June the 3rd, 2021 - Fancy breathing in the beautiful aroma of fresh Adriatic sea air when putting that irritating mask back over your mouth and nose yet again as you enter the shop? Now you can, thanks to one Croatian brand and one 100% Croatian protective mask.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, Salt and checkers is a young Croatian company whose team of enthusiasts and medical experts has designed an innovative product: a mask with the addition of no less than sea salt.

"Breathe the sea air" is a mask produced right here in the Republic of Croatia with the aim for everyone to get ''a taste'' of what it's like to breathe the fresh salty air from the beautiful Croatian Adriatic sea.

"The business idea itself was born six years ago. Encouraged by solving our own health problems and challenges, we designed an innovative product that at that time offered a solution to the problem we were facing. We wanted to make the benefits of breathing salty Adriatic sea air available to everyone.

We're especially proud of the fact that we managed to develop and produce a 100 percent Croatian product. The idea was born out of a personal need when a doctor advised a person close to use to stay by the sea for a long time due to the respiratory problems they were experiencing.

This spurred our research and thought about the impact of breathing in salty air on our health which led us to salt rooms and finally to the idea of ​​creating a “portable salt room,” they explained from the Croatian company Salt and checkers. As they noted, during its development, the product has changed many times, in regard to both faces and technical solutions.

The Breathe Sea Air mask which allows users to breath in fresh Adriatic sea air was launched on the market in early 2021, it contains salt that is woven between the layers in order to better preserve its properties and to make its effects last longer. The mask is four-layered and designed to make inhaling and exhaling easier.

"In this long process, we encountered many closed doors and insurmountable challenges, but we also gradually found a group of broad-minded and persistent people who pushed the boundaries a bit and contributed to today's product being complete and people using it with pleasure.

Of course, the coronavirus pandemic had a massive impact on our business, but our idea arose before the pandemic did and the strategies and goals we set were not dependent on the pandemic itself. Our creative team is working on expanding the range and we expect the release of new products at the beginning of next year. We are in love with pure Croatian salt, so we're announcing that new products will also have this connection too,'' they revealed from Salt and checker.

For now, these ''salty'' masks are available on their webshop and in pharmacies all over Croatia, and the entire production process takes place right here in the country.

''We've established a partnership with the company Sophy from Osijek, which is our exclusive manufacturer. We're especially glad about that because we managed to connect blue and green Croatia. It's a renowned and stable partner who, with high expertise and standards, has shown flexibility and production capacity,'' they pointed out from this Zagreb company.

They note that customers immediately understood the product and what it is about and this gives them more of a spring in their step for further entrepreneurial ventures and ideas.

"The first reactions are extremely positive and we're very happy about that. At this early stage of product introduction, we're really listening to literally every reaction, evaluating everything and using the information obtained to make our product even better. Most products are now sold in Croatia, while a smaller part goes to EU countries.

Part of our expansion plans relate to foreign markets and we put a lot of effort into that. If 2021 was the year of the introduction of the Breathe Sea Air mask on the Croatian market, we hope that 2022 will be the year of foreign markets when we will see the results of today's work and investments,'' they concluded.

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June the 2nd, 2021 - Croatian Premium Ice Cream will bring together a company from Lika and one from Samobor in a joint venture.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, Vedrine, a small family cheese factory located in the middle of the green heart of Lika, presented a novelty - Medenko loves Vedrine ice cream. This is the result of their cooperation with the Samobor-based company Medenko, which produces homemade ice cream and a cheese factory that produces traditional Lika dairy products.

As Milana Mileusnic from the Vedrine cheese factory explains, the collaboration began back in January, and the process lasted until the recipes were adjusted because the ice cream wasn't made from dairy components but from finished products such as liquid yoghurts.

"The farm, ie the dairy farm, is a natural and true environment for ice cream, and the milk from Vedrine took me back to my childhood with the very first sip. When I created Medenko, I was proud to have created an original product from exclusively Croatian milk during a big crisis for the Croatian dairy industry.

