Inspired by the Slovenian event Industrial Forum IRT, which has been organized for the 16th consecutive year, the magazine IRT3000 has premiered a similar professional event in Croatia. The two-day conference Industrial Forum IRT ADRIA 2025 attracted over 230 representatives from Croatian companies and educational institutions to Zadar.
‘We are aware that we live in economically and geopolitically very uncertain and complex times. The world is changing at an unprecedented speed, and uncertainty is becoming the new normal of today. However, such circumstances actually provide a good foundation for creating new ideas and solutions that we could not even imagine in the past. Crises simply push us forward,’ began the opening address by Prof. Dr. Damir Godec from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture at the University of Zagreb, continuing: ‘We cannot achieve top results today without intense collaboration between science and industry, as such collaboration can turn all the challenges we face today, and those awaiting us in the future, into motivation that drives future progress. And that is the main goal of this event – to encourage mutual cooperation between science and industry in jointly addressing various challenges.’
‘The revenues of Zadar County are based on the results of 6,800 companies. Last year, they generated 8 billion euros in revenue. It may surprise some, but the leading sector in terms of share of total revenue is the manufacturing industry with over 21 percent, ahead of trade, construction, and tourism. This sector currently employs 5,300 people in Zadar and its surroundings, which is just over a third of the workforce in the entire industry. However, it is important to note that there used to be significantly more industrial companies in Zadar and Croatia than there are today, and they need to be brought back,’ said Denis Ikić, president of the Zadar County Chamber of Commerce, Croatian Chamber of Commerce, adding: ‘I must say that there is a good connection between quality technical schools and their curricula and the needs of the economy. We need employees who will master current but above all future jobs in Industry 4.0. I would like to highlight the University of Zadar, which will introduce a study program in mechatronics and robotics in the next academic year.’
At the Kolovare Hotel, 18 expert lectures by recognized professionals from various fields of industry and science were held over the two days of the Industrial Forum IRT ADRIA. The conference, which aims to become a beacon of Croatian industry, has already highlighted a number of encouraging projects. It is also encouraging for the state, as today in Croatia, applications for projects that promote innovation, development, and research (IRI) are opening for a competition for which the Ministry of Economy has allocated just over 191 million euros.
Knowledge is what has real value
The Croatian industry is also facing staffing challenges, similar to Slovenia, which recruits young people for technical professions through the Engineer of the Year project. At the conference, Snježana Miliša shared her experience with the project with the participants, having won this prestigious title as the first in Croatia two years ago. The graduate engineer in electrical engineering presented the role of engineers in the development of top supercars and drew attention to the significant staffing potential: female engineers. ‘The current state of society causes the share of female engineers, especially in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, to still be very small. The reason is clear: the lack of role models. Female engineers are not visible in society. That is why the Engineer of the Year project is so important, as it showcases the life paths of various female engineers and demonstrates that for the female engineers participating in the selection, not only their contributions to technology matter, but also their entire lives, contributions to society and the economy. As a child, I loved mathematics and physics the most, Nikola Tesla was my role model. I believe that this is still the case for many children in Croatia today, but then they stray from the path towards technical professions. We need to fix that.’
