March the 18th, 2022 - A dose of expertise from the Varazdin FOI has found its place in the distant Maldives as the Varazdin Faculty of Organisation and Informatics (FOI) has implemented an e-learning system with project partners called AMED - Advancing Higher Education in the Maldives Through E-learning Development.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, this is a project in which Varazdin's FOI has been providing expertise for the last three years to introduce an e-learning model to the National University of the Indian Ocean Islands, which really needed such a system due to its poor traffic and network connectivity over more than 200 islands.

The project started back in 2019, is fully funded by the Erasmus + programme of the European Commission in the amount of 720,592 euros, and its main goal is to strengthen capacities and dissemination of knowledge in higher education. So far, almost all of the project activities have been carried out involving more than 50 participants from the University of the Maldives (MNU).

They participated in various fields of education there through a developed study programme with the aim of capacity building and training for the application of online teaching. A study programme in four modules has been developed and will be accredited to be made available for the future training of teachers and other staff at MNU and after the completion of the AMED project.

This week, project partners from the Maldives, the Open University of Catalonia and the Croatian Academic and Research Network (CARNET) are in Varazdin to present examples of good practice in implementing e-learning and applying new technologies and distance learning models.

"Within the project, we worked on raising the strategic approach to the introduction of e-learning and developed a unique strategic document that will enable the University of the Maldives to further develop its e-learning," said the project manager and vice dean at the Varazdin FOI, Prof.Dr. Igor Balaban.

Experts from FOI Varazdin and CARNET organised so-called job shadowing that enables the transfer of good practice in the organisation and implementation of e-education/learning to the Maldivian education system.

"A total of sixteen of our representatives from various sectors of the Maldives National University are participating in the presentations and workshops in the field of e-learning to improve the existing processes in our institution," explained the project manager at MNU, Shimna Shakeeb. The equipment for the implementation and further development of e-learning in the Maldives worth 200,000 euros was also procured and installed.

"Many of our teachers weren't familiar with this type of technology and we're glad that after this project, our university will be making even more progress in terms of technological development," said Vice-Rector of the National University of the Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Shareef.

Today, the Varazdin FOI will also host the final conference of the DIP2Future project, which aims to develop educational programmes, qualification standards and occupational standards in the field of ICT, and which brings with it four new study programmes: Data Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Systems Management Information Security and Privacy, Distributed and Interactive Systems and Business Systems Transformation and Innovation Management.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

March the 16th, 2022 - The Croatian company Atos has obtained the ''Great Place to Work'' certificate for the third year running, placing this particular company firmly on the map for the pickier job seekers among us.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, for the third year in a row now, the Croatian company Atos has received the Great Place To Work (GPTW) certificate, the most famous sort of international recognition in the field of employee satisfaction. According to the company, both Atos companies in Croatia - Atos IT Solutions and Services and Atos Convergence Creators - have defended this much sought-after status among the best employers for 2022 as the only companies from the Republic of Croatia to obtain it at all.

The prestigious GPTW certificate is awarded to organisations that provide the best employee experience, and is awarded by the International GPTW Institute based on the results of an anonymous employee satisfaction survey and a calculation of the level of overall employee confidence index in the company.

During this examination, employees evaluate the credibility, communication and integrity of the company's management, the level of respect shown by the company's management to its other employees, fairness in recognising success, tangible and intangible rewards, promotion(s), development opportunities offered by the company, as well as pride, equality and togetherness in the workplace.

"In times like these, it's important that the employer understands its employees and the daily challenges that life places in front of them and that it adapts to them as much as possible. In addition, it is important to invest time and energy in creating great teams that serve each other as a safety net and whose collaboration empowers each individual, as with such support, a team becomes invincible.

