October 5, 2021 - CircuitMess Batmobile is the new DIY product made by a Croatian company which has made a name for itself by making products that promote STEM technology.

From ''do it yourself'' (DIY) videogame consoles, to DIY mobile phones, DIY DJ sets and much more, the Croatian company CircuitMess has well and truly made name for itself internationally.

Led by 22-year old entrepreneur Albert Gajšak, this company creates products which don't just provide fun, but also education about electronics and programming with hopes to popularise the STEM area (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) for younger generations. With the need on the market growing ever larger, but with the lack of interest for the field, CircuitMess want to both entertain and direct kids to STEM and show that it isn't dull, nor does it have to be tough.

As with previous products which were supported by Kickstarter, a web platform where people can propose their ideas and get financial support their projects (through crowdfunding campaigns), and this is the case with their next big product: The Circuitmess Batmobile.

© CircuitMess

This new edition, a small robotic car that drives around autonomously using AI and machine learning was presented by Gajšak himself at a press conference at CircuitMess on October 5, just as the kickstarter campaign was officialy launched. The campaign will last until December 4, and at the time of writing this article, the very same day it started, the campaign had received am amazing 70,178 US dollars. This result with 476 backers in just a few hours is even more fantastic when you see that the initial goal was a mere 15,000 dollars. With 59 more days of the campaign still to go, things seem to be going in the right direction.

''The Circuitmess Batmobile has one camera, and a processor that will allow for machine learning so it can memorise visual cards or a ball (part of the package) and much more. Batman is a superhero who has no superpowers, instead, he has technology with which he saves Gotham. This is line with what we try to promote and show children. You can be like Batman, if you use your hands and learn,'' explained Gajšak at the press conference.

The work on the CircuitMess Batmobile lasted for around two years, and the project was pitched to and approved by none other than the globally famous and respected Warner Bros company. When asked about the design (black with a distinctive bat-head on the front), Gajšak mysteriously said they had various ideas for the design which will be recognised by Batman fans. A little later, he confirmed for TCN that their inspirations included the 1992 animated series and a ''Batman Rebirth'' comicbook from 2016.  

''By landing this cooperation with Warner Bros, we hope to show that CircuitMess is no longer a small company,'' said Gajšak The company indeed grew with around 50 partners that distribute CircuitMess products worldwide either through webshops or in physical stores. Over 52,000 of their products have so far been sold globally, mostly in the USA, UK, New Zealand, Singapore and Australia.

Whether the Batmobile will be the coolest product made by CircuitMess is yet to be seen (although the kickstarter results look promising), but it's definitely the easiest product for the user to assemble so far. Suitable for kids over six years of age, this product has magnetic connectors and requires no soldering.

''People sometimes get scared when they need to solder our products because they worry that it could be dangerous or just for professionals. So, here we have magnetic connectors. We'll see how they will do and perhaps open up some room for more creativity in the future. So far, when a CircuitMess Product, for example, gives you instructions to build a game console, you have to end up building a game console. But when I was a kid and I played with Lego, I followed the instructions to some point, then I ended up building something completely different. With magnetic connectors, there's a chance for that, too,'' explained Gajšak.

However, the success of the Circuitmess Batmobile will determine whether or not magnetic connectors will be used in next products made by the company.

Even though the easiest DIY product (estimated to take 60 minutes to be built and then you're onto programming and playing), Gajšak pointed out it will not be boring for those who want more. An additional ''Inventor pack'' has more components and even more possibiliters are presented in the ''Ultimate pack'' for the pros.

Along with the excitment of presenting the CircuitMess Batmobile, Gajšak also used the press conference to point out the problem of crowdfunding in Croatia.

''We're using a mediator in the US for our kickstarter campaigns becuase we have no access to kickstarter in Croatia. Croatia is part of the EU so there's no reason for it to be that way,'' complained Gajšak, hoping to see change and the allowance for both CircuitMess and other entrepreneurs in the country to propose and get support for their projects with more ease.

Learn more about Croatian inventions and discoveries from Tesla to Rimac on our dedicated TC page.

For more about STEM technology in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page

September 11, 2021 - The DroneDays 2021 event will turn Biograd na Moru near the popular city of Zadar into an aerial robotics mecca from October 4-5.