Today, I'm proud that during the time of emigration from rural Croatian areas, we're creating a product with people who have returned to the countryside by their own choice and who are proving by their own example that it's very possible. There were a number of challenges in designing the products, from making the recipes, which I had to adjust to the quality of the milk, to the packaging where two visually very different brands had to be merged.

We produce the Croatian Premium ice cream in our small factory in Samobor, and diligent people from the Vedrine cheese factory take care of the distribution and sales. In creating and choosing the flavours, we tried to cover all of the basic taste groups: basic, chocolate, fruit, nuts… ", explained Ivana Bakovic, the owner of Medenko.

They "launched" six flavours on the market - Varenika a la Splitska torta (Split cake), sour with cherries and chocolate, chocolate yogurt with raspberries, Varenika with hazelnuts and chocolate, Liquid yogurt with strawberries and Yuzu basa (citrus).

“Our production is based on fresh products, with a shelf life of five to fifteen days, so we were forced to start producing a durable product due to market variability, especially in the summer months, when our main market - Zagreb, almost closes down. Fate somehow intervened because Ivana from Medenko contacted us just then. A small circle of people have had the opportunity to try out Croatian Premium ice cream and the feedback from that has been fantastic. We think that with our products and Medenko's knowledge we really have a premium product. But, in the end, let's let the wider audience decide on that,'' Mileusnic stated.

Croatian Premium ice cream will be marketed through specialised stores (Mrkvica, Grga Cvarak, Speceraj, Zelena baka, Duckas, Skarnicl, Grincajg in Samobor, abd Koni in Gospic) with which they are already successfully cooperating and in Vedrine's stores at the Kvatric and Tresnjevka markets in Zagreb, as well as down in Zadar. In addition, they are in negotiations with several top catering and hospitality companies and a hotel company.

"We have about 70 cows who are milked, and with the young ones, the number is always around 130. All our products, including the ice cream, are made exclusively from the milk of our cows.

We don't buy milk and we don't have any subcontractors because we believe that we're very specific in the market when it comes to our raw materials, our milk, and we want to stay that way. In addition to all that, we have complete production control: from the production of the cow feed to the finished product. The most sought after products are our fruit yogurts that come in 18 different flavors, and Varenika and Skripavacpa,'' concluded Mileusnic.

For more, follow Made in Croatia.

June the 2nd, 2021 - The popular Croatian Juicy drinks are a common sight throughout Croatia, but could they manage to crack the demanding American market? That seems to be the direction the management of that company wants to take.

As Lucija Spiljak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the largest Croatian juice producer, Stanic Beverages, has announced its entry into the US market through an acquisition.

Over recent days, American congressmen John Robert Moolenaar and Robert Aderholt visited the Croatian Juicy drinks factory in Kresevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a return visit and the continuation of friendly relations between the owner of the Stanic Group, Svjetlan Stanic, who visited the American Congress last year, and American congressmen. As they stated, they are discussing the appearance of these popular Croatian drinks over on the American market.

A serious strategy for entering the American market

The goal of the congressman's arrival at the Juicy factory, which is owned by the Croatian company Stanic Beverages, is to continue the talks that began at a gathering last year.

"For the last six years, Stanic Beverages has focused a large part of its resources on strengthening its export strategy. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the rest of the region are still our main markets, but we're aware that there can be no strong step forward when it comes to increasing production without entering new markets. We first turned to the Middle East as a lucrative region due to the large consumption of soft drinks there and achieved excellent results through our partners there. Then we started to strengthen our export efforts towards the European market, but we're aware of the competition and regulations that protect European brands.

We can see new potential in an appearance being made on the American market, which is the result of the continuation of talks with American congressmen and that opens up a new perspective. In the past, we've had several offers to export Croatian Juicy drinks to the USA, but it has always been a matter of specific retail outlets of an ethnic character, ie a market that is oriented exclusively to Croatian immigrants to the USA. This isn't our strategy, Juicy is an international brand that has achieved success in many foreign markets so far, and that's why we think the time has come to come up with a serious strategy for entering the American market. From conversations with American congressmen, we concluded that the most logical strategy would be to acquire a local medium-capacity factory that could produce Juicy juices for their market. In that way, we'd manage to avoid numerous logistical and regulatory challenges,'' emphasised Svjetlan Stanic, the owner and President of the Management Board of the Stanic Group.