This strength of a good team can be seen in our work, the Croatian company Atos is a business partner that clients are happy to rely on, and the strength of our team has led us to the third Great Place To Work award for the third time in a row. The Croatian company Atos is becoming a better place to work year after year, despite all the misfortunes the coronavirus pandemic has brought with it. I'm extremely proud of our great team as well as Atos' policy that employees will always come first ", said Mirela Sola, the director of the Human Resources Department at Atos.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

March the 13th, 2022 - Croatian juices made by the very well known Stanic Group (Grupa) will soon be able to be enjoyed by the residents and visitors of both Oman and Doha following success at the recent event in Dubai.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, at the recently held Dubai Expo, the Stanic Group presented its Croatian juices with an emphasis on Juicy 100% juices from the Stanic Beverages range and Maraschino and Pelinkovac from the Maraska range. Juicy 100% juices have been present in the Middle East for five years now, and are mostly represented in HoReCa channels in Dubai due to their restaurant and club scene.

The recent Dubai event was also the reason for expanding cooperation with the most influential HoReCa distributor in the MENA region - Chef Middle East - with which Stanic Beverages plans to significantly strengthen business cooperation by the end of 2022 by expanding their distribution in the United Arab Emirates and opening themselves up to other markets in the premium segment of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages.

Juicy is currently present in the most famous catering and hospitality chains in Dubai such as "Bla bla" and "Masti" and in leading hotels such as Westin Dubai Beach Resort & Marina, Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Center and Double Tree by Hilton Jumairah Beach Dubai.

"I'm extremely proud that the Stanic Group brand, Maraschino liqueur, thanks to its history and long tradition, was the only product from the food and beverage industry exhibited in the permanent exhibition of the Croatian Pavilion at the world exhibition. The Dubai Expo was visited by over 15 million people who had the opportunity to get better acquainted with our brands, and thanks to that we're counting on strengthening our export positions in the MENA region.

What makes me especially happy when we talk about expanding in the MENA region is the fact that Juicy Croatian juices will soon be available for people at Doha Airport and at one of the world's most famous Costa coffee chains in Oman. In the Saudi Arabian market, we're expanding our range in retail and are slowly building a HoReCa channel. At the same time, we are working intensively to expand the distribution of Juicy Croatian juices in India, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain. We're also preparing a new taste of 100 percent mango with the aim of adapting to the habits of local consumers there,'' said Zoran Mabic, President of the Management Board of Stanic Beverages.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

March the 12th, 2022 - The Croatian Dok-ing company has well and truly impressed the Saudis with its recent appearance at the World Defense Show in Riyadh, during which it presented one of its most innovative creations - Komodo.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, the Croatian Dok-ing company has now ended its appearance at the World Defense Show which was being held in the City of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Whilst there, it presented Komodo, a multi-purpose robotic modular system for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) hazards, which garnered a lot of curiosity and interest from the Saudi Army, Navy and National Guard.

As has previously been written about, other versions of the Croatian Dok-ing's Komodo should include the field of military engineering, logistics, electronic warfare and support for combat operations.

As such, the Croatian-made Komodo can become a very effective combat tool, a tank in fact, which can be very reliably and safely controlled remotely. The vehicle weighs a massive 12.5 tonnes, and various modules weighing up to 10 additional tonnes can be mounted onto it.

This impressive Croatian Dok-ing company machine can operate in conditions where internal combustion engines cannot operate because it has a hybrid drive. The individual cost of the system could stand at a whopping 5-10 million US dollars, depending on customer requirements and any desired additional upgrades.

The project is still in its prototype phase, and the first commercial copies should be delivered to customers in the year 2024.

Dok-ing is an entirely Croatian company, but in addition to this country, three other European Union (EU) member states are participating in an EU co-financed project - Austria, Slovenia and Hungary - and it is as such assumed that Komodo will find its place in civil protection and military units out there on the ever-demanding global market.

For more, make sure to check out Made in Croatia.

