November the 17th, 2021 - Ever seen an Istrian flying goat? Probably not. You've probably never seen a flying goat from any location if we're being honest, but you can now taste one if you should so desire.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, in the Bokoon tavern, which is part of Valamar's Premium Camping resort in Funtana not far from Porec, the cooperation of two Istrian craft brands was presented - the Istarska kapljica distillery and Count’s drinks. The new Istrian flying goat gin is the result of the hard work of Istarska kapljica from Kastelir, which already produces fourteen brandies and liqueurs, for which it has won as many as 76 awards in just five years.
In order for the Istrian flying goat story to remain completely autochthonous, along with this gin, craft drinks and juices by Marko Bratovic, who also produces ginger beer and ginger ale and the tonic brand Count’s drinks, were presented in Kastelir.
“Our story started with my grandfather making wine and brandy, and when I decided to play around with ingredients like cherry maraschino and elderberry we slowly expanded the range. Marko Bratovic is responsible for the gin, and he suggested that we start the project together and present a new original Istrian story to the market,'' says Goran Spehar from the Istarska kapljica distillery.
The Istrian flying goat, named after the famed Istrian goat symbol, is a gin consisting of eleven ingredients that were presented to the market back in mid-August, and they plan to increase the quantities for the next tourist season in 2022. The distillery produces 20,000 bottles of liqueurs and brandies for which they use exclusively domestic raw materials - their own and those from subcontractors, and instead of sugar they sweeten them with honey. They cooperate with the hotel chains Valamar and Aminess, and their products are also on the shelves of six specialised stores.
“We're mostly present on the domestic market in Istria and in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, we export to Austria and Germany, and our web shop delivers to all EU countries. Our plan for next year is to expand to the Zagreb market, but in several locations because we want to remain a premium distillery, maintain quality and not drastically increase our quantities,'' reveals Michael Tasic from Istarska kapljica. Craft production and quality is also the foundation of the Count’s drinks philosophy.
“Our production coincided with the expansion of craft gins, and the last product of ginger ale, ginger beer, we made because the market was heading in thar direction. However, we still have limited quantities and production related to natural ingredients, so it's quite difficult for us to keep up with consumer demand,'' explains Marko Bratovic from Count’s drinks. On the blossoming Croatian craft scene and market, production and interest in gin are constantly growing, and in addition to the latest, Istrian flying goat, the Aura distillery from Buzet can also boast of a number of awards brought to Istria by its gin - Karbun.
An additional note of authenticity was given by the place of presentation, the Bokoon tavern, which offers exclusively Istrian products and gastronomic specialties. This is a new concept of the Valamar hotel chain, with which they wanted to bring local traditions closer to their guests who come from all over the world.
"We also wanted to attract small producers because we offer only local food, from paseratta and gineta to Istrian prosciutto and sausages, Malvasia and Teran, or homemade brandy. Our guests have recognised the concept, and in addition to tasting these dishes at our tavern, they also attend tastings and buy our products directly from the producers themselves. A good tourist season is now behind us, and we plan to open such taverns and restaurants in other locations where our chain operates,'' reveals Karlo Grebec, the director of Istra Premium Camping Resort in Funtana.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
November the 12th, 2021 - The Croatian Greyp bikes, the largest individual owner of which is much loved entrepreneur Mate Rimac, has seen continuous and steady growth, even in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Sergej Novosel Vuckovic writes, this Sveta Nedelja-based company has grown 110 percent in recent years, this year that growth will exceed 120 percent, and the Croatian Greyp bikes company working seriously on its first city model, the electric citybike, which should be on the roads of the cities and streets by early 2024.
This was revealed on the sidelines of the first inter-industry discussion on sustainable business, launched by Nestle in Croatia, by Vladimir Karmelic, the marketing manager of the Croatian Greyp bikes company. The new model should be predestined for city driving and be more affordable, according to Karmelic. Existing models are more for mountain and trekking activities.
"With the development of technology that is our primary focus, we can see that the next step for the bike is to have it be an everyday companion to the rider, it will have navigation that warns of pollution on the route, informs the rider where there is traffic and crowding in the city and recommends green routes,'' Karmelic stated when describing the future Greyp bike, a vehicle which is set to fit even more into the story of sustainability and the eco profile that the company believes so strongly in.
This year at the Croatian Greyp bikes company they can be very satisfied indeed with the irnumbers, they have sold, all over the world, 1500 of their most popular model, the G6, the older G12 was about sixty models sold, and the latest, presented this summer, the T5, has seen about 600 copies sold. Unlike the vast majority of companies, the pandemic has actually helped them due to increased demand, but, they admit, also slowed some things down because parts factories in Vietnam and Thailand ended up being closed.