The idea of ​​buying a local factory

According to the company, Stanic Beverages' export strategy focuses on the overall market of a certain country, the company doesn't see export growth through specialised niches in large markets such as the Croatian emigrant community in the US, but always sees what the full potential could instead be.

"Juicy is a modern brand, it follows global trends with an emphasis placed on leading a healthy lifestyle, it understands the needs of the global consumer and addresses them," they say. The American congressmen also see the brand’s international name as a big advantage in performing in the American market because there is no language barrier.

Stanic Beverages is part of the Stanic Group and also the largest juice producer in Croatia, which owns two factories. One factory is located in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, more precisely in Kresevo, while the other factory is in Jastrebarsko here in Croatia. The total capacity of both factories is 150 million litres, which isn't enough for the needs of the American market, and accordingly the Management of Stanic Beverages sees the support of American congressmen as a key step in realising the idea of ​​buying a local factory.

More than a month ago, Stanic Beverages announced that they had invested 10.6 million kuna in the modernisation of the Croatian Juicy drinks production plant in Kresevo ​​in order to raise the quality of production according to the highest European and international standards. They also pointed out that they plan to produce 35 million litres of juice at the same location (last year they produced 28.2 million litres), announcing ambitious plans and new distributors, which they hope will significantly increase their exports.

For more, follow Made in Croatia.

May the 31st, 2021 - The very first three Croatian Gavrilovic products are set to head east to Ukraine as economic ties between Croatia and Ukraine strengthen.

As Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes, on Wednesday, June the 2nd, 2021, the first delivery of Croatian Gavrilovic products in cans will head to Ukraine, intended for the largest Ukrainian retail chain, Fozzy Group. Quite symbolically given everything this city went through at the end of 2020, the cans will depart from the Petrinja production plant.

''We announced such a possibility in the past, and now the realisation of the first export of Croatian Gavrilovic products to Ukraine is finally beginning. Despite the difficult circumstances due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the export of Croatian products to Ukraine is currently proceeding smoothly. Our existing producers are increasing the quantities and assortments they have on offer, and we're constantly introducing new ones, such as with Gavrilovic now. Of course, we aren't going to just stop at this because we're also working on the placement of products of some new Croatian manufacturers and on strengthening the existing ones.

In all this, we have the exceptional support of State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture Tugomir Majdak,'' said Ivica Piric, the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Split and President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce for Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Piric added that now, in a situation when the pandemic is weakening and when we're witnessing the easing of anti-epidemic measures across Croatia, the organisation of the Ukrainian-Croatian Economic Forum is very likely.

''We've already chosen a date, which is August the 23rd and 24th. These are the dates when Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day, and this year it will mark 30 years of independence, as such, the Croatian leadership is expected to visit Ukraine. That's the plan as long as something unforeseen doesn't happen. Such forums are very important because they are the easiest way to conclude deals and improve economic cooperation. Companies from the food, ICT, construction, defense, energy and tourism sectors will participate and there will be talks about investments, either existing ones that are being developed and realised, or new investments in both countries,'' said Ivica Piric.

Trpimir Lovrekovic, the director of marketing and exports of this well known Croatian company, revealed that in this first export of Croatian Gavrilovic products to Ukraine, things are going to begin with three products. These are canned meat breakfast, ham and mandolin ham, all of which have bene popular for a very long time among consumers here in Croatia.

''Thanks to the engagement and mediation of Ivica Piric, cooperation with the largest Ukrainian retail chain has come to fruition. This is our first delivery to the Ukrainian market from which we expect a lot. We've talked to the responsible persons of the Fozzy Group, and we expect to expand our range and increase the quantities of these three products.

