What will cohesion policy look like after 2027? What new funding opportunities are opening up? What are investors looking for from startups and what skills will be needed to develop new technologies?
From the future of EU funds to new opportunities for entrepreneurs
The programme provides an overview of current opportunities, as well as topics that will increasingly determine future development policies and investments.
One of the central topics will be: future of EU funds and regional development, including a strategic regional policy framework and a discussion on development beyond 2027. It also participates in the programme. Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms, with keynote presentation on the strategic policy framework for regional development.
For entrepreneurs and startups, the programme is particularly interesting 2nd Annual START UP Conference, which takes place on 21 October. Focus will be one of the key issues for the growth of young businesses: How to reach venture capital and what are investors looking for? The following are presentations of the finalists' startups and a selection of the most innovative Croatian startups in 2026.
The third day of the conference is dedicated to the industrial transition of Croatian regions and the development of STEP skills;. They will discuss the competences needed to develop and apply strategic technologies, the role of regional ecosystems and linking education to the needs of the economy. The programme also includes the STEP Skills Arena, which will bring together the experiences of entrepreneurs, educational institutions, EDIHs and regional stakeholders and raise the question of how to turn new knowledge into products, processes and jobs.
Information and reporting
20. 22 October 2026
Amadria Park, Šibenik
The number of seats is limited and you can register here. Registration is open until 12 October 2026 or until capacity is filled.
Participation is free. Travel and accommodation costs are borne by the participants themselves.
Trade, investment, digitalisation, efficiency and skills are the five areas identified by the World Bank as key levers of productivity growth.
It is these areas that will be discussed. 6 October 2026 at the presentation of the report TIDES of Change, World Bank Regional Report on Productivity in Europe and Central Asia.
Five productivity levers
The report is based on extensive data at company level and its name TIDES comes from five areas that it analyses:
T – Trade: shop
I – Investment: investments
D – Digitalization: digitization
E – Efficiency: efficiency
S – Skills: skills
For entrepreneurs and all those working on the development of the business environment, the findings on factors affecting productivity and possibilities for further strengthening the competitiveness of the Croatian economy are particularly interesting.
The presentation of the report will be an opportunity to get acquainted with its key findings, but also to discuss policies and reforms that can contribute to Croatia's further economic development.
Who will present the findings?
Opening address: Ivan Rakocija, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Croatia
The results of the survey will be discussed by experts from the World Bank:
Cecile Thioro Niang, Director of Finance, Competitiveness and Investment for Europe and Central Asia
Michael Engman, Leading Economist in Finance, Competitiveness and Investment for Europe and Central Asia
Fabian Scheifele, co-author of the report and economist at the Finance, Competitiveness and Investment Department for Europe and Central Asia
Moderator of the event: Marko Erdeljac, Head of the Investment Promotion Service, Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Croatia
When and where?
6 October 2026
13:00 – 14:30hours
online
The language of the event is English and you can apply here.
The new financial period of the European Union is getting closer, and for entrepreneurs, cities, development agencies and other potential beneficiaries of EU funds there is an important issue: How to prepare in time for new funding opportunities while making use of the funds still available in the current period?
This will be the focus of the conference. ‘EU funds in 2028 2034 What the new period brings us and how to mobilise the remaining funds from the 2021-2030 period – 2027?’.
What can you find out at the conference?
Project planning starts well in advance of the announcement of each competition. Knowledge of future funding priorities, eligibility conditions and co-financing opportunities can help organisations identify opportunities in a timely manner and prepare better project proposals.
The conference will address the changes brought by the new financial period and the possibilities of using the remaining funds from the 2021-2030 period. 20-2027 The programme also foresees discussions on the financing of projects in the areas of social cohesion and territorial development, the green economy, innovation and defence, and the development of rural areas and tourism.
For potential applicants, this is an opportunity to gain a broader picture of the directions of future funding and to consider how to link their own development plans to the opportunities provided by EU funds.
Information and applications
The conference is held 1. 10. 2026 in Zagreb, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a networking lunch.
Detailed programme, registration and registration information are available here .
Artificial intelligence has already become a part of everyday business, but many are still wondering how to use it to really make their work easier.
That's exactly what we're going to do in education. AI Masterclass - Practical application of AI for entrepreneurs, which will take place 2 October 2026 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. u the Torpedo Production Park.
Through two thematic modules learners will learn about the possibilities of using AI tools in everyday business situations – from content creation, research and information processing to simpler and faster performance of different tasks. Through concrete examples, we will show how to better give instructions to AI tools, get more useful results and what to pay attention to when using them.
Previous knowledge is not required, and you can leave laptops at home. After the training, the participants will receive the related materials, so it is enough to carefully monitor and prepare the questions, for which, depending on the available time, there will be an open space at the end of the training.
Who runs the AI Masterclass?
Education leads Domagoj Ostović, an entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience and owner and director of the company Lloyds Digital from Labin, specialized in the development of digital products.
He is the founder and director of the conference Digital Labin and one of the founders and vice-president of the association ICT Istra. He received the Istriana award in the economic category for the most successful entrepreneur in the Istrian County for 2022, and in 2021 and 2022 he was nominated for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Education is carried out within the project BOND 3, as a workshop under the category ‘Consulting Growth and Development Entrepreneurs’. Participation for a business entity represents de minimis aid of EUR 70, and the necessary Declaration on de minimis aid used will be completed by the participants at the venue.
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![[EDUCATION] AI Masterclass – Practical application of AI for entrepreneurs](https://porin.hr/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/AI_Masterclass_Vizual-16_9-scaled.jpg)
