The scientists at Zagreb's Ruder Boskovic Institute are happy with their impressive developments, and the processes which follow will pave the way for the further use of their findings in the wider chemical industry.

As Lucija Spiljak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of January, 2019, talented scientists working at the prestigious Ruder Boskovic Institute's green synthesis laboratory, the so-called ''green chemists'' Stipe Lukina and Ivan Halasz Ph.D., in cooperation with their colleagues from the European Synchrotron in Grenoble (ESFR), have managed to develop some brand new instruments designed for studying mechanochemical processes, thus opening up the path for their faster application in the chemical industry.

In layman's terms, these new processes are based on X-ray diffraction, and for the very first time, the newly developed method has enabled chemical reactions to be detected during trituration. The latest results have already been published in two highly respected scientific papers; one in Chemical Communications, and the other in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

The Ruder Boskovic Institute's scientists stated that thanks to these developments, they have managed to explain some of the features of mechanochemical reactions when they resemble reactions in solutions.

The use of isotopically labeled solids, coupled with spectroscopic methods, showed up what was previously ''hidden'' chemical reactivity.

In yet another display of Croatian talent which stretches across the board, from sport to the arts, to medicine and science, the praiseworthy work done by the scientists from Zagreb's Ruder Boskovic Institute has been properly recognised by the wider academic community and is currently in the top five percent of all published works in the world according to the sheer level of interest it has attracted since its initial publication.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated Made in Croatia and lifestyle pages for much more.

Click here for the original article by Lucija Spiljak for Poslovni Dnevnik

The global consulting company Deloitte, the first Croatian open source platform developer, Omega Software, and the only major Croatian software company created by the merger, IT Systems - New Technologies, are competing for an unprecedented technology project in the government sector in Croatia. On Friday, the City of Zagreb received three bids from these companies which want to draft the blockchain technology application strategy for the capital, the first such strategy in Croatia, reports Večernji List on January 29, 2019.

The city estimated the project costs at 1.5 million kuna. Although the price was not the only criterion, the difference in prices offered are substantial. The lowest bid was submitted by Deloitte, at 965,090 kuna plus the VAT. IT Systems - New Technologies want 1.47 million kuna plus the VAT, while Omega Software asks for 1.48 million kuna.

Olivera Majić, deputy mayor of Zagreb, briefly explained that the city must proceed with the implementation of the blockchain. "This is part of a wider transformation of business processes in the city government which is proceeding very well.”

The tender documentation explains that the capital has noted a problem which will force all towns in Croatia, but also the central government itself, to implement the blockchain technology in the near future. It claims that, without blockchain, it is impossible to keep any official documents for a period longer than five years or possibly ten. And the law often demands documents be kept longer. That is not a problem with paper documents but is with the digital ones.

The City of Zagreb warns that electronic documents are protected by e-signature or e-stamp, or with a form of a digital certificate, and all digital certificates have a short and limited validity period. As an example, the Fina certificates are valid for two years, and AKD's for five. After the validity of these certificates expires, the credibility of each e-document can be called into question. The city authorities believe that blockchain is the solution.

The decision on the winner of the tender will be made in the next three months, and the deadline for the strategy to be drafted is four months after the winning bid is selected. This means that by autumn, Zagreb will become the first town in Croatia and the first administration body in the country to have its own blockchain strategy.

The tender documentation also states that blockchain will not only be used for archiving but also for monitoring business processes, and there is a possibility that it will be applied in a range of other activities as well.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Bernard Ivezić).

More Zagreb news can be found in our special section.

Some welcome Zagreb news as a new tender which aims to ''do up'' the Sava riverbank has been announced, but with some cut-backs and amendments in an attempt to reduce problems for potentially interest companies.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of January, 2019, a new tender for the realisation of the planned facilities thought up by the City of Zagreb along the Sava river has been announced. The new facilities along the banks of the river Sava will be, at least according to what we currently know, four cafés, a pavilion for film screenings, and wooden sunbeds.

The Sava's long-awaited riverside amenities should have appeared in the desired location late last June, and from the City of Zagreb itself, they announced that all the works would be carried out in the scope of the ''Swamp on the River'' project, which won the Europan 13 international competition. The Spaniards and the Turks, who had been working on the project, had foreseen pedestrian-cycling paths, sports grounds, kids' playgrounds, sandy beaches, swimming pools, an outdoor cinema, markets, several viewpoints, and various hospitality facilities. 

All of that would need to be located within an assembly of facilities which could easily be packed away so that things could be safely removed within 24 hours should the Sava's water level threaten to rise.

