We Found 20 Top Global Projects ‘Made in Croatia’

Croatia is known for its unique products such as olive oil, honey, lavender products, Pag cheese, handmade bracelets and jewelry, traditional clothing, craft beer, and local wine, liqueurs, and brandy. These products are a great representation of Croatian culture and heritage and make excellent souvenirs or gifts.

This is the response of one of the tools from the field of artificial intelligence to the question about Croatian products that are among the leaders in the global or European market, or are original and unique. We mentioned to our AI partner the largest European baklava factory near Velika Gorica, a unique plant for the production of plant proteins near Slatina, and the construction of the largest wooden floor factory in the world, which is being built in Ogulin. When we asked for similar examples, we received the response: ‘I’m sorry, but I couldn’t find other examples of Croatian companies with unique products or large factories. However…’

And now followed the song from the beginning, which perceives Croatia as a land of sea and sun, best known for olive oil, Pag cheese, lavender, and souvenirs. Thus, we had to research data on top Croatian products according to the old, somewhat forgotten rules of the profession – based on past work, painstaking searches of newspaper archives, and a series of conversations with insiders and colleagues.

We have singled out twenty top projects. Some of them cleverly use their position in the global or regional market for marketing purposes. On the other hand, this is not a complete inventory of excellence, but a guideline.

Consultant Andrej Grubišić from the company Grubišić and Partners believes that the common denominator of these companies is that most – if not all – have emerged from bold and daring entrepreneurial initiatives. It is also encouraging that most of them are domestic entrepreneurs, who stand behind 14 of the 20 selected projects.

There is another touchpoint – all the companies on this list are globally oriented, and most of their revenue comes from exports.

1. INETEC, Zrinka Čorak, Duško Čorak

The Institute for Nuclear Research, a family business owned by Duško and Zrinka Čorak, is among the world leaders in the development and research of technologies for testing nuclear power plants, in which its solutions are found, and robots fully produced in Croatia enter parts of nuclear power plants where humans cannot due to high radiation levels.

2. RIMAC GROUP Mate Rimac

Nevera and Bugatti are top racing cars, battery production is developing, and the group, together with Mate Rimac and partners, is developing the production of robotaxis, autonomous electric vehicles (without drivers). If everything goes according to plan, Zagreb will be among the first cities with such transport.

3. NEW BAKERY Constantine Azar and Mahmet Halim

The British company has been producing baklava in Lukavac near Velika Gorica since 2014. Two years ago, it opened a new facility, becoming the largest baklava factory in Europe, with an annual production of 25 million pieces of baklava, of which more than 95 percent is exported.

4. ECOCORTEC Boris Mikšić

With the opening of a polymer processing plant in Beli Manastir last year, Boris Mikšić’s company, a subsidiary of his American Cortec, became the largest factory for the production of green ecological films and bags in Europe.

5. OMCO CROATIA Darko Ranogajec

A company from Hum na Sutli operating within the Belgian Omco is the world’s largest manufacturer of tools for making glass packaging.

The complete text and list can be read in the new digital and printed edition of Lider.