Airplanes are fun, but unless yo're a pilot, you can only passively enjoy the stunning aerial view as you travel the beaten path managed by the captain in a cockpit. No control, no say on the height or the direction of the above ground observing experience.

Although providing that exciting sense of freedom of flying on a screen only, drones are much better options for those who want to take control of an aerial space. For those who want to learn more about drones, October 4-5 needs to be marked in the diary for DroneDays 2021, a Croatian conference on all things related to drones.

''DroneDays 2021 is a two-day workshop focused on unmanned aerial vehicles, which will be held on 4th and 5th October 2021 in Biograd na Moru, Croatia. The programme consists of keynote lectures, an exhibition area, and is focused on unmanned aerial vehicle applications and end-user industries. It will serve as a meeting place for experts from the industry and academia, end-users, as well as regulatory bodies from the region,'' reads the official website of the event.

DroneDays 2021 will be held at the Ilirija Resort at Biograd na Moru, and 14 speakers have confirmed their arrival at the event at the time of writing this article, with more invited. The confirmed names include drone experts from across Croatia and abroad, from academics from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) to foreign universities and even NATO.

DroneDays 2021 promises an exciting two days for drone lovers in a more theoretical approach with conferences hosting presentations from keynote industry leaders to more practical opportunities. These include exhibitions (open for the public) where visitors can have face-to-face meetings with leading industrial companies from across the region, showcasing their latest products and services. In addition, there will be a flying area where you can participate in live demonstrations of the latest technological achievements in aerial robotics, and there is also a B2B event where you can meet new partners who share your love for aerial robotics.

Much like drones, the event isn't free. Would-be participants must register on the website and buy a 10 euro ticket. That ticket includes two-day access to the whole programme as well as accreditation, a registration package, workshop materials, and coffee breaks.

With the discussion of order and freedom at large, the debates concerning the legal frame of operating drones in Croatia may well be the most interesting topics of this year's edition of DroneDays.

As TCN previously reported, drone regulations in Croatia have two levels of authority, one that is national and the other concerning EU Drone Regulation that came into force back in 2020.

After the conference in Biograd na Moru, why not hop to nearby Zadar? Learn more in our TC guide.

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

June 24, 2021 - Following the professor Slavko Krajcar Death on June 18, take a look at the life of an established educator and scientist whose expertise made a significant contribution to Croatian politics in the energy sector.

„The influence of a teacher can never be erased“, or as an American historian Henry Brook Adams put it, „Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops“- these two are just some of the inspirational quotes about teachers you can find with a little assistance from Google.

Students at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) at the University of Zagreb are recognized in Croatia for their innovations. At the end of the day, they owe their excellence to the professors that educated them.

One of such professors was Dr. Slavko Krajcar that sadly, as FER official website reported, passed away on June 18, last week.

"Professor, Dr. Slavko Kranjcar made a significant contribution to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing as he was a dean of the Faculty from 1998-2002, after which he was the head of the department for high voltage and energetics from 2002-2006. He will remain in permanent memory as a respected scientist, expert, and a colleague“, said FER in an official release.

Kranjcar was also the member and the president of the Managing council at Ruđer Bošković Institute (IRB) that also expressed its condolences.

Born on January 14, 1951, Slavko Krajcar enrolled to study in FER in 1969, followed by graduating from Technical High School in Pula. He majored in FER in 1980 and got his Ph.D. in 1988. His scientific and lecture career started in 1974 when he was an assistant on a manufacturing electric energy course. From there on, he mentored various students on different levels, ten of which earned Ph.D. statuses under his guidance.

Kranjcar was active in the media, giving interviews and writing op-pieces on education issues, specifically the education of engineers in the 21st century.

„Krajcar participated on many domestic projects regarding science or economy as well on international scientific and professional projects. Counting just after the year 2000, he participated in over fifty projects, 36 of which he led. He was one of the leading figures in making Croatian Energetic Strategy (which the parliament accepted in 2010) and the Energetic Efficiency Strategy (2008) as well as executive plans on new strategies (2008-2020)“, recalled FER.

They added Fer rewarded Krajcar in 2002 when he received Josip Lončar's golden plaque for his dedicated scientific and educational work. He also received special recognition for developing SRCE- The Computer Centre of the University of Zagreb in 2011, followed by the Ho CIRED award for contribution in developing the field of electro distribution in Croatia. He also received HRO CIGRE recognition in 2018 for the overall contribution to the electro energetic activities in the Republic of Croatia and the Nikola Tesla Award in 2020 for the contribution to science, education, and profession in the field of electrical engineering and computer sciences and application of those technologies.