All of the above posed a problem for the companies who were supposed to produce the pavilions, as well as take care of their upkeep, meaning that nobody was actually applying to the tender and the whole project was of course far from realised by the previously promised month of June 2018, Vecernji list writes. Meanwhile, the office for strategic planning and city development carried out "consultation with the interested public", then a new tender was announced, but this has a smaller volume than the one last year did.

The plans for container pools have been thrown out of the tender, so there will be no chance of safely swimming in the Sava, and therefore some millions will be saved to spend on ''doing up'' the riverbank itself. Instead of last year's 7.5 million kuna, five million kuna will be allocated.

Both the east and the west of the ''Hendrix Bridge'' will have two pavilions and twenty wooden sunbeds, the east of Freedom Bridge (Most Slobode) will also boast two pavilions, but one will be for watching films, there will also be ten wooden sunbeds placed in that location.

Make sure to stay up to date with Total Zagreb for everything you need to know about what's going on in the capital.

After two years of promoting the products of local craftsmen on the Zagreb Crafts digital platform, the Zagreb Chamber of Crafts and Trades has decided to take the project a step further and offer customers the possibility to buy handicraft products in a brick and mortar shop, reports Večernji List on January 28, 2019.

The Chamber will open a 40-square-metre shop located in the city centre. It will enable small artisans to exhibit and sell their products. “The outlet is primarily intended for craftsmen who do not have their own shops or are located far from the city centre. It is currently being renovated, and the opening is scheduled for March,” said Mirza Šabić, president of the Zagreb Chamber of Crafts and Trades.

During the first six months, the chamber plans to cover the operating costs of the shop, and afterwards, the craftsmen will pay rent for a particular area in the store, such as shelves, and a commission for the goods sold. The proceedings will only be used to cover the cost of the operation. The idea is for the venue, according to Antun Trojnar, the president of the Zagreb Crafts Association, to become a regular stop on the city tours for tourists.

The shop will offer some of the finer products intended for everyday use, such as various souvenirs, ornaments, designer clothing, purses, hats.

After February 1, the chamber will have the final list of craftsmen who will offer their products at the Zagreb Crafts shop. So far, about 30 of the 140 members of the website said they were interested, but they still have to agree on the rental price. Even if the cost is 3,000 kuna a month, according to leather craftsman Miljenko Vuk, it would be quite profitable, since he would need a turnover of 100,000 kuna just to cover the expenses of having his own shop.

“We sell products online and mostly do wholesale. We specialise in menus for caterers, wallets for waiters, tool bags for technicians. But my wife Ana designs female briefcases, and it would be nice to offer them in a shop. Many do not even know we exist, and the shop will help us a lot in that regard,” said the owner of the “Vuk Leather" business, established in 1972.

The ship will also offer the products of the “Klupica” brand, souvenirs made of wood and glass created by the laser engraving technique. “The business is only two years old, and I currently sell only at fairs,” said the owner Dijana Smoljo.

The “Valek Shoes” business is also interested. It was started in 1963, and the new venue will help them market their products. “We produce custom made shoes, so we do not plan to sell them, but tourists will be able to see what they look like. Abroad, handicrafts are much more expensive than here,” said Irena Kostelac-Zrnić.

Tanja Hudetz, a cardboard producer whose workshop was initially founded in 1862, supports the idea. “We mostly make custom products, but occasionally somebody needs a gift box, and since we do not have a retail store, Zagreb Crafts will fit perfectly,” said Hudetz.

More news about Zagreb can be found in our special section.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Petra Balija).

Concrete steps are being made to better acquaint Croatia's students with the importance of knowledge about EU projects, knowledge which will be advantageous on the labour market.

As Lucija Spiljak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 27th of January, 2019, representatives of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and the Faculty of Economics of the University of Zagreb signed a cooperation agreement worth three million kuna, which will enable students to acquire skills and knowledge in the field of EU funds for professional practice.

This is a project that has been being discussed in the aforementioned ministry for a long time, and now partnerships through signing this contract have been formalised by the dean of this higher education institution, Jurica Pavičić, and Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Gabrijela Žalac. Another partner of the project is the Department of Economics of the University of Zadar, whose representatives will subsequently sign the same contract.

"It's a great pleasure for our students to have the opportunity to improve themselves in something that is important for them, their careers, and to their future employers. Students have recognised the importance of knowledge about EU funds and have shown great interest in this area, aware that this will be an important component when they go out to look for a job. We're glad that we've partnered with the Ministry and that the University of Zadar is ready to join in with this project,'' said the Dean.

The cooperation agreement also concerns the strengthening of the Regional Development Academy, which has been in existence for many years within the ministry and cooperates with the University of Zagreb and faculties at the project level, in the interest of enhancing cooperation on the issue of student education, which is the backbone of regional development and the management of EU structural and investment funds.

