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Boris Vukšić
Episode · #60

RITAM POSLA Boris Vukušić

Guest Boris VukšićHosted by Lidija KiselyakMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Boris Vukušić has spent decades navigating the turbulent waters of Croatian industry, first as a shipbuilder, then as an inventor. He's seen a niche sector—small shipbuilding—surge from obscurity to global growth rates, only to be crippled by ill-conceived government policy. The story of his company, Bimex prom, is one of adaptation: when his passion project became untenable, he pivoted, not away from manufacturing, but into an adjacent field with an eye on future funding trends. This conversation explores the unexpected turns of entrepreneurship, the impact of policy on domestic production, and the deep personal conviction required to persist when external forces are arrayed against you. Readers will walk away considering how to spot emerging markets, how to design for efficiency, and what it truly means to be resilient in business.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
From 2005 to 2008, Croatian small shipbuilding saw the fastest industrial growth in any sector, in any country globally, expanding from seven firms to 147. A truly organic, demand-driven market can create an industry almost overnight, demonstrating that some growth stories are less about grand plans and more about latent potential.
02
A vessel that cost ten thousand euros, under a special tax introduced in 2008, suddenly cost eighteen thousand. Government policies, even if designed to fill a budget, can unintentionally destroy a domestic industry by making its products uncompetitive for the sake of short-term revenue.
03
Vukušić successfully lobbied to remove the harmful tax, even offering the government 'a recipe for how to fill the budget without the tax,' which was accepted. But, as he notes, 'it was too late.' Winning the policy battle is not always enough; the timing of intervention can be as critical as the intervention itself, especially when an industry has already suffered irreparable damage.
04
When small shipbuilding faced systemic challenges, Vukušić pivoted to patenting 'industrial design for mobile beekeeping platforms,' anticipating future EU funding for beekeepers. Anticipating shifts in government or supranational funding streams can open new, underserved markets for specialized equipment, guiding diversification into seemingly unrelated fields.
05
His mobile beekeeping platform allows a single beekeeper to 'simply lower stabilizers, lift the platform, pull out the trailer, and expand the platform' to move 20-50 hives. True innovation often simplifies complex, labor-intensive processes down to a single-person operation, solving a critical bottleneck for an entire industry.
06
Vukušić has served 'three mandates as president for fourteen years' of an association covering all shipbuilding except the four largest shipyards. Leading a niche industry association, particularly one representing many smaller entities, often requires a long-term, passionate commitment, especially when advocating for sectors that receive little state support.
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