ZGRADONAČELNIK Nina Dražin Lovrec

Guest Nina Dražen LovrecHosted by Tin BašićMay 3, 2026

Nina Dražen Lovrec

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Croatia's construction sector faces a unique set of pressures: massive post-earthquake reconstruction, extensive infrastructure projects, and a surge in private housing and hotel investments. This intense demand often leads to public concern about whether the industry has the capacity to deliver. Nina Dražin Lovrec, President of the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers, offers a different perspective. She argues that the sector is not only capable but often mobilizes most effectively under the pressure of tight deadlines and crisis. Her insights challenge the perception of an industry stretched thin, pointing instead to a deep reservoir of skilled professionals and a surprising ability to accelerate when it matters most. Readers will walk away considering how perceived limitations can sometimes mask latent strengths, and how citizens might better navigate bureaucratic hurdles in large-scale projects.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

The sheer volume of ongoing projects — from over thirty water management agglomerations and extensive railway reconstruction to the Kozjak tunnel near Split, the Učka tunnel's second tube, and widespread post-earthquake recovery — points to an industry operating at full capacity across diverse fronts. Demand isn't just high; it's diversified across public and private sectors, indicating sustained activity rather than a temporary boom.

While public buildings, cultural heritage sites, and hospitals show significant progress in post-earthquake recovery, multi-apartment private buildings lag. This disparity highlights that public sector efficiency doesn't automatically translate to private multi-owner properties, where achieving consensus among owners remains a significant bottleneck.

The option for 'self-renovation' (samoobnova), which allows citizens to manage their own post-earthquake repairs and bypass lengthy state procurement processes, remains significantly underused. Citizens often miss opportunities to accelerate work by taking direct control, even when legal frameworks are in place to empower them.

Despite concerns about the capacity to simultaneously handle 330 multi-apartment buildings and 6,000 houses for energy renovation, the sector's more than 4,500 authorized project managers and supervisors are deemed sufficient. Perceived bottlenecks often overlook the distributed capacity and willingness of smaller firms and individual professionals across the country.

Nina Dražin Lovrec asserts that the Croatian construction sector performs best under crisis conditions and tight deadlines. Pressure doesn't always break an industry; for some, it acts as a powerful mobilizer, revealing latent capacity and efficiency that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The European recommendation for comprehensive renovation, combining seismic strengthening with energy efficiency, suggests a future where piecemeal approaches become obsolete. Future building standards will likely combine multiple renovation objectives, requiring integrated planning and execution rather than isolated upgrades.

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