Due to global disruptions in supply chains caused by that same public health crisis, they have experienced difficulties with the procurement of certain components, especially technological ones important for connectivity, which also affects the delivery of finished products. But unlike their competitors (including “regular” manufacturers), which have also experienced significant delays, Greyp bike customers are already aware that they'll have a wait of around two months on their hands after making their purchase.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
November the 1st, 2021 - OPG Komparak on the beautiful Central Dalmatian island of Korcula has been engaged in dealing with honey and bees for many years, but their step out into the world of gin has seen them attract the attention of expensive hotels.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, the island of Korcula is the home of OPG Komparak, which is engaged in the production of honey, olive oil, and recently - strong alcoholic beverages.
As the owner Vlaho Komparak says for himself, he decided to work on the family farm, nurturing the principles of "his ancestors" as well as local tradition with a twist of modern technology, and thanks to this approach, today, OPG Komparak creates and produces a whole range of products that are all the very proud owners of eco certificates.
Chickens, turkeys, donkeys and sheep roam around the farm freely, and this OPG also boasts a vegetable garden and a spice garden. It is a farm where figs grow, indigenous varieties such as Zamorcica and Bjelica, there are 620 olive trees, also the indigenous types such as Lastovka and Oblica, and they also have 300 hives and a shop where honey can be tasted and purchased, and customers are free to get better acquainted with the production process and the product range.
You can also see life in the hive because they have a glass enclosure, more precisely a beehive built right next to the shelves with products in the tasting room, which is a fantastic view into the busy lives of one of planet Earth's most spectacular inhabitants.
“This year and 2020 have been devastating for beekeepers, I can literally say that there have never been worse years in the history of beekeeping. Weather disasters, temperature extremes burning the flowers, one above-average warm day is enough and everything disappears... By the way, our farm produces 16 to 17 tonnes of honey in its best years, and during the season it all disappears in less than a month. Today we have about 20 products in our range,'' they stated from OPG Komparak.
Vlaho's sister is a designer by profession, so she took care of the visual identity of the product, and Komparak has been running this business successfully for 12 years now. They offer eight types of honey, even local bitter honey which is characteristic of both Korcula and the nearby Peljesac peninsula.
However, the best-selling product they have is the one made of mandarin, and Komparak says that it always disappears from the shelves first. Guests come thanks to the cooperation with various agencies that OPG Komparak has, and in addition to honey and other bee-made products, this versatile farmer also makes olive oil and strong alcoholic beverages in his brand new distillery.
When it comes to oils, Vlaho says he has 1,500 to 2,000 litres a year and more than two-thirds of it is sold it to regular customers. "In normal years, we also have a honey machine for honey production, but this year it's unfortunately empty. Mandarin honey is the most sought after among the English and Americans, and they're the most frequent guests in our tasting room. Due to climate change, I decided to change the olive varieties as well, now I'm switching to the Moroccan type,'' Komparak stated.
His record-breaking tasting room year was of course, pre-pandemic 2019, when it was visited by 7,312 guests, and more than 6,000 of them passed through this year.
Apart from selling his products on his doorstep and on the island of Korcula in general, OPG Komparak's honey and gin, with the significant “beekeeping” name Trut has recently been sold in Vivat stores in Zagreb and Split and in several smaller specialised stores. Their gin has also entered the offer of the boutique hotel Lesic-Dimitri, and they plan to break into the market of the capital soon.
“We produce dry Trut gin in two variants: lemon and mint and bitter orange, which we procure from subcontractors. This year we started with a small amount, but the gins delighted and conquered the island, and Zagreb's caterers and others from the hospitality sector are also showing great interest.
For example, a cafe in Lumbarda took 100 bottles, and we also have a benefit for our catering and hospitality partners - we give them dried spices and citrus fruits from our family farm ", Komparak pointed out. The main ingredient, bitter orange that is from the island, is dried in its own dryer and they will soon have ten tonnes of bitter orange for a new round of gin,'' added the Korcula-based agribusinessman.
"Our small distillery can produce up to 20 litres of gin a day, and through European Union (EU) funds, we have managed to equip a small and large distillery worth around one million kuna," Vlaho Komparak concluded.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
October the 30th, 2021 - The Croatian company Include based in Solin has made quite the name for itself over recent years and has gained not only local but international recognition as a brand. It has now presented its air quality measuring stations, and the Italian capital of Rome has been the first on their radar.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, the Solin-based company Include has introduced yet another brand new product - Aerys Stations - designed to measure air quality in city districts. The first metres will be delivered in November to nearby Rome.