Gavrilovic is taking small steps to position itself on the global market, and after Ukraine we expect the opening of the markets of countries that gravitate to that market, such as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. The Ukrainian market is the first step in expanding towards those countries,'' Lovrekovic concluded.

For more, follow our dedicated business section.

May the 31st, 2021 - Mate Rimac is set to reveal yet another more than likely jaw-dropping electric Croatian supercar on social media, which will also boast a new name.

When it comes to Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac, there aren't many who have a bad word to say. The owner of the internationally recognised Rimac Automobili, headquartered in Sveta Nedelja near Zagreb, has placed Croatia on the global automotive map, providing it with a position that would never have occurred otherwise in this country with next to no automotive output globally.

This Livno-born car lover boasts dogged determination and a true love for cars. Having busted the myth that ''nothing can be done in Croatia unless you belong to a certain party'' quite successfully indeed with his strong combination of grit and an inventive mind, this 34 year old entrepreneur has even schooled the government in how to attract foreign interest following his massive cash injection from no less than German car giant Porsche.

Having been compared to both Elon Musk and his fellow countryman Nikola Tesla, Mate Rimac, who is currently busy creating his new campus, has made it more than clear that when it comes to creating the iconic Croatian supercar brand, he isn't planning to stop at ''just'' the Concept_One and Concept_Two. 

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Mate Rimac's company Rimac Automobili announced that on Tuesday, June the 1st, 2021, they will present their brand new electric Croatian supercar which will be made in series production on social media.

The new Croatian supercar, hitherto known as the C_Two, will also be given a special new name.

Mate Rimac recently posted a video on his personal Facebook profile taken while testing this model out in Zemunik. He wrote that ''every day two world journalists test the production version of the car he designed, developed and produced right here in Croatia, in spite of everything.''

For more, follow Made in Croatia.

ZAGREB, 30 May, 2021 - The pumpkin seed oil made by the Sinković family farm in Bedekovčina, Krapina-Zagorje County is the champion of the 3rd International Alps-Adria Pumpkin Seed Oil Exhibition and the 10th Croatian Pumpkin Seed Oil Exhibition.

The prizes were presented in Varaždin earlier this week.

The 3rd International Alps-Adria Pumpkin Seed Oil Exhibition was organised by Varaždin County with the Alps-Adriatic Alliance and 12 Croatian counties. This year 168 pumpkin seed oils from Croatia, Austria, Slovenia and Hungary were submitted.

Fifteen 15 gold medals were awarded in the cold pressed pumpkin seed oil category and seven in the warm pressed category.

Varaždin County prefect Radimir Čačić awarded the pumpkin seed oil made by the Sinković family farm €2,000.

He said he was proud that five samples from five producers in the county had won five gold medals at the biggest world fair of food products, where 3,500 samples from over 90 countries had competed.

"This prize only goes to show that our colleagues in neighbouring countries have the same quality as well," said Čačić.

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May the 30th, 2021 - The German Die Welt publication, which is highly popular among German readers, has praised Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac once again, referring to him as the Elon Musk of the Balkans.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the German Die Welt reported that ''Mate Rimac actually just wanted to be a successful professional auto-moto driver, but over time he became a symbol of hope for car manufacturers on the road to electromobility,''

The Berlin-based Die Welt looks back at one episode with which the success story of this much loved Croatian entrepreneur began. Mate Rimac's old BMW "troika" failed in one race and the engine "died", writes Die Welt journalist Thomas Geiger: "At that time, it seemed like the biggest possible accident that could happen, but in actual fact, nothing better could have ever happened to Mate Rimac...''

If it weren't for that technical problem, Rimac might never have come up with the idea to install the simple electric motor of a forklift in his car, instead of an expensive new engine. And so, writes the German Die Welt, Rimac's green "troika" became the well known "Green Monster", and Rimac himself became the "king of drifting". The innovative Croat's videos were watched by millions of people on YouTube, and later he became "the man who made the strongest sports e-car in the world, that is, an ardent supporter of electric propulsion".

