efficient lighting), we also wish to include E-mobility, which is certainly the future of traffic as well as accomplish complete digitalization of all technical systems the building is using. That way, the building will be the showcase example of the double transition – green and digital“; said the EIHP headmaster, Dražen Jakšić.

Jakšić attended the signing of the contract, along with the regional development Minister Nataša Tramišak, Norwegian Ambassador Haakon Blankenburg (as Norway also supports the Financial Mechanisms 2014 – 2021), Ministry secretary of economy and sustainable growth dr. Mario šiljeg, and the Faculty of Civil Engineering dean dr. Stjepan Lakušić.

„After this pandemic, we will not develop by repeating the things from before. A historical change is afoot, and we will meet it with green development and with new 'Green Deal'“, concluded Jakšić while Minister Tramišak also pointed out that securing financial mechanisms for advanced technologies and energy renewal.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic writes on the 6th of July, 2020, DIV's Croatian owner Tomislav Debeljak filed an official petition on Friday in Norway to open bankruptcy proceedings over his shipyard, Kleven Verft, and its two subsidiaries, of which he became the owner earlier this year.

As it could be read from the Norwegian media, such an outcome came to be after a group of banks terminated a loan agreement for Kleven for one construction and blocked its associated accounts.

Last week, Tomislav Debeljak tried to negotiate with the banks, assuming that their actions were unfounded, but the negotiations didn't result in an agreement and a return to the starting positions, so Debeljak requested the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings.

The loan cancelled by the banks related to the financing of the construction that Kleven, allegedly under pressure from the "locals", took over from another Norwegian shipyard which was about to go bankrupt, but from the statements from DIV it can be concluded that this was only a reason which was listed formally.

The banks went for the termination of the contract after the appointment of the new Management Board back on June the 22nd, more precisely when the dismissal of the top managers and the arrival of Tomislav Debeljak himself as the CEO took place.

He told the local Norwegian media that DIV, in addition to the fact that the clients were affected by the coronavirus pandemic and as such needed to alter their plans, also faced a number of other difficulties due to which the initial business plan for Kleven was drastically changed.

"Shortly after the formal takeover of Kleven, it became clear that not everyone shared our goal of making Kleven a strong and stable shipyard," Tomislav Debeljak said in a statement.

DIV has been reluctant to provide the details, and they only briefly noted they will work to protect their interests and investment, and that they have already launched their own investigation to establish all the facts which led to the move. It has been unofficially circulating that the former managers were fired due to suspicions of concluding harmful contracts for Kleven.

"Based on the results of the investigation, we'll decide on the following activities in cooperation with the institutions of the Kingdom of Norway and the Republic of Croatia," a statement from DIV said.

The shipyard in Ulstein was taken over by DIV after being named the most promising bidder by several Norwegian shipping companies. The details and value of the takeover of Kleven, which was already on the verge of bankruptcy, aren't currently known, so it's difficult to assess the damage that DIV has suffered with this failed acquisition, from which good results were expected in Croatia and Norway through the synergy of the two shipyards.

The first project to be done jointly was presented just a month ago, and it regards the construction of the luxury residential yacht M/Y Njord, which is 281.8 metres long and 33.5 metres wide, boasting 12 platforms and 118 apartments ranging from 116 to 800 square metres in size.

Its construction was contracted for Ocean Residences Development from Malta, and the first phase, the hull construction and its installation should begin this year in Brodosplit, while equipping the vessel at Kleven should be completed in 2024.

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As Novac writes on the 30th of June, 2020, as part of the Business Development and Innovation Croatia programme, whose main goal is to create added value and sustainable growth for Croatian companies in the field of the green industry innovation and blue growth, the Croatian private sector has a massive 20,128,295 euros at its disposal.

The aforementioned funds are available through open calls and tenders to support the part-financing of the project. The programme is managed by Innovation Norway as the fund manager for the EEA and Norway Grants business programmes, and was presented at today's online conference held in cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK).

"The goal of the plan for the economy is not only internal economic stability, but also better connection with the developed economies of the world. One of them is certainly Norway,'' said Ivan Skaric from the Sector for Industrial Development and Innovation System of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, emphasising that the cooperation between the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the organisation Innovation Norway began back in 2016.

Potential areas for cooperation will be defined jointly, by comparing the areas from the Croatian smart specialisation strategy and the corresponding Norwegian strategy, the so-called Dream commitment. Thus, the greatest potential for cooperation was observed in the field of energy and sustainable development, followed by food and bioeconomy, and transport and mobility. Magnar Ødelien, the director for EEA and Norway Grants in the Innovation Norway organisation, said that a strong partner in Croatia is crucial for the realisation of this project.

"So far, we've had extremely high-quality cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of Commerce," said Ødelien.

The Innovation Norway programme director Anne Lise Rognlidalen presented the programme and the first call. "It encompasses three dimensions of sustainability, economic, environmental and social, by creating jobs. The application may relate to the application or development of innovative technologies, processes or solutions,'' said Rognlidalen. Applications will be open from July to November the 15th, 2020.