"We want to strengthen our capacities at all levels so that through the professional knowledge and mentoring of our people in the Ministry of Economics, students from Zagreb and Zadar are able to train for the labour market. Our students have a decisive role in the dynamics of fundraising and the socio-economic progress of the coming period. The aim is to build a strategic partnership with healthcare institutions in the Republic of Croatia. We've been a full member of the EU for five and a half years and I think it's now time to allow students to acquire knowledge and skills in the area of ​​EU funds management and their use,'' said the minister, adding that European structural and investment funds make up 80 percent of public investments in the Republic of Croatia.

"Since we're the youngest member state of the EU, we're still at the beginning. This seven-year financial period, when we'll use European funds for the very first time, will certainly be a great experience for what follows in 2021,'' said Žalac, mentioning that MRRFEU and the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for EU Programs and Projects conducted research with results which show that there are 2700 experts missing in Croatia for the field of implementing EU projects.

"Therefore, we'd like to enable our students of economic orientation to provide professional practice with the help of EU funds, to provide new useful facilities for building a business career, with additional values ​​that strengthen their competence on the labour market," added Minister Žalac before thanking everyone who participated in the implementation process of this project.

Make sure to follow our dedicated politics page for more information on EU projects and much more.

Click here for the original article by Lucija Spiljak for Poslovni Dnevnik

After years of back and forth (literally) on Sljeme's cable car, Zagreb mayor Milan Bandić has ceremonially opened the works on the up and coming cable car, he also explained why Zagreb's brand new attraction is going to cost more than the one in the Alps.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 25th of January, 2019, the ever enigmatic Milan Bandić symbolically started the works on the construction of the Sljeme cable car by using a dredge and laying a stone foundation.

The Sljeme cable car saga has been ongoing for some considerable time now, with a few little scandals under its belt for good measure, and now that works have finally actually begun, the contracted time for the eventual realisation of this large city project currently stands at fifteen months.

True to character, Milan Bandić was witty and always the spectacle yesterday, especially when responding to the question put forward by SDP's Mateja Mišić, who asked him where he intended to get the cash for the lift from if he hadn't put it in the plan for this year's budget, according to a report from Večernji list.

In 2019, Mišić recalled, the initially planned amount for Zagreb's cable car was once a certain amount, while the projection for 2020 is different.

''The money will be secured in the rebalances,'' concluded Bandić, who decided to justify matters and state that the up and coming Zagreb cable car will be more expensive than that which leads to Matterhorn.

Our cable car, as Milan Bandić said, is a kilometre longer, and therefore, unlike the one in the Alps that costs fourteen million euros, this one here costs fifteen million.

Make sure to stay up to date with everything you need to know by following our dedicated lifestyle page. If it's just the Croatian capital city you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

This year, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism, domestic tourism will see an investment of more than a billion euro. From that amount, hoteliers will invest more than 600 million euro in renovating existing hotels and building new hotels in Croatia. 

At the end of last year, there were 1,700 hotels registered in Croatia with a total of 172,000 beds.

Of the total number of accommodation capacities in the country, which is about one million beds, hotels make up only about 12 percent. As a result, one of the intentions of the 2020 strategic development documents is the significant increase in hotels of several categories.

This year, the doors will open to many four and five-star hotels.

These are ten of the most attractive hotel projects in Croatia right now, according to T.portal on January 25, 2019. 

Grand Park Hotel, Rovinj

The Adris Group’s tourism company Maistra has invested more than 600 million kuna in Rovinj’s Hotel Park. Although it was supposed to be open at the end of 2018, the hotel will receive its first guest in April this year. It is considered one of the most luxurious hotels in Croatia. It will have 209 rooms overlooking the old town of Rovinj, six restaurants, a wellness and spa center of 3800 square meters, a congress hall and a shopping promenade.

The architectural group 3LHD created the project, with the interior design by Italian studio Lissoni.

All rooms will have spacious terraces with green gardens, and 53 of them will also have whirlpools.

View photos of the Grand Park Hotel. 

Hotel Palace Elisabeth, Hvar

After a thorough reconstruction, which included a 100 million kuna investment, the hotel Palace Hvar owned by Sunčani Hvar will open by the 2019 summer. The hotel will boast 5-stars, 45 luxury rooms and suites, an indoor pool, a luxury spa, and two outdoor terraces.

Otherwise, the hotel’s history dates back to the 13th century, and in 1899, the Spa Hotel Empress Elisabeth was opened, named after the Austrian Empress Elisabeth  “Sisi”, a generous sponsor who financed the hotel’s construction. Therefore, the newly opened Palace hotel will bear its name - Palace Elisabeth, Hvar Heritage Hotel.