The Croatian company Include claims that their measuring stations will enable the simple and affordable installation of a large number of units, even at the level of city districts, and that such a solution would be ideal for Zagreb, which isn't known for boasting the best air.
They noted from this innovative company that Aerys stations aren't a substitute for professional measuring stations, but that their fair and affordable price allows for the installation of a large number of units that provide relevant information on air quality in a common network in a significantly larger number of locations.
The data collected also provides cities with an insight into pollution sources and their frequency. Aerys will be available in three variants.
Model P allows for the measurement of the concentration of suspended particles that represent the largest source of pollution. Model G measures the concentrations of NO, NO2 and O3 gases, while Aerys X includes the measurement of particulate matter, toxic gases and basic atmospheric conditions.
The first systems made by the Croatian company Include will be delivered to Rome, which is just finishing the construction of a smart square where Steora benches will also be installed. In a market with an annual value exceeding 4.4 billion euros, Include intends to position itself as one of the key manufacturers in the coming years.
The company headed by the young innovator Ivan Mrvos, which has been building its visibility via their Steora smart benches since back in 2015, moved in the direction of producing systems that contribute to solving some of the biggest global challenges of today back at the end of 2020. Today, their smart city solutions are used in 59 countries around the world.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution poses one of the greatest global health risks, and it is estimated that back in 2016, air pollution caused 4.2 million premature deaths. A truly damning figure.
In addition to wanting Aerys stations to participate in solving the global problem of air pollution, the Croatian company Include also entered the smart waste management market last November when they presented their Terra bins that reduce waste collection by 80 percent, which reduces both carbon dioxide emissions and removal costs. The baskets are emptied via a "cloud" platform, and Mrvos said in November that their tanks hold three times more waste than typical ones, and that smaller cities can save up to two million euros per year thanks to their compression system.
The company is currently working on a third round of recapitalisation with the aim of further expanding its business to new markets and increasing production capacity. In the last round in 2019, they raised 19 million kuna in capital, in which the largest Croatian IT enterprises also participated.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
October the 29th, 2021 - The Croatian Charter.hr (čarter.hr) platform has been in use since the end of September, and the blossoming Croatian nautical tourism sector has a brand new place at its disposal when it comes to securing all relevant information for business operations in future.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, following one year of preparation, the Croatian charter.hr portal has officially been launched by Selma Cmelik, a tourist communication specialist with many years of experience working in charter and the owner of the digital marketing agency Zona Plus. Her idea was to gather all the information, tools, guidelines and various resources necessary for more successful business of nautical charter companies in this country, but also to encourage digitalisation in the sector.
“As someone who worked in the charter industry and is now in digital marketing, I felt the need to create a website that would have all that important information for everyday charter business, but which also contains ideas, tools and resources in the form of statistical reports and trends within this industry.
That hasn't been the case here on the Croatian market so far. As a former charter employee, I know how challenging it can be to get hold of all of the relevant information, especially when it comes to tax and legislative guidance. The development of digitalisation has also provided more and more opportunities, but there was still almost nothing dedicated to the charter industry.
We always had to compare ourselves with the hotel sector, we had to depend on the choice of individual service providers and apart from specialised fairs there was no place to find a good choice of solutions. Therefore, I expect that the charter sector will have multiple benefits from this project,'' explained Cmelnik.
The Croatian charter.hr platform is primarily intended for professionals in nautical charter, directors, managers, operatives in charter bases and reservation departments. It also connects all other services naturally based on this industry, and so it represents an opportunity to connect companies that offer their products and services to charter companies.
“Basically, the Croatian charter.hr platform is a place that advocates the digitalisation and optimisation of nautical charter. We plan to publish articles on various business topics, e-books talking about trends from within the industry, and about digital tools as necessary things for the automation and optimisation of business processes. We'll do our best to conduct some research in order to assess the needs of the industry well and address them correctly,'' announced the entrepreneur.
The plan is for the Croatian charter.hr platform to eventually become a membership platform where members will have additional benefits such as legal, tax and accounting advice and services at their disposal, but more content needs to be added to reach that goal. Currently, the web space for services is free until the end of the year, but the plan is to start with toll packages from January 2022 in order to make the portal sustainable.
