The innovation Đuro Horvat, or rather his company Tehnix, "Technology for Bioreactor Composting and Production of EKO Compost" won the "Innovation of the Year 2020" award on Wednesday, according to the selection of the Association of Innovators of Croatia.
After the competition, the judging panel of the Association determined three finalists – the company Tehnix, then HS Produkt – the innovation of Marko Filipović and Igor Stojković "Cell for Robotic Purification of Waste", and JEL-TOM – the innovation of Frajo Pokrajčić "Mobile Box Barriers – Flood Protection System".
Upon receiving the award for best innovation, Đuro Horvat stated that his company currently employs 600 employees and has long recognized the value of knowledge. He emphasized that the Croatian Agency for Small Business, Innovation and Investment (HAMAG-BICRO) helped them in the realization of the innovation with 10 million kuna, and 20 million kuna of their own funds were also invested.
"We had an innovative approach to produce quality organic fertilizer from biodegradable waste, which until now was disposed of in landfills creating significant ecological problems, which is the basis for the production of healthy food," said Horvat. The innovation, by the way, was developed over two years with the help of the academic community.
There is already great interest in the innovation for which Tehnix received the award, Horvat said, announcing that three factories will be built next year where 150 specialists will be employed.
The president of the Association of Innovators of Croatia Miljenko Šimpraga stated that the University of Zagreb and the Association of Innovators of Croatia have been working for five years to connect the academic community with the economy.
The Association of Innovators of Croatia today has about 50 members, of which one third are associations and federations of innovators, one third are innovative companies, and one third are faculties.
Innovation is one of the main missions of the university, said Šimpraga, emphasizing that, thanks to cooperation with the Association of Innovators of Croatia, the University of Zagreb has visited a whole series of innovation fairs around the world in the last five years where our teams have received more than 170 awards and recognitions.
The dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Dubravko Majetić, emphasized that this faculty has been showcasing its innovations for years, mostly student-led. Students and staff of this faculty have won ten gold, 11 silver, and four bronze medals at various competitions in the last five years, he stated.
