Category: Events

On Thursday, 18 December 2025, the eighth edition of the Torpedo Days – Torpedo Reloaded event was held at the Torpedo Production Park, dedicated to the reinterpretation of Rijeka’s industrial heritage through technology, innovation and sustainability.

The event brought together representatives of Rijeka startups, technological and creative teams, experts for sustainable development and institutions and projects that actively participate in shaping the development of Rijeka. Through innovation showcase, a panel discussion and good practices is an open dialogue on how the city’s industrial past today is transforming into the foundation of its digital and green future.

A special symbolism of this year's edition was given by the information shared with the gathered by the director Nenad Antolović during the introductory greeting that Europe Direct Rijeka He was given a new five-year term., This confirmed the continuity of the work, the quality of the programme and the role of Europe Direct Centre as an important actor linking European policies to local development.

The meeting was also welcomed by the Deputy Mayor of Rijeka. Aleksandar-Saša Milaković pointing out that Torpedo Days has over the years grown into an important meeting place for ideas, knowledge and people who are actively thinking about the future of Rijeka, emphasizing that the city is entering a new phase of economic and industrial development, with the clear aim of creating an enabling environment for investments, entrepreneurship and quality life of citizens.

Innovation remains in the DNA of the river

Within innovation showcase "Innovation remains in the DNA of Rijeka" Rijeka startups and teams that today shape the local technological scene presented themselves. Through short presentations Own.Solution, Hartera Robotics, Medusa Technologies, Nomiea and Exevio showcased how Rijeka's ideas are developed in the areas of software, robotics, artificial intelligence and creative technologies, confirming that Rijeka still produces, only in a different way.

Industrial heritage as a development resource

Special emphasis is placed on EU project Re-Value, aimed at transforming coastal and former industrial spaces into new public, cultural and creative zones. Through case study and panel discussion "Reinterpretation of Rijeka's industrial heritage" there is an open discussion on concrete examples from Rijeka, including: Energanu, Benčić complex, Exportdrvo and other locations that are gaining a new role in the urban development of the city.

The debate highlighted the importance of connecting spatial planning, EU projects and development policies of the City of Rijeka, but also the need to reflect on future industrial heritage management models.

Shaping the future of Rijeka

Final panel "How to shape together Rijeka's sustainable and digital future?" gathered representatives City of Rijeka, EDIH Adria project, Rijeka entrepreneurs and creative and academic sector. It stressed the importance of cooperation between the public, private and civil sectors in the development of a city that simultaneously preserves its industrial heritage and builds modern, sustainable growth models.

Discussions have shown that sustainability is not only an environmental trend, but a necessary framework for the planning of future urban spaces, the entrepreneurial environment and the quality of life of citizens.

Old drives, new ideas

The eighth edition of Torpedo Days once again confirmed the role of this event as meeting places, exchange of ideas and joint reflection on the development of Rijeka. At the same time, industrial heritage is not seen as a relic of the past, but as an active resource that, in synergy with new technologies and innovations, can become the basis for sustainable urban development.

Save the date: 18 December 2025 at 2 p.m.

8th edition of our traditional event Torpedo Days dedicated Reinterpretation of Rijeka's industrial heritage through technology, innovation and sustainability.

As a city that gained recognition thanks to a technological breakthrough such as Torpedo, Rijeka still bears a strong innovation identity only in new, modern forms. That is why this year's Torpedo Days 08 will connect the industrial past with the city's digital and green future.

The program will bring together representatives of Rijeka startups, technological and creative teams, experts for sustainable development, as well as institutions and projects that shape the development of Rijeka today. Through pitch session, lectures and panel discussions will present topics that are crucial for the future of the local innovation and urban ecosystem.

In three thematic units we will connect Rijeka's technological present with industrial heritage and future development directions. Representatives Own.Solution, Hartera Robotics, Medusa Technologies, Nomiea, Exevio, Croator, Eduza, Sinergana, Rijeka City Library, Rijeka Sport, City of Rijeka and EDIH Adria The project will talk about new innovation plants, the transformation of industrial spaces and cooperation between the community, entrepreneurs and the public sector in shaping the sustainable and digital future of Rijeka.

This year's Torpedo Days brings a special keynote guest expert from Italy. Mattia Malfatti from Fondazione Hub Innovazione Trentino will present an example of systematic development of the innovation ecosystem in Trento through a lecture: Trentino research and innovation system to support local development: an example of systematic approach in the 3DOP project with an emphasis on lessons that can also be useful for Rijeka.

• The application form is available here.

Programme

We look forward to your arrival and the joint continuation of the story of innovations that have been recorded in the DNA of Rijeka for more than a century.

The final conference of the project was held in the Hotel Bonavia in Rijeka on Friday, 21 November 2025. EDIH Adria - European Digital Innovation Hub for Adriatic Croatia, named Impact & Future: Digital transformation without pause.

