Croatia: {Hrvatska}

Croatia is a notable producer of organic foods and one of EIT-Food’s RIS countries

The agrifood sector, a solid pillar of the Croatian economy

The agriculture industry is an important part of Croatian economy. However, due to the country’s agriculture struggles with extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods, the most profitable businesses in food and beverages sector in the country focus on the production and processing of milk and cheese, beer production, processing of tea and coffee, and the production of soft drinks. The most important export products of the sector are food additives, biscuits and wafers, stuffed chocolate, canned fish, instant soups, olive oil, beer and other alcoholic beverages. Croatia is also a notable producer of organic foods, that are mainly exported to the European Union.

Room for Improvement

Croatian agrifood sector requires reorganization and modernization through dedicated investments. EIT Food can foster innovation by creating connections among scientists, government and businesses.

EIT Food Hubs in Croatia: Smion and University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology

Smion is an innovation hub dedicated to building an entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports growth and innovation. With a mission to empower startups, our team specializes in developing tools, resources, and programs tailored to support early-stage ventures from idea validation to market entry. We've successfully executed 67 innovative projects, conducted more than 230 educational sessions and workshops, and organized 50+ events that encourage innovation, collaboration, and networking. Our impact is evident in the significant engagement of our community, with over 3,000 users having benefited from our programs and events. We offer services including incubation, acceleration, corporate innovation, and venture building programs. Focusing on and integrating three key verticals agrifood, healthtech, and greentech, we amplify benefits across these sectors, enhancing sustainable food production, health outcomes, and environmental innovation for a compounded, positive impact in Croatia.

The Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology University of Zagreb provides undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate education in Food Technology, Biotechnology and Nutrition Science, which is based on scientific, fundamental, applicative and developmental research carried out to the effect of coming up with novel knowledge and novel ideas, encouraging criticism in reasoning and creativity, and transferring knowledge and innovations into the economic sector and the society on the whole. This faculty is recognised as an academic institution with a clearly defined and unique research profile characterised by scientific excellence acknowledged internationally and excellence in education provided in food technology, biotechnology, and nutrition science. The Faculty plays a key role in the sustainable development of science & technology, economy and society.