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Inova
Episode · #77

SAJAMSKI RADIO - Inova

Guest InovaMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Croatia’s innovation landscape presents a paradox: ambitious national strategies and a 40% surge in patent filings coexist with a fundamental challenge for individual entrepreneurs. While the annual Innova fair, one of the world’s oldest innovation exhibitions, brings together over 550 exhibitors from 31 countries, the path from idea to funded product remains fraught for many. Small business owners report struggling to fit into rigid funding categories, and waiting years for approved grants can render the support useless. Yet, within this system, the occasional success story shines through, demonstrating the profound impact of sustained development and early recognition. This episode explores the current state of innovation support in Croatia, from high-level policy to the ground-level frustrations and triumphs, asking what it takes to bridge the gap between institutional ambition and entrepreneurial reality.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
The Croatian innovation system established an Innovation Council where 70% of its 220+ experts come from business, 20% from academia, and 10% from government. Prioritizing business operators on innovation councils ensures that the generated project ideas are commercially relevant and grounded in market realities, not just theoretical.
02
Marko Kravar, a small plastics company owner, reported he couldn't get funding because his specific business didn't fit any of the predefined categories. Overly rigid funding categories inadvertently exclude niche or interdisciplinary innovators, forcing them to self-finance and bypass the very system meant to support them.
03
Vladislav Prežigalo, from the Zagreb Innovators Alliance, stressed that waiting three to four years for approved funds makes them useless, as 'the world moves on.' For early-stage innovation, the timeliness of funding is as critical as the amount. Delays often mean the market opportunity has passed, rendering the support ineffective.
04
The program requires individual innovators to establish a business entity before they can receive approved grants. Mandating the creation of a formal business entity for individual grant recipients directly promotes entrepreneurship and ensures that state aid contributes to the formal economy, rather than remaining a personal project.
05
Matej Bošnjak, who first exhibited at Innova as a high school student ten years ago, now runs a successful export company and won a major international award in Taiwan. Significant entrepreneurial success often results from sustained development and early recognition of talent, proving that the 'overnight success' story is frequently a decade-long journey of consistent support.
06
Innova showcases a wide range of innovations, including business organization, art, heritage, and consumer goods, not just technology. Broadly defining 'innovation' beyond just technological advancements attracts a more diverse pool of creative solutions and participants, fostering a richer ecosystem.
07
The Zagreb Innovators Alliance highlighted the need to stimulate mentors and teachers in schools who work with young innovators. Investing in educators who nurture young talent is a high-return strategy for future innovation, as they are the first line of support for developing creative potential.
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