You can read more about it here. 

Hilton Garden Inn, Zagreb

By the end of this year, Zagreb will have its third Hilton hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn. It will be located near the Green Gold Center and the existing Doubletree by Hilton Hotel on Vukovarska Street.

The company, Zagreb City Hotels, has announced that around 75 million kuna will be invested in 150 new hotel rooms.

The Garden Inn will be oriented to a wide audience, as well as business guests, and on the highest eighth floor, there will be a congress and banquet center with five halls for 400 guests.

Amfora Resort, Split

In the spring, the doors should open to the new Split hotel Amfora, located along the coast of Žnjan. Behind the impressive, 26 million euro investment lies entrepreneur Zvonko Kotarac.

The new hotel will have four stars and 207 rooms with a total of 500 beds and will, therefore, be the largest hotel in Split.

The hotel was named after the family’s collection of amphorae between 1800 and 2500 years old, completely preserved and protected as a national cultural heritage, which will be exhibited within the hotel. 

The Amphora will offer a 500-square-meter congress hall, a massive wellness area, saunas with a sea view and three swimming pools, two of which will also have a sea view, and the possibility of closing one in the winter with a glass wall. It is planned to employ 80 permanent and 40 seasonal workers.

You can read more about the project here. 

Hotel Paris, Opatija

Slavonian entrepreneur Zdravko Josić announced the opening of his renovated hotel Paris in Opatija, which should open in June this year. Guests will be offered 190 refurbished rooms, a wedding hall, a wellness center, and a transformed tower.

In the second phase of reconstruction, Josić plans to build another 30 rooms and underground garage for guests, which should open in 2020. The total investment will amount to 75 million kuna. 

Hotel Roxanich, Motovun

Two years ago, construction works began on the Hotel Roxanich in Motovun, worth 50 million kuna.

At 3000 square meters, the hotel has 28 classic rooms and four suites and additional facilities such as a retail wine shop, a small club, wellness center, a garage for 36 vehicles and an extensive wine cellar, in which Mladen Rožanić invested an additional 32 million kuna.

Hotel Ambasador, Split

The opening of Hotel Ambasador on the Split Riva, which saw an investment of 17 million euro, should open this year.

The new hotel will have 101 rooms and suites, a restaurant with a 240-person capacity, a spa, a gym, a nightclub and an underground garage with 59 parking spaces. The opening is announced for the start of the tourist season.

The Ambasador was initially bought by the late football coach Tomislav Ivić 20 years ago. Ivić's successors then sold the entire project to Klaus Alex Birkenstock, unofficially titled as 'the king of shoes', who finally launched the investment into the hotel. 

Hotel Bellevue, Dubrovnik

At the end of October last year, the restoration of the hotel Bellevue began, which cost around 36 million kuna, or more than 400,000 kuna per room. The Bellevue is part of the Adriatic Luxury Hotels Group (JLH) owned by the Lukšić family.

The opening is planned in the spring after the thorough renovation is completed according to the ideas of the Portuguese design studio Tereza Prego.

You can see photos of the project here. 

Valamar Collections Marea Suites, Poreč

The largest Istrian tourist house Valamar Riviera will open a luxury 5-star family hotel, Valamar Collections Marea Suites, built on the site of a former apartment complex Pinia Sunny Residence.

Apart from the hotel is an attractive sandy beach, and guests will enjoy a 200-square-meter swimming pool,  restaurants and numerous other facilities suitable for families with children.

IT Hotel, Zagreb

Imobilia tehno, the subsidiary of custom facade company KFK, is behind the IT Hotel, which saw construction begin in July 2017 in the area of Zaprudski otok in Zagreb. The new hotel will have 96 rooms at about 8,000 square meters. The planned categorization is four stars.

Of the additional content, the hotel will have a congress hall, restaurant, Irish pub, gym and chargers for electric vehicles.

You can find out more about the project here. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

The Days of jobs in tourism events across three Croatian cities, both in continental Croatia and on the coast, are set to offer new employment opportunities for many seeking to enter into the world of tourism, which is by far Croatia's greatest economic asset.

While jobs in Croatia might appear to be few and far between for many of those seeking opportunities elsewhere across the territory of the European Union, tourism remains by far the strongest sector in Croatia, with numerous positions available up and down the coast, and doors opening even in the previously overlooked continental part of Croatia as more and more tourists 

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 25th of January, 2019, the Days of jobs in tourism event will bring together many Croatian employers from across the tourism sector to get both currently unemployed people and those seeking a career change interested in working in Croatia's booming tourism sector this upcoming summer season.

