Category: News

You're thinking about starting your own business, but you're still not sure where to start? You may have an idea that you have been developing for some time, but you need expert advice, an opportunity to check it out on the market or support in the first entrepreneurial steps.

Startup Incubator Rijeka opened applications for the 18th generation of users, and new entrants will have the opportunity to develop their business ideas over the course of six months with free education, mentoring support and connecting with the Rijeka startup community.

What can you get through the program?

Starting a business brings a lot of questions, from who your product or service is intended for and how to get to the first customers to finance, marketing and business organization. It is precisely on such questions that the participants will work through the Startup incubator program.

They will have at their disposal:

• more than 35 workshops and lectures for the development of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills,
• Individual support of more than 60 mentors from different professional fields,
• free workspace in RiHubu for a period of one year,
• advisory support in product development and prototyping, as well as opportunities to connect with investors and the international startup community.

The most successful teams were also provided with financing for the design business plans, and the best teams of the generation expect non-repayable financial support from the City of Rijeka.

The programme starts in January 2027, lasts for six months and is implemented in the Croatian language.

You have an idea, but you don't have a company yet? It's your call that's meant for you.

You do not need to have a registered business entity to participate. The call is intended for adult citizens of the Republic of Croatia who do not have their own registered business entity at the time of application.

You can apply on your own or with a team. It is important that you have a business idea that you want to develop and that you are ready to actively work on it during the program.

When selecting new users, the innovativeness and market potential of the idea, the degree of its development, as well as the motivation, competencies and willingness of the applicant to work will be evaluated.

How to apply?

If your business idea has been on hold for some time, this is an opportunity to start turning it into a concrete business plan with professional support.

Applications are open by 16 November 2026 Years, to be submitted here.

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More information is available at startup@rijeka.hr or 051 209 940.

How can urban environments be better prepared for the increasing risk of flooding?

The answer lies increasingly in the combination of quality data, accurate modelling, timely warning and concrete actions on the ground.

This approach is being developed through the project. URBANFLOODS nine pilot areas across the Adriatic-Ionian region. One of them is the Rijeka area of Rječina, This is why the development of new tools and approaches to flood risk management is also directly linked to the local context of Rijeka.

What can the data tell us before the water rises?

One of the important steps is Flood modelling in all nine pilot areas. Hydrological data are used to produce hazard maps that show which areas are more exposed to risk and form the basis for the development of early warning systems. This data will be linked through a decision support system (Decision Support System - DSS), which aims to enable better risk monitoring and more timely decision-making.

From model to field data

In order for early warning systems to be useful, models need quality data from the field.

Pilot site Fosso Terria in Italy real-time water level monitoring equipment is installed, while in the area Modica-Scicli Two hydrometers installed to enable timely activation of the warning.

For the Karas River in Serbia the hydrological assessment and flood risk study have been completed, and for the Lana and Tirana Rivers in Albania hydraulic models and hazard mapping are completed.

Different pilot sites thus test different parts of the same approach, better understand the risk, monitor what is happening on the ground and react in time.

From project results to long-term application

An important part of the story is how to transfer developed solutions from project activities to actual flood risk management.

That is why technical results such as models, hazard maps, sensor data and decision support systems are also linked to public policy recommendations. The aim is that the tools developed and the knowledge acquired will remain applicable after the end of the project and can help local and regional authorities in planning and decision-making.

This topic is particularly relevant to Rijeka because of Rice as one of the URBANFLOODS pilot areas. Experiences gathered at different locations allow for a comparison of approaches and the development of solutions that take into account different local conditions and risks.

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You can read more about current results, pilot sites and the development of early warning systems in: the 4th edition of the URBANFLOODS Newsletter.

Do you want to make a professional turn towards the IT sector, but do not have a technical or software education?

IT project management is one of the areas where knowledge and skills in social sciences and humanities can be an important asset, from communication and organization to understanding people, teamwork and coordination of different tasks.

After successfully completed the First Cycle, applications are open for second cycle of Bootcamp PM, a free intensive programme enabling women aged 23-30 to acquire the knowledge and practical skills needed to develop a career in IT project management.

To participate No prior experience in the IT sector or programming pre-knowledge required.

Who is Bootcamp PM for?

The programme is intended to:

• women from the age of 23 to 30 years,
• with completed education from social or humanistic areas,
• who want to start or develop a career in IT sector,
• who are interested Project Management and working in a dynamic, team-based environment.

Bootcamp PM is particularly interesting for candidates who want to upgrade their existing communication, organizational and analytical skills with the knowledge needed to work on digital product development and IT project management.

What will you learn?

The program lasts in total 180 hours It covers four interlinked areas:

1. the logic of product development in the IT sector,
2. UX/UI design,
3. agile working methods,
4. project management.

The goal is not to learn to program, but to Understand how digital products are created, how IT project teams work and how to plan, organize and lead a project from idea to realization.

A detailed training schedule is available here.