“At the moment, all companies that have something to offer to charters and want to present their products or services can contact us and we'll set up a page for them for free. We've agreed cooperation with experts in insurance, finance, digital marketing and sales. They create content that is interesting and needed by users. My goal is to make the content on the web really relevant and useful,'' concluded Cmelnik.
For more, make sure to check out Made in Croatia.
October the 25th, 2021 - The much loved and very popular Zagreb Brewery and K Pivovara (Brewery) which is under its auspices, has created even more variation in what was declared the world's best beer in its category back in 2020.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, last year, the beer that was declared the best in the world in its category - Grif Pale Ale, produced by K Pivovara from Zagreb, has been recently being producted in a brand new form - a 0.33 litre can. Along with the Pale Ale style in the new packaging, Oatmeal Stout is also now available in that form in stores. From the very beginning, these beers have been being produced in solely half-litre glass bottles.
From this microbrewery, otherwise under the auspices of the Zagreb Brewery, which is the Croatian market leader, they explained why they decided on heading in the direction of cans as opposed to more bottles.
“A small 0.33 litre can is practical and light and holds the ideal amount of beer for many consumers. At Grif, we approach the production of master beer uncompromisingly, and every drop of our skill poured into these new cans will confirm that fact once again,'' noted the manager for excellence of customers and consumers at K Pivovara, Dominik Palcic.
Cans of Griff's very own trump cards are on sale across numerous retail chains within Croatia, including Konzum, Interspar, Djelo and Vrutak, and the company is announcing its entry into a number of others soon.
These beers have been present here on the Croatian, otherwise very much thriving craft brewing scene since back in 2017, and Grif proved its mastery and quality not only here but also abroad.
Just last year, at the World Beer Awards held in the British capital of London, among 2,200 beers from 50 countries around the world, their Pale Ale won the title of World's Best Pale Golden Ale based on blind tasting.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
October the 22nd, 2021 - A group of Croatian fitness lovers have come up with an interesting and innovative concept which will likely delight those who are equally into this lifestyle, especially visiting tourists. Meet Gym1.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, from the next tourist season on, the very first guests of hotels and camps in Croatia, and if the business starts in the Mediterranean, will have the first fully mobile modular gym in the world available to them. The innovative Gym1 concept has been developed over the last eight months by a team of Croatian fitness and technical experts from the Zagreb Orlando Fitness Group and the Rijeka-based construction company Monterra.
Specifically, Gym1 is a fully equipped indoor or outdoor fitness in the form of a ship's container, which can be placed on any flat surface without the need for an accompanying building permit, with numerous options for modification and adaptation to the needs of investors and customers.
For camps, hotels and villas…
As Orlando Lopac, the originator of the project and the founder of Orlando Fitness, revealed, the project is in the patenting phase at the level of the European Union, but it is fully ready for the market.
"We developed the project back during the second half of the pandemic, which partly defined our goal. One of the business segments of the Orlando Group is equipping hotels and camps with fitness equipment, and we had a situation that before this season, all investments in this sector stopped. At the same time, we followed the trends across the world and it was clear to us that campsites and similar outdoor facilities are a segment that awaits much more strong development. We also know that investing in any solid facilities in our camps is complicated due to administrative barriers, and if investors already have the opportunity to invest, they usually opt for catering and hospitality content that they think is more profitable,'' said Orlando Lopac.
Therefore, this Croatian fitness team designed a container that is fully mobile and modular, equipped with state-of-the-art gym equipment, and it doesn't require any special permit so that it can be installed by any camp owner or concessionaire. The product comes ready to use and can be opened and launched by virtually anyone at the touch of a button.
The facility can be equipped by arrangement, according to the form of training that investors choose. The next step that is planned is to upgrade the exterior structure which has endless possibilities.
Lopac pointed out that the Gym1 product is intended for a full range of different locations, such as campsites, hotel resorts and other facilities, rental houses, private residences and villas, sports fields and playgrounds, public city parks and even simple beaches.
He also added that the equipment and props of the highest standard and quality have been carefully selected to ensure the best training conditions for all users, from recreational and fitness enthusiasts to professional athletes, teams and teams.
Prices range from 30,000 to 100,000 euros.
Gym1 had its first presentation to the public and potential buyers last week at the Horeca Adria fair in Opatija in Kvarner, from where they returned with a dozen specific requests for offers and numerous invitations from interested buyers.
"We're very satisfied with our first public appearance, and our goal is to sell our product not only in Croatia, but in the entire region and across the Mediterranean, given that this is a product that is very easily delivered and it's unique on the market, therefore we expect it to be very competitive,'' believes Lopac.