"The Elon Musk of the Balkans"

"A skilful Croat with an almost shy smile hidden behind a thick beard is currently one of the most sought-after people in the industry," the German newspaper wrote in its article entitled "Visionary under voltage", emphasising that Rimac is only 33 years old, and that a lot has happened in his life in the past ten years alone. "Once an average student, and then an ingenious inventor" is now a partner and supplier of sophisticated technological solutions, from batteries to engines - he has become the "Elon Musk of the Balkans", writes the German Die Welt, as reported by Deutsche Welle.

The fact that this remarkable entrepreneur comes from Croatia gives this whole story an additional, special element, writes the Berlin daily. "On the colourful car map of the world, the former Yugoslavia has been a relatively white spot since the end of production of the small Yugo back in 2008, there are almost no automotive manufacturers there. Nevertheless, decisive development began right there: only 200 kilometres southeast of the headquarters of Rimac's company in Sveta Nedelja, a certain Nikola Tesla was born,'' notes the German Die Welt.

''Rimac is geographically closer to Tesla than he is to Elon Musk,'' writes the German journalist.

Regardless of the electrical engineering thanks to which he became famous, Rimac doesn't "insist" on changing the world for the better, at least not on the road, the article notes:

”Rimac's penchant for e-cars has its source not in environmental protection, but in the joy of driving, the taste that these cars give him,'' notes the journalist.

Regardless of all the successes that Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac has stacked up over recent years, and despite all the models he has developed and sold for high sums of money, "Die Welt" still notices one particularly Croatian problem plaguing the entire thing - the lack of skilled labour.

"Croatia isn't exactly the armpit of the world, but the outskirts of Zagreb aren't a magnet for experts from abroad either. That's why it isn't surprising that Rimac is currently planning a new headquarters, which is a bit reminiscent of Autostadt in Wolfsburg or a little more like Apple's headquarters in Cupertino/ And in those new headquarters, Rimac's Green Monster will of course get a place of honour,'' concludes the German Die Welt article.

For more, follow Made in Croatia.

May the 29th, 2021 - As on-demand services become more and more important in the way we carry out our daily lives, the Croatian Printee platform has done well, reaching an impressive 270,000 visitors in just seven months.

As Ivan Tominac/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the main feature of on-demand services across the world is to correctly and comfortably define convenience and accessibility at a time when we want precisely that.

The idea of ​​on-demand services also gave rise to the Croatian Printee platform, which brings together several internet retailers that offer unique products. Each trader on their platform uses a unique link and then sells whatever product has been chosen by the end user through their own online store.

In this way, the Croatian Printee platform has enabled sellers to, without starting and investing in their own store, have a place where their followers, fans and customers can find their products. In that way, they are closer to the average customer, and Printee's online design program Uneekat allows each person to print their desired design, photo or some other, third idea.

This different concept was discussed with Ivan Krajinovic, one of the founders of the idea and co-founder of the innovative Croatian Printee platform.#

‘’It's a place to connect all those who sell their unique “merch” and those who want to buy those products, all the people who want to buy a product from their favourite author, influencer or designer. Printee's business model is based on a just-in-time production model - in our case it regards printing on various products (T-shirts, canvas bags, etc.) at the moment when the customer orders the product,'' explained Ivan Krajinovic.

Printing on demand has been developing around the world for about five years, and it has been talked about in Croatia since pandemic-dominated 2020. Although everything is still completely new, it didn't scare off these two students, Ivan Krajinovic and Zdeslav Markoc, and they turned their idea into action.

Back in June 2020, they secured an investment of 50,000 euros from Fil Rouge Capital, and their idea was supported by Katarina Guja, who is today the director of this young Croatian startup.

In the meantime, they were joined by Anja Milkovic, who is engaged in marketing, and graphic artist Renata Tremski. Today, there are a total of five of them, just enough for the idea to keep on rolling. ‘

''Our story started to be written when my colleague Zdeslav and I met at the student association Ekonomska klinika (Economic clinic). We started working together on projects to promote entrepreneurship and financial literacy, and soon ran for management positions within the organisation. We simply "clicked" and realised that we can count on each other in both life and entrepreneurship.