From education to the real IT environment

Bootcamp PM is not just a theoretical education. Through guest lectures, meetings with representatives of IT companies and practical examples, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the way of working in the IT industry, the daily challenges of project teams and the role of project manager.

The program also provides an opportunity for creating professional contacts, meeting potential employers and gaining a better insight into career development opportunities in the IT sector;.

Internationally recognized certificate

Upon completion of the training, students will have the opportunity to acquire PMI Project Management Ready, internationally recognised certificate compliant with Project Management Institute (PMI) standards.

The certificate confirms basic knowledge in the field of project management, project processes and methodologies and can be an added value when entering the labour market and further professional development.

When and where?

• Duration of education: 8 September – 6 November 2026
• Time: every working day from 4.30 p.m. to 7.45 p.m.
• Location: Centre of Technical Culture Rijeka, Školjić 6
• Duration of the programme: 180 hours
• Participation: free

Applications are open until 30 August 2026 and receive here.

After the completion of the applications, a selection procedure is followed, which includes checking the application documents and psychological testing, and a participation agreement will be concluded with the selected participants.

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Bootcamp PM is implemented within the Erasmus+ project SHIFT4IT, working through international cooperation between partners from Croatia, Belgium, Romania and Italy to empower young women to enter and develop careers in the IT sector.

Today we opened the exhibition ‘Rijeka Development Agency Porin – 30 years of entrepreneurship development’ on the premises of Korzo in Rijeka, marking 30 years of activity and development of entrepreneurial support in Rijeka.

The exhibition brings the public closer to the path that Porin has gone through since 1996, when it was founded as one of the first entrepreneurial incubators in Croatia, to the present role of a development agency that connects entrepreneurs, development projects, European funds, education, technological infrastructure and new models of business support.

The opening of the exhibition was attended by the Mayor of Rijeka Iva Rinčić, Director of Porin Nenad Antolović and the conceptual initiator and first director of Porina Doris Sošić. This gave the opening a strong symbolic link between the beginnings of Porin and its present role, since Doris Sošić participated in the creation of the foundation of the entrepreneurial incubator from which the present system of support to entrepreneurs has developed over three decades.

“This exhibition marks three decades of work, change, challenges and, above all, support for entrepreneurs. It is not just an overview of important years, projects and numbers, but a story about how entrepreneurship in Rijeka and Croatia has developed from the beginning of the 1990s to the present day. Porin originated from a very specific need for space, advice, infrastructure and an environment in which business ideas can get a chance to become real business", said Porin Director Nenad Antolović.

Through twenty exhibition posters we showcased the key development phases of Porin, but also the changes that have marked entrepreneurship in Rijeka and Croatia over the last three decades. From the first incubation spaces and basic support to entrepreneurs, Porin gradually developed a system that today includes counselling, education, mentoring, incubation and post-incubation programs, preparation and implementation of EU projects, coworking, TEH LAB and support for the development of new products, services and business models.

‘Over the years, Porin has become a place of support, knowledge, mentoring and opportunity for numerous entrepreneurs, craftsmen, innovators and creatives. It is especially important that this exhibition reminds us of the path from the first incubation spaces to new development steps, such as the future incubator Sinergan, which will further strengthen Rijeka's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Rijeka remains a city of knowledge, work and innovation, and Porin remains an important part of this story.", said Rijeka Mayor Iva Rinčić.

In the past 30 years, we have gathered more than 200 users of the entrepreneurial incubator, while more than 6,800 participants have passed through our trainings. Existing incubators are now fully filled, and 30 entrepreneurs are currently active in incubation and post-incubation programs. In 2025 alone, we did more than 200 hours of business consulting, while since the beginning of TEH LAB in 2021, more than 200 3D models and prototypes have been produced.

European projects also hold an important place in the exhibition, through which we have strengthened international cooperation over the years and connected Rijeka with European knowledge, partners and funding opportunities. To date, we have participated in 51 international projects with a total value of more than €84 million, working with more than 150 international partners from more than 25 European countries.

The exhibition also provides an overview of the development of entrepreneurial infrastructure, from the Torpedo Production Park i TEH LAB the New Incubator Sinergana. Synergana represents a new development phase focused on creative technologies, IT industry and interdisciplinary forms of work, and is conceived as a space that connects technology, creative industries, research and modern entrepreneurship.

“Entrepreneurship is not just about buildings, programmes and projects. It consists of people – entrepreneurs who had the courage to start, mentors who guided them, partners, institutions and employees who have contributed to the creation of the Rijeka entrepreneurial ecosystem during these years. The new development phase of Porin is connected to Sinergan, a space where we want to connect ideas, knowledge, creativity and technology and create an environment for new collaborations and projects of the future.", concluded Antolović.

Through three decades of activity, we have changed programs and support models following the development of the market, technology and the needs of entrepreneurs. This is why the exhibition is not only an overview of the work so far, but also an announcement of a new development period in which we continue to connect ideas, people and opportunities for new generations of entrepreneurs.

• The exhibition is held with the support of the City of Rijeka, and you can see it on the posts on Korzo until June 11, 2026.

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