March the 11th, 2022 - Ana Hrgovcic is creating a real little jungle in the very heart of the City of Zagreb, and her urban jungle idea will surely appeal to all plant lovers.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, the Croatian brand Biljke.Plants, which deals with the design of plant terraces, started its business back in 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when the owner Ana Hrgovcic came up with the idea of ​​making plant decorations for interior styling. The idea quickly developed into a business venture thanks to, as Ana Hrgovcic herself says, perseverance and product quality.

Domestic production

"For two years, we operated as a trade in which one person did everything from the legal and accounting side to dealing with creative issues. We currently have two employees and several student assistants. Back in 2021, we faced some big challenges and even bigger questions, the main one was whether we'd keep our business online and sell exclusively through our webshop or whether we'd dare to take the next step and open up a physical branch. In the middle of the year, a decision was made - we were going to open a physical plant store. On the last day of February, we opened the doors of the Biljke.Plants shop at Ilica 74,'' explained Ana Hrgovcic.

What they're known for and what the most sought after item they have is, is a self-sustaining plant terrarium that belongs to the perennial houseplant and is an original decoration for the interior, whether it is a residential or business space. The terrariums are made in a studio of about 30 square metres, from which this story started, and they take special care of the quality preparation of all of the used materials so that everything in the terrariums is healthy and lives for a long time.

''We're proud that we specialise and improve things in the production of terrariums and cockades and that we can say that we've become experts in this field, and we are constantly collaborating with other Croatian brands and designers,'' Hrgovcic added.

The materials and raw materials used in the production of the range come from other EU countries, and of course the Netherlands stands out, which is well known to all as the land of flowers.

"I started working with plants and terrariums after returning from Amsterdam. We haven't been able to cooperate with Croatian family farms and nurseries so far, but we would like to. We adore and try to support domestic production as much as possible and we tried to cooperate with several glass manufacturing trades in Croatia, but unfortunately the sizes and shapes we require couldn't be produced. We noticed that our customers like large pieces of terrarium in which everything happens and that will fill the gaps in a space, so in our offer in addition to XS, S and M sizes can be found, as can extremely large terrariums, size L +.'' concluded Hrgovcic.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

March the 10th, 2022 - Croatian tech company growth over recent years has been very impressive. Now being the home of two unicorns - the quite remarkable Vodnjan-based company for communication software solutions, Infobip, and the manufacturer of electric vehicles Rimac Automobili - this country is becoming the leading technology hub in the immediate region.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, back in pandemic-dominated 2020, the revenue of the Croatian IT sector reached a massive 4.2 billion USD thanks to continuous annual growth, especially during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, before a vaccine was on the horizon. The contribution of this industry to Croatia's overall GDP in 2020 stood at 2.5 percent.

Infobip achieved the deeply-desired unicorn status in 2020, after securing a 200 million USD investment. This company is important for the overall development of the country's technological ecosystem, as it invests in startups that develop projects in segments such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, and has also opened offices in neighbouring Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Another Croatian IT company, Infinum, also wants to expand to neighbouring Montenegro. This all represents Croatian tech company growth and all of these enterprises fully intend to invest and cooperate with various universities in these countries, because in this way they will be able to be provided with access to regional IT talent in the short term. In the long term, this approach could help develop the IT industry in parts of the region that are still lagging behind in IT and where new employment opportunities need to be created. For example, Croatia's southern neighbour Montenegro could benefit, as the unemployment rate there is close to 20 percent.

Challenges for investors

The biggest challenge facing regional startups is the lack of venture capital funds and angel investors. In most cases, Croatian tech companies like Infobip have taken on the role of investors for promising local startups. Infobip runs its own Startup Tribe, a global programme dedicated to the development of regional and global startups, which now includes more than 70 startups from across 40 countries.

While EU member states Croatia and Bulgaria attracted 956m euros in investments between 2015 and 2021, the rest of the region managed to raise just 154m euros at a time, a Google report showed. This also showcases just how much European Union membership has improved Croatian tech company growth when compared with the far more negative experience of non member states.