Believe it or not, Krajcar even made time to contribute to art and culture as well. He published two books of poetry, edited four books regarding cultural issues, and was the president of the Association for Čakavski dialect (distinct for the use of Ča as a word for what and conversated on coastal Croatia).

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.

June 22, 2021 - The celebratory atmosphere for the Croatian informatics scene, as the Croatian female team wins 3 medals at EGOI, the first edition of the European Female Olympiad in Informatics.

With Croatia meeting the first edition of the European Girls Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI) with a Female team ready to participate, a fantastic result was achieved as the four-member team won the contest with three medals.

As Srednja.hr reported, Ema Borevković, Lina Krištić and Lara Semeš (from Zagreb's XV Gymnasium), and Martina Licul (Pulau Gymnasium) represented Croatia and the aftermath of the contest that gathered 157 contestants saw Ema winning a gold medal, while Lara and Martina grabbed silver medals for their results.

„I think the girls did a great job, particularly when you take into consideration that Lara and Lina are first graders. For myself, I think there was space to collect more points, so I'm not entirely happy“, a new champion Ema told Srednja.hr. She added that she currently writes matura and hopes to study mathematics at the Faculty of Science at the University of Zagreb.

The contest was held online due to pandemic measures. The organization of the event for Croatian was arranged by the Croatian Computer Science Association (CCSA), and Zagreb's XV Gymnasium was the host, a place where pupils took the tests. Ivan Paljak, Paula Vidas, and Dominik Fistrić were professional guides (coaches) to the team, while Matej Ferenčević, Nikola Dmitrović, and Alenka Dogan Capan, lead by Krešimir Malnar, were in charge of the organization of the performance. 

''The European Girls Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI) is a new international competition for young women interested in computer science, and it lasts for one week. The Olympiad comprises two contest days where the participants solve challenging algorithmic problems. The program is then rounded off with excursions. The students will have time to socialize with the other girls interested in the topic and to explore their host country. Each participating country may send a delegation consisting of four female participants under the age of 20, accompanied by two coaches,'' said the official website of the EGOI event. 

This amazing result isn't the first time Croatian pupils triumphed in the field of informatics. Croatian pupils, such as Dorian Lendvaj and Patrik Pavić, who won gold medals at the International Romanian Master of Informatics, previously showed informatics is a much-loved subject in Croatia.

For more on tech, you can learn more about digital nomads in Croatia on our TC page.

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

June 18, 2021 -  The participation of the Croatian Female Team on EGOI for Informatics (the first edition of The European Girls Olympiad in Informatics) shows young Croatians are keeping up with the pace of the digital trends unfolding across the world.

With coding and computer expertise being the most trusted starting point for a safe career and a steady, well-paid job, younger generations are getting more and more into it. Just like in any field of education, from chemistry, biology, history, physics, sociology to geography and beyond, there are competitions for informatics too.

The Croatian education system has such competitions, but the top events certainly involve international competitions such as International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) or the Central European Olympiad in Informatics (CEOI). This year, in its very first edition, there is a new informatics competition for girls only.

''The European Girls Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI) is a new international competition for young women interested in computer science, and it lasts for one week. The Olympiad comprises two contest days where the participants solve challenging algorithmic problems. The programme is then rounded off with excursions. The students will have time to socialise with the other girls interested in the topic and to explore their host country. Each participating country may send a delegation consisting of four female participants under the age of 20, accompanied by two coaches,'' said the official website of the EGOI event which is happening this week.

When it comes to Croatian pupils, such as Dorian Lendvaj and Patrik Pavic, who won gold medals at the International Romanian Master of Informatics, informatics is a much loved subject in Croatia. As such, it's great to hear that Croatia responded to the first edition of EGOI with a female team in place.

As Srednja.hr writes, Ema Borevkovic, Lina Kristic i Lara Semes (from Zagreb's XV Gymnasium), and Martina Licul (Pulau Gymnasium) will participate at the EGOI this Saturday after earning the right to participate in Croatian Informatic Olympic that served as a qualifier contest for EGOI.