The programme is funded by a Norwegian grant and is part of the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism (EEA and Norway Grants) for the period 2014-2021. The goal is to reduce economic inequalities by financing projects that will increase the competitiveness and profitability of Croatian companies. The programme will seek to encourage and develop long-term business cooperation between Croatian companies and those from Norway. It is especially aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises of a modest technological level. A small grant scheme was introduced for them to lower their participation threshold.

The main focus is Green Industry Innovation (the manufacturing and processing industry) and Blue Growth (the maritime industry, small-scale tourism, etc.). Applicants are eligible companies that will become "greener" and/or diversify their product range/increase their capacity/introduce changes in their production processes.

Examples of projects financed by these grants in other countries were also presented, such as the use of technology for "greener" laundries, automation in furniture production, packaging in the dairy industry, the automation of plastic bottle sorting, the modernisation of cement plants, etc. With the support of HGK, Business Development and Innovation Croatia is managed by Innovation Norway, a public body of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Fisheries and the main instrument of the Norwegian Government for the development of Norwegian companies.

With a network of local offices and more than 30 offices around the world, they enable companies to grow internationally and build partnerships, and there is also a banking license. Currently, Innovation Norway is the fund manager for the EEA and Norway Grants business programmes in Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, and a branch office was recently established in the City of Zagreb.

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ZAGREB, November 13, 2019 - Norway's honorary consul in Dubrovnik, Tonči Peović, has received the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, awarded by King Harald V, for his outstanding service.

The medal and diploma were presented to him by the Norwegian ambassador to Croatia, Haakon Blankenborg, at a ceremony in Dubrovnik on Tuesday evening.

Addressing the ceremony, Peović called it a great recognition for his self-effacing work. He said he had been of service to Norwegians visiting southern Croatia and had helped them in cases of loss of documents, traffic accident, hospitalisation and even death.

"Today, relations between the two countries are very good and friendly. We share the same cultural values, and our friendship goes back to the aftermath of World War II. In the tourist season, we have a lot of Norwegians as guests, and this crisis has brought many Croatians to Norway," Peović said.

Blankenborg described Peović as "an important bridge between Norway and Croatia", saying that Norwegians were grateful for his contribution. "For us at the Embassy you are not just an honorary consul, but also an adviser. You always seek solutions and concrete results. You're not just a personification of an honorary consult, but to us Norwegians you are also an institution," the ambassador said.

Blankenborg said that the two countries cultivated excellent relations and that several thousand Norwegians visited Croatia every year.

Peović is the director of the airport on Brač island. He has served as Norway's honorary consul for Dalmatia since 2009 and as Sweden's honorary consul for Dubrovnik-Neretva County since 2015.

King Harald V awards the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit to Norwegians and foreigners abroad for outstanding service in the interests of Norway. The order was instituted in 1985.

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ZAGREB, August 27, 2019 - Croatian Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts Darko Horvat will conduct a working visit to Finland and Norway from August 27 to 29 at the invitation of the Kongsberg company and he will tour Patria Aviation Oy, AIM Norway AS and Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, the Economy Ministry said on Tuesday.

On that occasion the minister will discuss the conditions for offset obligations to be fulfilled, future cooperation and of the presence of Patria and Kongsberg on the Croatian market, which would include some form of strategic partnership, transfer of know-how and technology, the ministry added.

In mid-June the Jutarnji List daily ran a report, later confirmed by Minister Horvat, that Patria was interested in establishing a centre for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft and helicopters at the Aviation Technical Centre (ZTC) in Velika Gorica, on the outskirts of the capital Zagreb.

A delegation from Patria visited the ZTC and a spokesman from the company told the daily that Patria wishes to establish a long-term partnership with state-run companies involved in maintenance, overhaul and repairs in Europe, and that the Adriatic region was very interesting in that regard.

Patria is a Finnish provider of defence, security and aviation life-cycle support services and technology solutions. It is involved in the maintenance of civil and defence aircraft and military helicopters. Patria is also interested in ZTC due to future large contracts for the maintenance of Croatia's helicopters.

ZTC is a state-owned company that maintains military and civil aircraft and helicopters. However, it has been faced with huge business problems for years, Jutarnji List wrote.

Confirming the daily's claims, Minister Horvat said that negotiations were being conducted with Patria, Kongsberg and a Belgian company regarding investments in the ZTC.

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ZAGREB, July 3, 2018 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met with his Norwegian counterpart Erna Solberg in Zagreb on Tuesday, on which occasion the two governments signed memorandums on Norwegian financial aid for the development of Croatia and an agreement on classified data protection.

ZAGREB, February 20, 2018 - A Norwegian investor plans to invest 18.7 million euro in a biomass-fuelled power and heating plant in the business zone in the municipality of Žakanje, about 60 kilometres southwest of Zagreb.

A former Norwegian soldier opened a military hardware factory in Slavonski Brod.

French team secured the place in the finals, beating Slovenia last night, and their opponent will be the winner of the tonight’s Croatia - Norway match