Helena Virić Gašparić
Episode · #478
PAMETNA HRVATSKA Helena Virić Gašparić, powered by JANAF
Guest Helena Virić GašparićHosted by Boris ŽivkovićMay 3, 2026
Helena Virić Gašparić
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Agriculture is constantly balancing the need for crop protection with the imperative to reduce chemical residues and environmental impact. Helena Virić Gašparić, founder and director of Greener, confronts this challenge by applying a familiar natural element: ozone. Her Go Green Ozonator project leverages ozone's disinfectant properties to protect plants, but with a critical difference – it breaks down into pure oxygen within minutes, leaving no trace. Virić Gašparić’s work demonstrates how fundamental chemistry can offer practical, sustainable alternatives to established, environmentally costly practices. Readers will consider the often-overlooked potential of simple, clean technology to reshape the future of food production.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
The Go Green Ozonator was initially an idea taken to the Spoke startup incubator because the team needed help from electrical engineering experts. A strong initial concept can only go so far; cross-disciplinary collaboration, especially for hardware and software design, is critical for defining and developing the core product.
02
Ozone, generated from oxygen, breaks down back into oxygen within half an hour, leaving no residue. The absence of residues and packaging waste is not just an environmental benefit, but a key commercial advantage that simplifies supply chains and meets increasingly strict market regulations.
03
The latest ozonator design uses two probes submerged in a tank of up to a thousand liters of water, connected to a generator with a power supply. Effective application of advanced chemistry doesn't always require complex machinery; often, a simple, adaptable hardware interface is what makes a solution practical for real-world agricultural use.
04
Initial research showed no negative impact on plant growth, and trials on strawberries are ongoing, but mandarin storage tests yielded positive results in preventing mold. Not every application of a new technology will succeed uniformly; targeted testing and iterative refinement across specific crops and conditions are essential to identify its most impactful use cases.
05
Greener aims to offer the ozonator to both small and large producers, considering rental options for smaller farms who might not be able to afford a purchase. For solutions that require significant upfront investment, offering flexible access models like rentals can broaden market penetration and make the technology viable for a wider range of users.
06
Even before a commercial product is ready, Greener receives calls from desperate farmers across Croatia and has secured support from companies like Belje and Podravka. Strong, unsolicited market demand from users facing acute problems, coupled with early backing from established industry players, can be a more powerful validation than a fully commercialized product.
07
From spring 2023, the team plans to move from controlled greenhouse conditions to open-field applications, which required acquiring more powerful equipment through ZICER funding. Expanding a technology from a controlled environment to a more variable setting demands a distinct investment in higher-capacity, robust hardware, signaling a new phase of scaling rather than just a shift in location.