''There are significantly fewer women than men choosing to study or work in the IT sector in Croatia, and that's the general case in other places too. That difference is obvious in informatics competitions, so there was an initiative on the European level to start a competition that would encourage interest in the field among females,'' said the Croatian Computer Science Association (CCSA), as quoted by Srednja.hr

Srednja.hr adds that the competition, due to the current epidemiological measures, will be held online, but the XV Gymnasium in Zagreb will provide hospitality to the Croatian competitors while the CSSA provided a place for the preparations for the challenges that await the Croatian team in the contest.

These challenges include tasks in the coding languages Python, C++, and Java in the Linux operating system.

The Croatian Computer Science Association (CCSA) that organised this performance for the Croatian representatives is a professional organisation that gathers professionals from informatics and technical culture and is a successor to the organisation founded back in 1985. As their statutes say, the mission of the association includes: developing and promoting technical culture in Croatia, developing life-long educational programmes for all age groups, and working on the international visibility of Croatian professionals and experts in the field.

For more on tech, you can learn more about digital nomads in Croatia on our TC page.

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

June 8, 2021 - From June 30 to July 2, the exciting field of information and communication technology will be at ConTEL 2021 conference in Zagreb.

With information and communication technology steadily growing, new challenges, questions and issues are opening up – both for the industry and academic community. Both industry and academia will get the chance to address the latest issues and questions at the 16th edition of the international telecommunication conference ConTEL 2021, which will take place from June 30 to July 2 in Zagreb.

As the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) at the University of Zagreb reported on its website, the goal of the conference is to encompass current and upcoming network technologies that allow omnipresent internet and communications as key starters of the connected information society.

„With new services and access networks grows the need to enhance network infrastructure - not just in terms of quality and performances, but also in terms of scalability (upgrading), mobility, energetic sufficiency, and technology integration. The Conference program will introduce the newest achievements in selected fields, through regular and specific thematic meetings and workshops“, states FER.

To ensure the quality of the conference, researchers, and scientists in this respective field, researchers and scientists were invited to submit their papers of work by March 21. The paper went under two double anonymous reviews to ensure an unbiased assessment of its importance and contribution to the conference. The selected papers will be readable on the IEEE Xplore website, and the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is one of the key sponsors of the conference.

„IEEE and its members inspire a global community to innovate for a better tomorrow through its more than 396,000 members in over 160 countries and its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. IEEE is the trusted 'voice' for engineering, computing, and technology information around the globe“, says IEEE, „the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity“ on its website.

„The format of the event will take into account the COVID-19 situation and travel restrictions. Our wish and goal is to have a live or hybrid event, with virtual participation as necessary. Stay safe and healthy, and we hope to see you in Zagreb!“, states the ConTel official website.

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 11, 2021 -The oldest university in Croatia is the one in Zagreb, and the best faculty at Zagreb University is the Faculty of Agriculture, according to the NTU global ranking of 800 universities worldwide.

The quality of Zagreb University, according to the global NTU ranking conducted by the National Taiwan University, is in decline. On the list of 800 Universities worldwide, Zagreb University was ranked 478th best in the world, and in recent years it was levitating between 551st and 600th place. But, as Srednja.hr reports, the overall decline of quality has an exception on that list, and it's thanks to the Faculty of Agriculture.

The Faculty is ranked to be the best at Zagreb University, and the area of agriculture on the global list is ranked between 301st and 350th place. That is the ranking of the area, but also under the criteria of research interest, the ranking is even better, 87th place, thus making it the only thing at Zagreb University to be in the top 100 on the list.

„Even though it's the oldest human occupation, agriculture today is light years away from what our grandparents know. Agriculture is part of the STEM area (‘science, technology, engineering & mathematics), and it's actually highly technological. There are several reasons why this sector so is fastly modernized. For starters, the production of food and raw ingredients to produce food is the most important human activity that will always have demand. To keep up the step with the increasing number of population, less and less arable surfaced and the increasing living standards, agriculture had to modernize significantly, and introduce newest technologies“, writes Srednja.hr.

© Sveučilište u Zagrebu Agronomski fakultet

The Agriculture Faculty in Zagreb was founded in 1919. As the Faculty's official website reports, they have over 450 employees today who are highly motivated to pass their knowledge to around 2,500 students, which they consider their greatest value that they add to society.

