ZAGREB, 23 Feb 2022 - Two professional construction associations on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to appoint an expert in construction and in management of civil engineering projects as the new minister of physical planning, construction and state assets.

The Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers and Croatian Alliance of Civil Engineers sent a letter to the prime minister appealing for candidates to be carefully considered, particularly with regard to  the post-quake reconstruction as the most challenging task construction-wise in recent Croatian history.

That task requires expertise and sound knowledge of civil engineering, and it is of utter importance that the nominee has years of experience in management and project management.

Architects calls on PM to choose someone from construction sector to be new minister

On Tuesday, the Association of Architects of Zagreb urged Plenković to appoint someone with construction qualifications as the new minister who will contribute better to the reconstruction process.

The association said that a huge scope of demanding reconstruction procedures and absorption of EU funds awaits us this year.

It welcomed the extension of a deadline for the absorption of the funds from the EU Solidarity Fund and warned that disruptions on the construction market are continuing, conditioned by the global post-pandemic crisis which has made all activities in the construction sector even more demanding.

For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

September 17, 2021 - Set to be held in Umag on October 7-8, the Klima-Forum Conference is the event to go to for discussions on the contemporary issues of cooling systems and air conditioning in Croatia. Registrations for participation are now underway.

''Nineteen days and eighteen hours'' is displayed on the countdown on the Energetika-marketing.hr website at the time of writing this article. For the professional air-conditioning community, the countdown is more than exciting, as it points how much time remains until the 8th edition of the Klima-Forum, the event about all things related to Cooling, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning.

''The westernmost part of Istria, the first days of autumn, beautiful nature, a pleasant climate... could there ever be a better environment for a discussion and an exchange of experiences, opinions and ideas, for the presentation of new products, solutions and implemented projects in refrigeration, ventilation and air-conditioning technology?'' wonders Energetika-marketing.hr while inviting interested parties to the forum that will take place in Umag on October 7-8 at the Sol Garden Istra hotel.

Even though the application section on the website is made for registration and accommodation, the website nevertheless warns that interested people should send an inquiry to register for both participation and accommodation via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

At the moment, admissions are being taken both for those who just want to come and learn more as well as for authors who also want to present their work in the field of cooling systems. 

''The authors of presentations that will be presented at the conference are exempt from paying the registration fee on the day they present their presentation. If a presentation has more than one author, the one who will present at the conference is the one exempt from paying the registration fee,'' says the website. 

The program that includes round-tables, discussions, and lectures has been divided into six thematic sections. 

On Thursday, October 7, the themes will be Globally and Locally (on laws and practices in Croatia, Europe, and the rest of the world), Ventilation and Air-conditioning (on the pandemic, health protection, cleaning solutions, and more), and Regulation and Control (on smart grids, buildings, and similar topics).

The next day, October 8, the forum will deal with the themes of Projects and Solutions (designing, testing and implementing cooling systems, etc.), Renovation and Modernisation (nearly zero-energy buildings, energy renovation), and finally, Efficiency and Development (the energy consumption of cooling and ventilation systems and more).

With concerns about energy efficiency continuing to take a front seat for the climate change topic, this conference is another environmentally friendly step forward for Croatia. As TCN previously wrote, positive examples include the Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute (EIHP), being the first nearly-zero energy building in Croatia, and the REPLACE Project, to name just a couple of examples.

Several scientific-technical are also keenly backing this upcoming event. These five patrons are the University of Rijeka, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (University of Split), the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (University of Zagreb), the Croatian Chamber of Engineers, and the Croatian Association for Cooling, Air-Conditioning and Heat Systems.

In addition, the lead patron is the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK)

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