The ''Days of jobs in tourism" event will be held for the third consecutive year this year under the official organisation of the Ministry of Labour and Pensions, the Ministry of Tourism, the Croatian Employment Service and the Croatian National Tourist Board.

The aim of this event is to enable employers and the currently unemployed to connect with each other, gain important information on employment opportunities and engage in tourism career development in one place.

According to the estimates of the event's organisers, this year, "Days of jobs in tourism" will bring together more than 120 employers and more than 17,000 visitors seeking seasonal employment from three cities - January the 18th in Osijek, January the 25th in Zagreb and February the 1st down on the coast itself in Split.

Minister of Labour Marko Pavić and Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli paid a visit to the Zagreb event which start at 10:00 today at the Zagreb Fair (Velesajam).

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated business page for much more.

January 24, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports, for new flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb and Split. 

Flights to Croatia: ČSA Czech Airlines reduces traffic to Zagreb 

Czech national airline ČSA Czech Airlines, a member of the air alliance SkyTeam, will reduce traffic on its seasonal Zagreb-Prague route. In the summer of 2019, they will operate with one flight less than last year, AvioRadar reports. 

In April, May, June, September, and October, the airline will run four flights per week. The arrivals from Prague to Zagreb will be in the evening hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and from Zagreb to Prague in the mornings on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, which is the same as last year. In July and August, this line will no longer operate every day. 

It will, however, be strengthened in July and August with arrivals in Zagreb on Thursday and Saturday evenings, with a return to Prague on Friday and Sunday. The line from Prague to Zagreb on Tuesdays with a return from Zagreb to Prague on Wednesdays has been removed. This route will operate from March 31 to October 26, 2019, on the ATR-72 aircraft. 

Flights to Croatia: Croatia Airlines reduces traffic on seasonal lines to Split and Zagreb

Croatia’s national carrier Croatia Airlines, a Star Alliance member, reduced the traffic on two seasonal lines for the 2019 summer. Namely, the Split-Belgrade route and the Zagreb-Saint Petersburg route will cut one flight per week, reports AvioRadar.

The Split-Belgrade line will remain in traffic twice a week, Mondays and Fridays, from May 13 to September 23, 2019, using the Bombardier Q400 aircraft. The Zagreb-Saint Petersburg line, which was boosted last year from two to three flights per week, is returning to traffic just two times a week this summer. This line will, therefore, operate on Thursdays and Sundays from April 21 to October 6, 2019, using the Airbus 319 aircraft. 

Traffic has been reduced on the Zagreb-Saint Petersburg line to boost operations on the Zagreb-Dublin line. 

In other news, British Airways will operate their new Airbus A320Neo aircraft and Airbus A321Neo aircraft on selected flights to Croatia this summer. Namely, the new aircraft will be used for the routes between Zagreb-London and Split-London.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

This year will see the third edition of the 3T - Tourism, Travel and Tech conference. This conference has the goal of connecting tourism and IT professionals, and this year, the main focus of the conference lectures is smart tourism.

The share of tourism in Croatia's GDP is close to 20 percent, which is the highest percentage in the European Union. Tourism and IT are the two fastest growing and successful sectors in Croatia and therefore should collaborate more and use each other's strong points. Tourism should use innovative start up solutions and follow the trend which implements technology's role in travel and vacation. The role of smart tourism is growing and tourism businesses should use it, technology is here to support all of this.

The first keynote speaker is Miikka Rosendahl, who will explain how Helsinki obtained the prestigious title of the Virtual Capital of the World and what Croatian tourist destinations can learn from this practice and experience. The keynote speech will be followed by a panel discussion on the topic “What really generates bookings” which will be moderated by Ilija Brajković.

Finally, another keynote speaker, Natalija Havidić from the Ministry of Tourism will present a digitalistion project for public services in the tourism sector. The conference will see about fifteen other lectures, presentations and discussions.

“Helsinki recently won the European Capital of Smart tourism competition and I’m happy to have the representatives from Helsinki here to let us listen to their experience in using the technology to improve their tourism offer. When we organised the first 3T conference in 2017 in order to connect the IT and tourist sector, it was a bit of a risky move. An excellent response to the first and the second edition of the conference proved we offered professionals and visitors what they wanted. This year will bring various content”, said Oleg Maštruko, director of the 3T conference.

The third 3T conference will take place on March the 12th in the Kaptol Boutique Cinema in Zagreb. Make sure to get your tickets in order to keep up to date with all of the rapidly developing technology trends in tourism.

For more information and tickets, click here.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated lifestyle page for more.