„By connecting with foreign universities, both from Europe and worldwide, we have international cooperation in both teaching and scientific research area, and student mobility. Successful participation in bilateral and multilateral research programs, exchanges of students, young scientists, and university lecturers, as well as securing scholarships contribute to the visibility and recognition of the Faculty on all levels“, says the Agriculture Faculty.

The Faculty's personnel annually publishes 280 scientific papers, and in the last decade, 160 active research projects are ongoing with 75% of investments coming from domestic sources and the rest from international ones. Scholarships supports, and rewards for the best students are secured through the trust fund the Faculty has.

„It's less known that the Agriculture Faculty is declared a Scientific Centre of Excellence CroP-BioDiv (for biodiversity and molecular plant breeding). It is one of the 10 scientific centers in the STEM area declared in the Republic of Croatia. CroP-BioDiv is a research network of top scientists from all over Croatia directed to the transmission of highly sophisticated knowledge and technologies“, writes Faculty's website concluding their institution is directed towards future with sustainability, quality, research encouragement, scientific excellence, and cooperation with the Croatian economy, as key strategic goals.

As Zagreb is a popular ERASMUS destination among European students because of cheap drinks, rich and vibrant party scene, The Agriculture Faculty shows that apart from partying, the Croatian capital is a place to get some actual learning done. And on a pretty high standard no less, at least when it comes to agriculture which serves as a role model to the rest of the poorly ranked University.

Agriculture is about food, and you can learn more about Croatian food (specifically, vegan and vegetarian options) on our TC page. 

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

ZAGREB, 6 May 2021 - The Chinese manufacturer of mobile phones and other devices Xiaomi ranked first in Croatia in Q1 2021 in terms of smartphone delivery, holding 40% market share and achieving an annual growth of 65%, the Xiaomi International office for Croatia and Slovenia said on Thursday.

Noting that this was Xiaomi's historic result in Croatia, the company's manager for Croatia and Slovenia, Mirela Polić, added that the results were based on newly published data from several global research and data analytics companies for the global smartphone market (Canalys, IDC and Strategy Analytics).

According to these data, Xiaomi held third place globally in terms of smartphones delivered in Q1 2021, and for the first time it ranked second in terms of smartphone delivery in Europe, it was said.

In Croatia, the data show, Xiaomi is followed in terms of smartphone delivery by Samsung in the second place with a 36% market share and a 25% increase in delivery, by Apple in the third place with a 6% market share and a 17% increase, while HMD Global ranks fourth with a 4% market share and an increase in delivery of as much as 210%.

In Europe, Samsung ranked first in terms of smartphone delivery in Q1 20201, followed by Xiaomi, Apple, Oppo and Huawei, all of which saw a large increase in delivery year-on-year.

The Canalys company said that in Q1 201 Xiaomi had seen the biggest growth in delivery, of 62%, with 49 million devices.

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

When reading about economic and general business activity in Croatia, the headlines are for the most part bleak, but that isn't always the case. With digitisation comes a new wave of innovation, which involves entrepreneurs and fast-growing technology. Despite all of Croatia's woes, this little country has a lot of talent to boast about when it comes to this segment.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of October, 2019, given the fact that he has grown up with computers since the age of thirteen, this Vukovar-born technology expert knew that he wanted to have his own software company, and he eventually more than succeeded in this plan at the beginning of the new millennium, but, rather unsurprisingly, in another country - Germany.

Way back in 2001, he founded Simvelop in the bustling German city of Düsseldorf, and in 2008 he opened his own subsidiary, Troido, which was one of Europe's leading software developers for the Android system, working with giants like Google, Facebook and Vodafone.

The Croat in question is Miroslav Simudvarac, an expert in the fast-growing technology industry, the Internet of Things (IoT), who recently decided to move part of his third company, Aconna, to his native Croatia, with the express intention of opening offices in not only the Croatian capital of Zagreb, but the typically overlooked Eastern city of Osijek, too.

As can now be revealed thanks to a local portal, Glas Slavonije, this plan has already been realised in Slavonia, as Aconno managed to secure a place in the BIOS Enterprise Incubator, where the first employee has already been found.

It certainly means a lot for a German company which has clearly had a lot of success under its belt to move part of its operations to Croatia, especially to a Slavonian city, and this will hopefully be the first of many companies to see past the red tape and recognise Croatia's enormous IT potential.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for much more.