The event brought together numerous stakeholders from the economy, academia, the public sector and the technology industry, who together marked three years of intensive work on strengthening digital capacities in Adriatic Croatia.

The conference was opened by the project manager, prof. dr. sc. Sasa Zelenika, with welcome speeches by Ljudevit Krpana, Head of the Regional Development, Infrastructure and Project Management Directorate of PGC and Aleksandar Saša Milaković, Deputy Mayor of Rijeka and virtual inclusion Project Officer, Alvara Hernanda Hernanda.

Three years of concrete digital impact

During the three years of implementation of the project, a significant contribution to the digital transformation was made. Key results were presented:

• done 300 organisations used the services of the EDIH Adria project,
• delivered around 750 specialized services,
• It took place more than 60 trainings with over 3,500 attendees,
• 71 organisations tested the technology through a service Test Before Invest.

Examples of good practice and the role of artificial intelligence

Prof. dr. sc. Danijela Jakšić presented concrete projects developed with the support of the EDIH Adria project, showing how artificial intelligence is applied in the optimization of business, services and resources.

Through these projects, Jakšić emphasized, it is shown that AI is already today a practical, applicable and cost-effective tool that is not a futuristic concept, but a real support to organizations.

EDIH Adria 2.0 - Continuing to support digital development

The new phase, which starts in 2026, brings a stronger focus on:

• artificial intelligence;
• cybersecurity;
• advanced digital services for industry and the public sector.

AI in practice – user experiences

A central part of the programme was a panel discussion on the use of AI in organisations. The panel was moderated by Martina Dodić (Infobip), with the participation of:

• Zorana Matić (CENOSCO)
• Albert Novak (CARNET)
• doc. dr. sc. Vladimir Mozetić (Policlinika Primari)
• dr. sc. Ugo Toić (OTRA & City of Cres)

Panellists described how they developed or improved AI solutions through collaboration with EDIH Adria, from decision support systems and predictive analytics to improving digital services for citizens and patients.

EDIH Adria Annual Awards 2025

At the ceremonial part of the conference, awards for digital excellence were presented to the users by prof. dr. sc. Saša Zelenika and dr. sc. Damir Medved.

Social impact:

• Francesca Gržinić (City of Opatija)
• Mario Rajn (Koprivnica-Križevci County)

SME sector:

• Dragan Sokolović (Smart Aqua)
• Zorana Matić (CENOSCO)

Local self-government units:

• Marin Gregorović (City of Cres)
• Sanja Cinkopan Korotaj (City of Pula Tourist Board)

Legacy that remains

Although the first phase of the project is coming to an end, the built capacities, knowledge and digital solutions remain at the disposal of organizations throughout Croatia.

With the start of a new cycle EDIH Adria 2.0, support for the digital transformation continues even stronger, with a clear focus on the use of artificial intelligence and the development of advanced solutions.

Innovation, creative solutions, brands and design have become key drivers for the growth of modern businesses.

That's why Intellectual Property (IP) becomes one of the most important resources of any entrepreneur, whether it is a start-up at an early stage of development or a company that is already developing its own products and services. Properly protected intellectual property can be a powerful tool for strengthening the market position, attracting investment, protecting innovation and long-term business sustainability.

In order to provide entrepreneurs with a clear understanding of this topic, in cooperation with the State Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Croatia (SIPO), we organise online education Recognition and protection of own intellectual property and its use in business. Education will take place online, 28 November 2025, starting at 2 p.m..

The training will be led by SIPO experts, central national institutions for the protection, registration and promotion of intellectual property according to the following program:

14:00 - 14:05
What is intellectual property, how does it arise, why and how is it protected? – Tanja Milović

14:05 – 14:20
Protection of a new technical solution – invention (Types of protection of inventions and conditions for their realization (basic characteristics of the patent and the utility model); What cannot be protected by a patent and exceptions to protection; Key steps and concepts in the process of patent protection of inventions) – Igor Bošnjaković

14:20-14:40
Protection of signs distinguishing between products and services on the market (What is a trade mark and what is its purpose; Types of trade marks with examples; Trade mark protection procedure from application to registration) – Marija Petrović

14:40 – 14:50
Protection of the new external shape and appearance of the product (What is industrial design; Procedure for the protection of industrial designs) – Marija Petrović

14:50-15:15
Protection of other types of intellectual property and their significance in business (Protection of copyright; Trade secret – When and how to protect business data from unauthorised access and use; Advantages of Protected IP in Business) - Tanja Milović

15:15-15:30
Questions and Answers

The training is intended for entrepreneurs, as well as anyone who wants to better understand how to protect their ideas and how intellectual property can play an important role in business.

Applications are mandatory and available here. After registration, participants will receive an e-mail confirmation and a link to follow the education.

We invite entrepreneurs at all stages of business development to take advantage of this opportunity and improve their knowledge of intellectual property as an important business resource.