Martina Dalić and Luka Burilović revealed which projects the Ministry of Economy and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce will collaborate on

The Minister of Economy, Small and Medium Entrepreneurship and Crafts Martina Dalić held a working meeting with the President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Luka Burilović, and associates, discussing joint projects, particularly dual education and the implementation of industrial and smart specialization strategies.

Dalić emphasized that they had a very open and friendly meeting and specifically discussed some of the joint projects between the ministry and the chamber.

– What interested me the most were the suggestions that representatives of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce conveyed from entrepreneurs and areas where cooperation between the ministry and the chamber could yield the best results in relieving the economy from administrative barriers, insufficiently clear legal regulations, and sometimes irrational actions of state institutions, said Dalić.

Burilović emphasized that the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, as a supporting institution and the voice of entrepreneurs, is a partner to the government.

– We discussed many projects. One of the first laws is the Public Procurement Act, and we provided some additional comments and proposals from entrepreneurs, said Burilović.

One of the joint projects is the Center for Industrial Development (CIRAZ), a non-profit institution established a year ago by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Economy, and the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, aimed at connecting the scientific sector and the economy, increasing the competitiveness of the economy, and implementing industrial strategy. Burilović particularly highlighted the dual education project, known as apprenticeship, which they initiated with the Croatian Crafts Chamber, the Ministry of Economy, and several other ministries, and which is currently in the pilot project phase.

– This is a project that will align education with the needs of the economy and the market. It was developed in collaboration with the chambers of Austria and Germany, which have well-developed such education and where youth unemployment is around 10 percent, while ours is above 40 percent, emphasized Burilović.

When asked whether there will be changes to the industrial and smart specialization strategies, Minister Dalić pointed out that both strategies deserve critical review.

– My goal is to align, to the extent possible, the strategy and its instruments with contemporary trends in modern industries, especially in the ICT industry, said Dalić.

At this moment, she cannot speak about deadlines, but she emphasized that the importance of industry and production will be a fundamental guide in analyzing strategies and their impact on strengthening production, exports, and new industries, especially the IT industry, which has managed to establish itself and transform into a very significant export industry.