The main reason for the above is that most countries in the region are not fully integrated into the EU. Namely, while technology companies from Croatia and Bulgaria have been successful in raising funds, EU candidates such as Macedonia or Montenegro have very much failed, mostly due to insufficient legislative and regulatory alignment with the EU, but also political instability in those nations.

For more on Croatian tech company growth and local startups, check out Made in Croatia.

March the 10th, 2022 - Communal companies located across the continent and indeed beyond it have been quick to recognise the many advantages of Rasco cleaners, and when it comes to here in Croatia, that recognition is taking a little bit longer to develop. This Kalinovac-based company is, in the global sense, firmly placing itself on the ''green'' map.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, during a time when energy prices are continually raging, and the question of whether there will be oil and gas left at all is becoming more and more common, electric vehicles are gaining more and more importance from the ecological to end user value.

Although Croatia doesn't engage in the mass production of vehicles, Croatian companies offering new technologies based on e-mobility and autonomy are increasingly positioning themselves on the demanding global market. Entrepreneur Mate Rimac is best known to the general public, but for years one of the leaders in the production of electric and autonomous machines for mines and demining has been Zagreb's Dok-Ing.

Rasco, which last year introduced an electric version of its successful Lynx Charge cleaner, is slowly entering the market. Much of the company's development is focused on e-mobility and new technologies.

According to Marko Kolar, director of development, with the emergence of electric vehicles and the strengthening of the trend of "green" vehicles that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in cities, they started thinking more and more about electric vehicles because many cities across Europe and the world have banned the entry of any fossil fuel vehicles into their centres.

“In the city centres themselves, especially in big cities, the issue of noise and pollution brought on by traffic is becoming an increasing focus. Lynx Charge, a Rasco cleaner, has almost all the systems that an electric car has, which makes it an extremely complex product.

We worked on its development for three years and it, together with the diesel version of Lynx, is the crown of the company's 30 years of hard work. It is intended primarily for export,'' said Kolar of this impressive Rasco cleaner. In recent days, Kolar was also named the best manager in the Research and Development (R&D) segment in the selection of the national association of managers - CROMA.

He added that Rasco has a developed distribution network in more than 40 markets and, since the introduction of the Rasco cleaner called Lynx Charge last October, they have delivered the first two vehicles to the Netherlands. The first feedback has been very optimistic because the vehicles met all customer expectations.

"We'd certainly be glad if the advantages of using electric vehicles were recognised by Croatian communal and utility companies, there's interest and we're looking forward to potential cooperation," said Kolar. Rasco, a company from Kalinovac in Podravina, is primarily an export-oriented company that generates more than 80 percent of its revenues on foreign markets.

“We're currently focused on European markets, but you can also find our products on the highways and streets of Canadian, Israeli, Chinese and Australian cities. European markets are currently most active in replacing vehicles with internal combustion engines with alternative propulsion, so most orders for Lynx Charge Rasco cleaners currently come from Europe. That said, we aren't neglecting other global markets from which more and more inquiries for electric vehicles are arriving either. The Lynx Charge is an ideal product for entering the markets of North and South America and Asia because it isn't accompanied by the restrictions related to the homologation of internal combustion engines," explained Kolar.

They noted from Rasco that Lynx and Lynx Charge belong to the class of compact vacuum cleaners, and the estimated size of the European market for this type of machine is at the level of 3000 pieces per year.

The vast majority of the market is still made up of diesel-powered cleaners, but there has been a noticeable increase in interest in electric-powered cleaners. The Lynx Charge Rasco cleaners, they say, have an advantage over competitors because Lynx has been conceived from the very beginning to be a vehicle with two types of drive, without compromising on efficiency, comfort and autonomy.

They emphasised that they wouldn't want to count their chickens before they hatch and try to predict further electrification trends as we move forward, but they think that the question is not whether electric cleaners will take over dominance over other types of drives in this class of utility vehicles, but whether it will happen in three, four or five years.