He also revealed the price, a standard container will sell for between 50 and 60 thousand euros, but customised versions can go from 30 thousand to 100 thousand euros, depending on the wishes and budget of the end user/buyer.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
October the 22nd, 2021 - Belje red wine has left quite the impression and left their Italian and French competitors behind in the dust. While this isn't a surprise for anyone who has enjoyed a glass of Croatian wine in their lives, it certainly helps to bring even more much deserved attention to the many varieties this country produces.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, Belje red wines have continued to sweep up various different awards throughout 2021 after winning 54 medals so far, of which 21 were ''golds'' and two were impressive championship titles.
They have now recorded yet another new global success: Belje red wine was declared the second best wine, which was evaluated with 91 points at the Emozioni dal Mondo Merlot e Cabernet Insieme in Italy, highly regarded around the world where many renowned producers of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc apply, and which this year boasted 220 samples from 22 countries.
According to the largest Croatian grape producer with 650 hectares of its own vineyards in the Danube region, the Belje red wine in question is a premium blend of cabernet sauvignon and Merlot vintage from 2019, which left some of the most famous Italian and French cellars, such as Bordeaux Grand Cru from Saint Emiliona, in the dust.
The top quality of red varieties from the Belje vineyards was confirmed by three gold medals (out of a total of 56), for the premium blend of cabernet sauvignon and Merlot, premium merlot and Goldberg Red, all of which are wines from back in 2019.
Cabernet sauvignon merlot Vina Belje was also chosen among the fifteen wines awarded by journalists. According to the President of the Management Board of Belje plus Andrej Dean, this success is a continuation of the recognition and award they received at the Decanter for their 2008 Merlot vintage, which showed the world for the first time how much potential they have in the production of excellent red wines.
The fact that they have won 91 points, he says, shows that the blend cabernet sauvignon - Merlot is among the best wines of these varieties, not only in the Republic of Croatia but also across the world, and the acceptable price and availability on the market will certainly contribute to its further popularity among consumers.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
October the 21st, 2021 - Denis Devcic and Ivan Kosovec, two friends who opened the Zagreb Magic Omens facility just a few days ago claim that theirs is the most modernly equipped game room in all of Croatia.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Lucija Spiljak writes, the pair claim that if you're a fan of card of board games, then you'll likely find a great friend in both of them and in their latest venture. In this way, they say, they have fulfilled a long-standing desire to open a space where people can socialise, meet up and play their favourite games.
Devcic and Kosovec have been friends since back in 2018, when they met on the way to the Magic the Gathering tournament in neighbouring Italy. Three years later, they decided to leave their jobs in the very well known Croatian IT companies Infinum and Degordian and head out into the often challenging entrepreneurial waters together; first in the eCommerce world, then in a small physical store, and now they have opened the so-called “LGS” Local Game Store.
As they explain, LGS is a hobby store concept where all fans of board games and card games (so-called TCG-s, ie Trading Card Games) can buy their desired products, and in the store's game room, they can meet like-minded people, try out some new games or participate in tournaments.
“My childhood dream was to own my very own Local Game Store. I started Trading Card Games at the beginning of the millennium and this hobby has since become a very important part of my life. I grew up with Pokemon and Magic the Gathering and now with Magic Omens I'm ready to welcome a new generation of players and build a healthy community of people who share a passion for this hobby,'' said Ivan Kosovec.
In their game room, located on Savska cesta 144A, weekly events for all of people's favourite games will be held, as well as events from the most popular TCGs such as Magic the Gathering cards, Flesh and Blood, Pokemon cards and many other similar games.
Even when there are no organised tournaments, all enthusiasts can come enjoy their favourite games throughout the week at the new Zagreb Magic Omens location.
Devcic and Kosovec claim that due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the demand for social and card games has increased, especially when it comes to the much loved Pokemon TCG. More than 30 billion Pokemon tickets have been sold worldwide so far, the game Magic the Gathering had a profit of 581.2 million US dollars last year, and all this has led to the organisation of tournaments that bring together enthusiasts from all over the world.
In these results, Devcic and Kosovec saw the need to create such a community right here at home in Croatia through a proper space intended just for games. They've invested, they say, their own personal savings and countless hours of work. They will expand the offer of games over time, and they say that they also do well in retail, given the large offer of games that they deliver throughout the European Union (EU).
These young enthusiasts say they first want to build a foundation in the City of Zagreb as the best choice for board and card games, become a regional leader and an example to others, have clear results and make sure the community is satisfied.
