HAMAG-BICRO opens a branch in Karlovac County

The Croatian Agency for Small Business, Innovation and Investment (HAMAG-BICRO) has opened a branch in Karlovac County as part of the second phase of the project 'Development of a network of entrepreneurial support institutions through HAMAG-BICRO' – BOND 2. This is the nineteenth branch in total, and it has been opened in the premises of the Chamber of Crafts of Karlovac County.

Participants were welcomed by the County Prefect of Karlovac County Martina Furdek-Hajdin, in her introductory address.

 – The opening of the HAMAG-BICRO branch in Karlovac County will further contribute to the empowerment, education, and information of entrepreneurs in our county. All the opportunities offered, in synergy with the support provided to entrepreneurs and craftsmen by Karlovac County and our cities and municipalities, will strengthen entrepreneurial capacities and be a significant prerequisite for further economic development.

Karlovac County sees the economy as a key segment of development and an essential prerequisite for the overall demographic recovery of this area. Such initiatives and projects are a step towards achieving that goal – Furdek-Hajdin stated. 

The CEO of HAMAG-BICRO, Vjeran Vrbanec, also commented on the opening of the branch in Karlovac County. 

– I am extremely pleased that we are today in Karlovac, one step away from achieving the set goal within the BOND project, which is a HAMAG-BICRO branch in every county of the Republic of Croatia. I am additionally pleased that we are located in the premises of the Chamber of Crafts because this way we are getting closer to our craftsmen whose specialized knowledge and skilled hands are irreplaceable and very much needed by all of us in everyday life.

In this way, we are reaching out to them and opening our doors in their neighborhood, so they can more quickly and easily access the necessary information. Through various financing programs in Karlovac County, HAMAG-BICRO has so far stimulated nearly 590 million kuna in investments, creating the prerequisites for almost 550 new jobs.

With today’s opening of the branch and strengthening the synergy between HAMAG-BICRO and entrepreneurial support institutions, together with local partners, I believe we are opening a new chapter of even better results and greater economic growth – Vrbanec stated. 

As the host, the Vice President of the Chamber of Crafts of Karlovac County Dubravko Draganjac welcomed the attendees.

 – The opening of the HAMAG-BICRO branch will certainly contribute to creating a more favorable entrepreneurial environment in our county, thus increasing the level of entrepreneurial activities and ensuring stable growth and development of the entire economy, including craftsmanship as the most resilient and flexible segment of the economy.

This collaboration adds value to both the Chamber of Crafts of Karlovac County and HAMAG-BICRO, but what is most important is that the greatest benefit will be for the users of our services, our craftsmen, who will be able to use the services of both institutions in one place, within the same courtyard, and obtain more necessary information related to business – Draganjac commented.

Ante Janko Bobetko, Deputy CEO of HAMAG-BICRO, presented the planned activities within the second phase of the BOND project and emphasized that the BOND project is unique in Europe as it unites various types of entrepreneurial support institutions, from incubators, accelerators, entrepreneurial centers to development agencies and science-technology parks.

The opening of the HAMAG-BICRO branch in Karlovac was attended by the interim head of the Department of Economy of Karlovac County Branka Šeketa Karlović, the Mayor of the City of Ozalj Lidija Bošnjak, the head of the Department of Economy, Agriculture, and Tourism of the City of Karlovac Daniela Peris, and the head of the Department of Economy, Communal System, and Spatial Planning of the City of Ogulin Ivana Salopek Šumonja, as well as the director of the Entrepreneurial Zone Korana d.o.o. Martina Marušić Britvec and the director of the Public Institution Regional Development Agency of Karlovac County Vilko Klasan.