The story of the Croatian Printee platform wouldn't be complete without our co-founder Katarina who with her expert knowledge, mentorship and work helps Printee succeed. We met Katarina while volunteering at the LEAP Summit, where she is the head of the agenda and finances,'' Krajinovic added.

Both founders of the idea were "persecuted" by the idea of ​​making something of their own in life and leaving a legacy that will create added value. It was never a question of whether they would enter the often challenging waters of entrepreneurship, but rather a mere question of time. In the end, they did, and in that, they add, volunteering helped them out the most, and the big advantage of this startup is the Printee community.

The Croatian Printee platform successfully brings together several dozen well-known Croatian and foreign individuals that attract their own respective audiences to their platform, and among them stand out some foreign entrepreneurs in Croatia like Dutchman Jan de Jong, writers like Bruno Simlesa and many other names.

In order to reach an audience and as such potential customers, they use all social media that are common in Croatia, and they try to promote themselves through participation in projects, panels and the like. Given that the platform itself was launched just seven months ago, 270,000 visits to their site in that relatively short time period alone means they know what they're doing.

''Anyone who wants to start their own business in this form, ie start selling their own products on our site, can become a creator. The process is very simple and painless for anyone who wants to sell things, and after all, it doesn't matter that you have experience in design, since Renata can turn all ideas into action. In addition, it is important to emphasise that the process is free and we don't charge any access fees or anything like that. We give an opportunity to everyone who is willing to invest in themselves, and in the end, the more you invest in yourself, the more you earn.

The Croatian Printee platform takes care of everything, from the first contact, making the design, setting up the store, IT and customer support to the final contact with customers and even product delivery,'' concluded the co-founder of the Printee platform, Ivan Krajinovic.

For more, follow Made in Croatia.

May 28, 2021 - A recently published study on ionic liquids with solid state nanopores at the Ruđer Bošković Institute (IRB) can help the energy storage sector.

The top scientific and research institution in Croatia, the Ruđer Bošković Institute (IRB), continues to be the home of interesting scientific progress.

Researchers from the IRB's computer bioscience team, Nataša Vučemilović-Alagić, and dr. Mario Špadina under the mentorship of dr. Ana Sunčana Smith cleared the phenomenon of transport inside liquids on the principle of nanopores in the solid-state. A nanopore is a small cavity in solid matter, invisible to the naked eye. This IRB research was done in collaboration with dr. Sanjin Marion and dr. Aleksandra Rađenović from École Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and the research results are published in the prestigious scientific journal Small which specializes in nanotechnology.

Professor Ana Sunčana Smith's IRB team deals with molecular descriptions of chemical and physical interactions of ionic liquids (liquids that are not neutral but have either positive or negative electric charge) on various solid surfaces. The goal was to determine the impact of specific ions and specific surfaces. The appliance of this knowledge is in line with guidelines of the EU Green Deal, and the UN sustainable development goals", explained IRB in the official press release.

The press release added this knowledge is useful in storing energy, as ionic liquids in nanopores represent an alternative to batteries.

„In this research, starting from the principle of water solutions, we combine ionic fluids and nanopores of different geometric features and materials to secure new nanofluid functionalities. This solves some of the relevant issues in the understanding of basic principles of transports in space-limited ionic liquids and ensuring better control of the speed of translocating within an analyte“, explained Dr. Ana Sunčana Smith.

It's worth noting that dr. Sunčana Smith is one of the Croatian scientists that received support from the Croatian European Research Council (ERC) for a very prestigious project in researching biological membranes worth 1,5 million euros.

Energy efficiency is something IRB shows to be really dedicated to, as evident by the progress IRB researchers made in exploring materials for converting CO2 to methanol alcohol, and IRB's Rovinj Sea Research Centre that celebrated 130 years of existence this year priorities maritime ecology and its protection in its research.

Learn more about Croatian inventions & discoveries: from Tesla to Rimac on our TC page.