"Our goal is to increase the overall community of people who play board and card games, people who could play them, but have never decided on such a hobby. We want as many people as possible to experience this type of entertainment which, in addition to being challenging, enables people to spend more quality time with friends.
After the opening of the Zagreb Magic Omens location, we expect more customers/visitors/players to come because we're in the centre, but also because we have tournaments and game rooms. People are already delighted and the attendance level is very high because people recommend each other. Word-of-mouth seems to do its thing. We have very strong community support in this initiative and we've heard a lot of praise from some longtime players.
We're focused on customers and we listen to what they need and we want to make it all possible for them. The interest is just incredibly high and we’re sure it’s only going to grow because we really care about all the players. I believe that we can do wonderful things in Croatia,'' concluded Denis Devcic.
For more, check out Made in Croatia.
October the 17th, 2021 - The Croatian Rasco company is well known for its e-cleaners, primarily the Lynx system about which quite a lot has been written. They now hope to step out and conquer the demanding global market with their products.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, after presenting their innovative self-propelled cleaner (Lynx) two years ago, the Croatian Rasco company from Kalinovac near Djurdjevac recently presented the electric version of this utility cleaner under the brand Lynx Charge.
As explained by Ivan Franicevic, President of the Management Board of the Croatian Rasco company, the Lynx project was designed back in 2016, its realisation started a year later, and in the beginning it was developed through a diesel and electric variant.
"Lynx Charge has almost all the systems that an electric car boasts, which makes it an extremely complex product, and this is reflected in its price, which is twice as high as in the diesel version - standing at about 200 thousand euros. We worked on its development for three years and together with the diesel version, it's the crown of this company's 30 years of work.
This piece of Croatian innovation was made in cooperation with Rasco and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb. We'll offer it through our distribution network to more than forty markets around the world, but we'd be glad if the advantages of such an ecological vehicle are recognised by the Croatian communal services here at home,'' said Franicevic.
The innovation was co-financed with funds from the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of 14 million kuna, and they expect even more from the electric version as the market for eco-friendly vehicles continues to grow far more rapidly than is the case for those powered by fossil fuels.
Franicevic pointed out that currently, the demand for these types of vehicles, powered by all types of fuel, globally stands at about 2,000 units per year, and next year at least 30 percent of this figure is expected to be related to electric vehicles.
"There are already countries like the Netherlands and Denmark that have banned the procurement of fossil fuel-powered utilities, and this trend will only spread. As the Croatian Rasco company is one of the leaders in this type of technology, we expect to occupy about 20 percent of that market in the coming period. Although it's difficult to talk about some exact capacities now, because that's something which is likely to adjust through the investment cycle of demand, we'd be satisfied if we could deliver 100 vehicles a year in the coming years,'' Franicevic said, adding that they expect to deliver about 60 of their Lynxes this year.
The 72.5 kWh electric Lynx battery allows the user to work throughout their shift without the need for recharging. In particular, the vehicle has an autonomy of 6.5 to 7.5 hours of operation, and charging takes a mere 2-3 hours on any charger.
The sweeper is powered by an electric motor with a maximum power of 55 kW, and the two other electric motors with a power of 18.5 and 11.5 kW are used to drive the intake system and various other vehicle functions. All of this is integrated into a compact vehicle which is 4.5 metres long and only 1.3 metres wide, and the vehicle alone weighs just over four tonnes.
According to the manufacturer's own assessment, and based on customer experience and tests, the depreciation period for the diesel version of the Lynx is 3-4 years, and the electric version is 7-10 years. The life expectancy of the Lynx Charge is 10 years, and in this Kalinovac-based company, they already have projects for the repurchase and recycling of used Lynx Charge vehicles and their batteries.
The Croatian Rasco company has stated that they've already started out with the development of an even more sophisticated, and somewhat larger, vehicle for the same purpose, which will also be developed on several platforms - primarily using diesel, but at the same time in an electric version and a hydrogen version.
The company didn't want to speculate about the specific deadlines when these vehicles, especially the hydrogen ones, should see the light of day. Rasco manufactures about 80 different products for the winter and summer maintenance of all types of transport infrastructure - from motorways, through to expressways and urban areas to forest roads and watercourses.
Their plants in Kalinovac and in Senta in Vojvodina employ more than 400 people, and at the local level, they want to be one of the drivers of the development of northwestern Croatia, and on the other hand, their goal is to become the largest manufacturer of municipal equipment in all of Europe.
For more, check out our business section.