Rasco will certainly have a dog in that fight because, as they themselves pointed out, their development projects are a reflection of the harmonisation of unfolding market needs, high flexibility, quick adjustments and this gives them the opportunity to respond to very dynamic market conditions.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

March the 5th, 2022 - Samobor Frelimo cvarci have had a spring put back in their step and even have a new international name to boast of as more and more countries want their products.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, due to the growing number of countries to which this company now exports a globally successful product, the popular Samobor Frelimo cvarci have been given a new look and international name - Dr. PIGLEY.

This manufacturer is working out of its Samobor home base with brand new and improved packaging and it produces some of the highest quality Croatian cvarci and healthy lard. It plans to continue to export its products to European countries such as Germany, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Great Britain and several other markets.

"Year after year, the share of exports in our revenues is becoming more significant and we realised with our partners that we already have a quality product, but we also need a recognisable market presence, to further advance in both Croatian and foreign markets. We want to clearly set ourselves aside and make ourselves stand out from the competition. We devised a new communication strategy in collaboration with experts from Studio Conex, who very quickly recognised our needs and did a great job. Judging by the first reactions of our customers and business partners, the new Dr.PIGLEY brand and better packaging will meet expectations in the markets in which we operate and win some brand new ones as well. Demanding Croatian and foreign customers are accustomed to the quality of Samobor Frelimo cvarci, which, in this new packaging, will preserve the fine aromas, crunchiness and freshness even longer,'' stated Miroslav Matausic, the founder and director of Fortuna food.

They have been producing lard and domestic cvarci, a much loved pork snack which are very much like pork scratchings/rind (British English) for nineteen years now.

Fortuna food and the Dr.PIGLEY brand are the successors of the Frelimo company, which has been producing lard and homemade cvarci for nineteen years in a modern facility, with the highest health standards and family recipes.

“We enjoyed developing a new communication strategy and the Dr.PIGLEY brand. It's an extremely high quality product which will win people over on their very first taste, so from the very beginning, we've known that we're participating in a story with potentially great international success. Dr.PIGLEY cvarci are a natural product prepared by hand, according to a traditional recipe and are very different from industrial products from other manufacturers,'' explained Boris Lesic, the director of Studio Conex.

Fortuna food has already won awards and recognitions for the quality of its Croatian cvarci and packaging innovation.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

February the 26th, 2022 - In some former military barracks in the quaint and charming continental Croatian town of Samobor, not far from Zagreb, innovation is being born. From games and smart devices to drones, Mali Tehnopolis Samobor is putting itself firmly on the tech map.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, in addition to always being a favourite place for dessert lovers, Samobor is increasingly attracting entrepreneurs who are developing successful companies in the blossoming Croatian ICT and gaming industry, as well as those in the air conditioning, automotive, construction, metal and manufacturing industries.

It was in Samobor, on the site of the former Taborec barracks, that Mali Tehnopolis Samobor was completed just two years ago, conceived as a regional centre for the management and dissemination of 3D technologies and innovations within Zagreb County.

The project, worth 21.6 million kuna, of which 90 percent is being co-financed by the European Union (EU), offers start-up owners in the development and growth phase continuous support in business through workshops, seminars and conferences, with additional spaces such as meeting rooms and conference rooms.

Although it was officially completed at the end of August 2020, it actually started operating in mid-June of the same year. At that time, equipment for 3D printing and 3D scanning was put into operation, and on July the 1st, they got their first "tenants".

The capacity of Mali Tehnopolis Samobor, managed by the Samobor Entrepreneurship Centre, is 19 spatial units, of which 16 are currently being used. A total of 1431 square metres of space houses 14 incubated companies whose range of activities is wide, but with the common denominator among them all being modern technology and innovation.