For more about science in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May the 26th, 2021 - Think of the subject you absolutely loathed at school, did I guess right when I thought maths? Probably. This toilsome and quite frankly boring subject is far from the delight of many a child, but the very first Croatian summer mathematics camp might change that.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, while mathematics might be pretty much universally despised among primary and secondary school age children, it is also one of the most important subjects taught in compulsary education, and many still aim for good grades despite their feelings on it. The first Croatian summer mathematics camp, Math Magic, could hold the answer to making things more fun.

With this goal in mind, the first Math Magic camp for children aged 6 to 10 will be held in July in the historic Dalmatian city of Sibenik.

It was started by Antica Filipovic Grcic and Sarah Vukovic, friends from school who started Malac Genijalac two years ago, an international school for the intellectual development of children - first, Vukovic started it independently in Sibenik, where they both come from, and then they started it together in Zagreb.

With the latest initiative involving the very first Croatian summer mathematics camp, they decided to bring maths closer to children in a fun and easy way with a cheerful atmosphere and adventure, especially since Vukovic is a professor of mathematics, and Filipovic Grcic is a university specialist in economics who is intensively studying child psychology.

They spoke in more detail how they came up with the idea and what the concept of the camp is that offers children the chance to learn more about mathematics in a fun way through practical examples from life, experiments and projects.

"At the time of the first lockdown due to the pandemic, Sarah was staying with her family in an isolated house in a small town near Sibenik, and Antica was stuck in Kazakhstan.

During that period, we were constantly in touch because we had to handle the school’s business remotely. Getting our heads around online teaching and getting used to the new situation was difficult and exhausting for everyone, but after a while the situation stabilised and we got used to the new normal.

It is with these shared coffees at a distance that the two of us designed several projects, including the Math Magic camp, initiated by thinking about children and learning mathematics during the pandemic when online classes became the norm, which will inevitably result in many knowledge gaps for these kids,'' they stated.

As they claim, this is the only such camp that goes beyond the standards of merely organising children's camps in the context of the accommodation itself, given that it is held in the luxury Sibenik resort called Solaris, more precisely at the Andrija childrens' camp which boasts 4 stars and which is fully adapted to children. The camp will run for ten days, from July 2-11.

The maximum capacity is 40 children, more precisely 10 for each class for individual access to each student. Applications are open until June the 15th, ie until the places are all filled.

The children will have maths school in the camp every day in the morning for four school hours, with breaks of 10 minutes between each hour. It will also have two school abacus classes each day in the afternoon.

“This programme serves to introduce a new skill by which children can develop their cognitive abilities. For children who are already students of Malac Genijalac, this programme will enable additional practice and improvement of the learned material, and they'll be able to try their skills out in the role of a teacher.

The rest of the time is reserved for various fun activities under the guidance of a professional team. Each class has its own teacher who is an employee of the Malac Genijalac school and has a profession in the field of education.

Along with the teachers, the first Croatian summer mathematics camp also has its own psychologist who is an employee of the Malac Genijalac school, a tourist guide for children, animators who are employees of the Andrija Hotel, a night watchman, and the two of us in the role of camp leaders,'' say Filipovic Grcic and Vukovic.

Otherwise, the Malac Genijalac school is intended for the development of children's brains, ie their cognitive abilities and intellectual skills. It is a concept that has been expanding across the world, including here at home in Croatia, for six years through franchising, and today in fifteen countries - there are over 200 schools and more than 35,000 end users.

The school runs programmes that develop, among other things, skills such as attention span, photographic memory, logical reasoning, analytical thinking, visualisation, imagination, creativity and self-confidence.

"The results our students can boast of are excellent, and we can boast of winning medals at European and international competitions. The feedback has been phenomenal,'' the paur explained.

A series of projects

They are pleased that more and more new educational centres are opening across Croatia where STEM programmes are being implemented - robotics, coding, foreign language schools and lab exercises are all become more within the reach of Croatian children, and with the very first Croatian summer mathematics camp being held this summer, the country can certainly boast of a lot when it comes to children and their education.

For more, follow Made in Croatia.