Innovation is key to competitiveness

This is the reason why we supported the conference Innovative Croatia 2025: Resilience, Development and Competitiveness organized by Jutarnji list, which was held on 9 June under the auspices of leading institutions and in cooperation with key stakeholders from the public, private and academic sectors in Croatia. The aim of this conference was to emphasize smart ideas that are changing the industry and strengthening the Croatian economy.

The conference attendees were given introductory addresses by Irena Weber, Director of the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP), Damir Habijan, Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, and Marko Primorac, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Finance. A very interesting and inspiring presentation on the challenges and opportunities of innovation policy was given by Prof. Vedran Bilas, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER).  

The young innovators deserved special attention, so the DIGI AWARDS 2025 ceremony was held as part of the conference. This is the first national innovation tech award intended for pupils and students who, with their projects, push boundaries and shape the society of the future. On this occasion, the President of the Management Board of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Gordana Kovačević, presented the award to the “Straight As”, the winning team chosen by readers, who designed a platform intended for pupils who want to have all their school assignments in one place, with the support of artificial intelligence, smart planning and a visually attractive interface.  

Andrej Grgurić, Director of Research at Ericsson Nikola Tesla participated in a panel organized as part of the conference, Young Innovators and Industry – What Does the Future Look Like? He used the example of ENT to illustrate how it is possible to compete in Croatia with the top experts in the world thanks to continuous investment in people, technology, and an innovation culture. Grgurić emphasized the importance of cooperation in the innovation ecosystem and the activities through which ENT contributes to its strengthening in Croatia and beyond. He mentioned the ENT Technology Days, where ENT brings together key ecosystem stakeholders, encouraging collaboration, exchange of ideas, and reflection on a competitive sustainable future. In addition to numerous projects in which ENT participates by cooperating with foreign academic institutions, he also pointed out excellent cooperation with Croatian faculties such as the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FESB), the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology (FERIT) and others. Grgurić particularly highlighted the long-term strategic partnership with FER, with which the ENT Summer Camp was initiated back in 2001. The partnership is further developed through various other projects, such as the opening of a joint scientific research laboratory Inventorium on the ENT Zagreb campus in 2024 or the recent Digiphy project co-funded by the EU. The panel also highlighted how Andrej Gregurić, Director of Research at ENT, is the best example of the opportunities for growth and development that the company provides to young innovative experts, because he himself joined the company as a student participating in the ENT Summer Camp.