“Samobor has always followed the craft and entrepreneurial tradition, so it isn't surprising that the first business incubator in the town in a very short time was almost completely filled. In addition to the activities represented in the incubator, there's a clear path to modern, technologically advanced and innovative products and services that are or will be found in the near future on both the Croatian and global markets. The key goal is to fully fill the incubator infrastructure and increase the existing portfolio of the clients who use its accompanying content, more specifically 3D technologies and meeting rooms, conferences and coworking rooms. Given the extremely favourable entrepreneurial climate in Samobor itself, we believe that such goals are achievable.

In addition to the subsidised rent of office spaces within the incubator - the first year being subsidised at 70%, the second year at 50% and the third year at 30% - at the request of the market, a virtual incubation service was introduced that allows entrepreneurs to register their company at Mali Tehnopolis Samobor without the need for physical residence incubators, and to use the mailbox, if necessary, a meeting room, and participate in seminars and workshops organised by Mali Tehnopolis Samobor and all this at, I would dare say, currently the best price on the market,'' explained Mali Tehnopolis Samobor's main man, Karlo Kupres.

The Laboratory for 3D Technologies is equipped with modern devices for 3D printing in Multi Jet Fusion and stereolithographic technology, as well as optical 3D scanning, which are available through services to all incubator users, as well as to external companies and individuals. Meeting room spaces, conference rooms and coworking spaces are also available through rental services to outside companies and individuals, Kupres added.

They also conduct seminars and workshops 2-3 times a month, and the topics are related to digital advertising, branding, EU funds and Hamagp-Bicro tenders. Kupres said that attendance levels at seminars and workshops is high if pandemic measures are taken into account. In addition, once a year they organise the Technology Forum, whose main task is the promotion of 3D technologies and the networking of entrepreneurs.

"As an incubator, we cooperate with the Zagreb incubator Zicer, and with the help of 3D technology laboratories we've established cooperation with about 15 companies across Croatia from various industries such as the metal, automotive, medical, construction and entertainment industries," added Kupres.

All those interested who want to move into the incubator can check the public invitations published on the website of the Entrepreneurial Centre Samobor, and with them is the complete documentation required for application, and the rules. Public invitations are published several times a year and last 30 calendar days after their publication.

However, as Kupres pointed out, at any time, those interested can apply for the lease of office space within Mali Tehnopolis Samobor by e-mailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more, make sure to check out Made in Croatia.

February the 25th, 2022 - The Croatian computer game Drawize, a drawing-based game created by the Zagreb company Lomboos, is now available on Steam.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, the Drawize word-drawing game, designed and developed by Zagreb-based Lomboos, is now available on Steam, the leading PC game distribution platform with 28 million users worldwide.

The Croatian computer game Drawize has otherwise been on the market for five years now, but so far it has only been made available on the Internet as a mobile iOS and Android application (app). Now that it has been made available on the wildly popular Steam platform, the price of this game is a mere 5.99 euros.

“Being put on the Steam platform as the leading platform for computer games is a big step forward for Lomboos, and it offers players the pleasure of playing completely without any ads interrupting them. On top of that, additional Steam-specific features are integrated into the game, such as collecting achievements and the ability to easily invite contacts to play together,'' they said from Lomboos in Zagreb.

The Croatian computer game Drawize can be played in "public rooms" of seven players who alternate in drawing and guessing, or a private room can be created for up to 100 participants, and it is possible to compete in a daily challenge on the game.

According to the owner of the company and the main developer of the game, Tomislav Lombarovic, so far, Drawize has been played by more than four million people who have drawn 50 million drawings in total. In addition to Croatian, the game is available in seven other languages ​​- English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Italian and Russian.

In addition to fun and creativity, the Croatian company Drawize is also commonly used as a teaching aid, as it is educational as well as fun. Companies are using it for virtual team building, and Lomboos says the practice has further increased as more and more people have started working and studying from home since pandemic-dominated 2020.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.