Category: Events

STEP RI Science and Technology Park of the University of Rijeka has opened applications for the fifth edition Big Bang Camp, a five-day mentoring programme for scientists and entrepreneurs who develop new technologies and want to better understand their market potential.

The program will be held from 16 to 20 September 2026 in Rijeka, and applications are open until 24 July 2026.

Big Bang Camp is intended for anyone who develops innovative technological solutions and wants to explore the possibilities of their commercialization, identify the application in the market and define the first steps towards the development of a product, service or business model.

Through an intensive five-day program, participants will work with mentors and experts in the field of innovation, business development, intellectual property protection and technology commercialization.

This year's edition is being conducted in cooperation with VESNA Venture Capital, a €50 million investment fund focused on technology transfer and early-stage innovation development.

Who can apply?

The programme is intended to:

• scientists and technology developers in collaboration with the scientific community;
• SMEs with high growth potential technological solutions

The maximum number of members per team is two.

What do participants get?

By participating in the program, students receive:

• mentoring support in technology development and commercialization
• business consulting and business model development
• Analysis of the market potential of technology
• opportunity to present the idea to investors/funds
• Breakfast and lunch during the program
• possibility of financing accommodation for participants outside Rijeka

Additional prizes are also provided for the best teams:

• Apple iPad A16
• possibility of presentation before the investment committee of VESNA Capital
• 6-month pre-incubation programme in STEP RI

Deadline and method of application

Applications are open until 24 July 2026, and are received here.

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More information is available here.

Are you thinking about introducing artificial intelligence into your business, but are you not sure where to start? Which process to automate first? Where can AI bring real value? Is it worth developing your own solution or should you test the idea first?

These are the questions that the webinar answers. ‘Test AI before investing: How to start?’, organised as part of the project EDIH Adria.

AI is increasingly entering business processes, but without a clear understanding of the problems, data and expected results, it does not always bring the expected value. That's why the approach is test before invest An important first step. It allows organisations to check the idea before making larger investments, look at opportunities and reduce the risk of making the wrong investment decision.

What will you learn?

The webinar will show, through concrete examples, where AI can most often bring fast and measurable value, for example in administration automation, customer support, data analysis, sales and marketing, office business, healthcare, tourism, traffic and business operations optimization.

You will learn how to recognize processes that have the potential to apply AI, where AI can bring real business value, what it looks like to test AI solutions before investing, and how organizations from the private and public sector used the support of EDIH Adria. The webinar also includes a practical task through which you will be able to analyze your own processes and identify the first AI ideas.

Who is the webinar for?

The webinar is intended for anyone who wants to better understand the possibilities of introducing AI into business, especially businesses, crafts and public sector organisations They want to take the first steps towards a meaningful and sustainable use of AI.

Who runs the webinar?

Water Webinar Assoc. prof. dr. sc. Danijela Jakšić i doc. dr. sc. Kristian Stancin from the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Informatics and Digital Technologies.

When and where?

Date: 11 June 2026
Time: 10:00-12:00
Location: online, MS Teams

Applications?

Applications are received by Monday 8 June 2026 here.

Participation is free.

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Find out more about the introduction of AI into the business here.

Do you have a question about business that you have never received a clear answer to?

• Obrt, j.d.o.o. or d.o.o.? What really makes sense for my job?
• When must VAT be entered and what does this mean specifically for the business?
• Can a company do business without employees?
• What's the problem if you only have one customer?
• How to legally withdraw money from a business or craft?
• Does the owner or director have to be employed by his/her own company?
• How to hire the first employee and what to pay special attention to?
• What if there is no income? Loan, loan from the owner or something else?
• Bookkeeping: Lead on your own or hire an external service?
• What deadlines do entrepreneurs most often forget and pay dearly?

We bring you a different format of meetings for entrepreneurs. No classic presentation and general advice.

This meeting is conceived as an open conversation about real situations that entrepreneurs encounter on a daily basis. You submit questions in advance, and you get answers during the meeting.

The goal is not to go through the theory, but to provide clear and practical answers to the questions that often create the most uncertainty in business.

Who's leading the AMA meeting?

The Encounter Leads mr. sc. Kornela Paunović, an expert in finance, controlling and accounting with more than 25 years of experience in the field. She graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb, Department of Finance and Accounting, as well as the postgraduate study of corporate finance. Currently she is engaged in education, consulting and bookkeeping through her own company ABC Solutions d.o.o.

Information and applications

• Date: 29 May 2026
• Time: 2 p.m.
• Place: Rijeka Development Agency Porin d.o.o. (Torpedo Production Park Conference Hall), Milutina Barača 60

Participation is free and the number of seats is limited.

You can apply here.

EDIH Adria is entering a new phase and will be presented at the conference Let’sGrow! 2026 in Pula.

The focus is on the panel discussion on the introduction of artificial intelligence in business and the public sector with a topic that is present today to almost everyone, but rarely simple in practice.

During the two days of the conference, we will be available at the stand for all those who want to learn more about the possibilities of digital transformation, but also in the meeting room-in for individual conversations about concrete challenges.

Different perspectives, same reality

How to start with AI?
Which processes make sense for automation?
What needs to be prepared before the solution is implemented?

These are the issues that organizations most often face and it will be at the center of the panel discussion.

Panel moderates Mario Vukelić (Step Ri), with the participation of:

• Davor Aničić (Velebit AI)
• Ivan Lorencin (Faculty of Informatics in Pula)
• Dragan Sokolović (Smart Aqua)

Through a combination of practical experience, academic approach and concrete user examples, the panel provides a view on the deployment of AI that is not abstract, but applicable.

After the panel, talk 1 to 1

For all those who want to go one step further, on the second day of the conference, one-on-one interviews with EDIH Adria experts were organized.

This is an opportunity for concrete questions. Stop by for a talk.

Where to start and who to turn to

The introduction of AI is rarely just a technological issue. It is about processes, data, organization and decision-making.

Through EDIH Adria project, We support businesses and public organisations in these steps, from assessing readiness and testing solutions to preparing for investments.

Visit us at the EDIH Adria stand and find out first-hand what support you can get.

See you in Pula

Let’sGrow! 2026 takes place on 11-12 May in Pula – Park Plaza Histria (Verudela 17) and EDIH Adria can be found here:

• on the panel: 12 May 2026 at 11.35 a.m.
• u meeting room-in for 1 on 1 interviews: 12 May 2026 from 12.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.
• on the stand during both days

Entrance is free.

If you're thinking about bringing AI into your business, this is the place to go. Come, listen and ask.