Investment Conference Begins Where Awards for Best Manufacturing Investments Will Be Presented

The Investment Conference and the Award Ceremony for the Lider Invest awards for the best manufacturing investments in Croatia have just begun at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb. Today we will find out who the winners are in nine categories, with the most prestigious awards for the best small, medium, and large manufacturing investments in Croatia. In addition to the best investments in these three categories, awards will also be given for the investment that contributed the most to exports, the investment that contributed the most to employment, and a special award ‘Slavko Krajcar’ for technological innovations. Furthermore, recognition will be awarded for continuous investments, competitiveness, and for promoting regional development.

The Lider Invest project was established in 2016 to promote investments that create new jobs, increase exports, and generate added value, and as Miodrag Šajatović, the editor-in-chief of Lider and a member of the Lider Invest expert committee, says, the project was born somewhat out of spite.

– All investments are welcome, but manufacturing investments in the economy are somewhat like athletics in sports. Although they are a marginalized part of the economy, we will continue to push them through the Investment Conference and Lider Invest – said Šajatović, expressing hope that today’s event will primarily encourage those who are just starting to invest.

Creating a positive atmosphere for manufacturing companies that, despite numerous challenges, do not give up on investments, has been ongoing through this project for eight years, and besides this ceremonial event, the project has been marked by investment mini-forums held across Croatia where Lider aims to provide entrepreneurs with necessary information about the investment climate, initiatives of local government units, opportunities, and sources of financing while opening discussions about previously initiated projects.

After the introductory part of the Investment Conference, Ivan Serdarušić, a member of the Management Board of Project Equal Development, gave a lecture to the attendees on EU sources of project financing, emphasizing how to best utilize them.

– EU funds are a good source of financing, but they are not the fastest. From signing the contract to implementation, it can take up to six months, and this should be taken into account, as well as the rising prices of materials, transport, and labor that need to be factored into the risks – reminded Serdarušić, adding that EU projects today most often cover green and digital investments. He emphasized that Croatia today, when it comes to drawing EU funds, has a bolder approach than before and that projects are being contracted that exceed approved funds, which he deemed commendable.