Category: News

Friday, October 10th, in a newly built facility InnovaLab the Trsat Campus held the first Eduza Show Unplugged meetup, an event that brought together over 80 experts, educators and entrepreneurs from all over Croatia and even beyond, with a special emphasis on the Rijeka business community.

The goal of the meeting was to create a space for networking, exchange of knowledge and experience among people who live by their expertise. Organizers, Visnja Željeznjak and Saša Matijašić, founders of the platform Eduza.hr, through this format they combined education, inspiration and a relaxed atmosphere without overcrowded schedules and formal frames.

Support from the City of Rijeka and partner organisations supporting entrepreneurship

At the beginning of the meeting, the organizers thanked the City of Rijeka and urban organisations supporting the development of entrepreneurship, including Rijeka Development Agency Porin. On behalf of the City of Rijeka, he addressed the gathered Aleksandar-Saša Milaković, Deputy Mayor, who underlined the importance of further support for local entrepreneurs.

Thanks are also given to partners who continuously contribute to the development of the educational ecosystem in Rijeka, Boris Golob the University of Rijeka Science and Technology Park Step Ri and the FIPRO Foundation whose funds were allocated to Eduza in 2021 for the development of the prototype, the Emilia Guide who welcomed the participants on behalf of Startup Incubator Rijeka in which the founders of Eduza are mentors and our director, Nenad Antolović with whose the Rijeka Development Agency Porin Eduza also successfully collaborates on the organization of education for entrepreneurs.

Education and networking at the heart of the meeting

The central part of the program was dedicated to development of presentation skills, It is important for anyone who communicates their knowledge to others. Coach Luka Krejči He led an interactive part of the program in which participants through practical examples and live coaching exercises could improve their public performance.

The second part of the event was reserved for networking, which, according to the participants, was the most valuable segment. During almost three hours of socializing, numerous new business connections and collaborations have been developed between entrepreneurs, educators and creatives of different profiles, from digital experts to consultants and coaches.

A very interesting end to the meeting was PowerPoint Karaoke, a fun format that brought a dose of improvisation and laughter, showing that there is also room for creativity and spontaneity in business events.

Rijeka as a city of knowledge and cooperation

Such events confirm that the river is becoming more and more Centre for Knowledge Exchange and Entrepreneurial Community Development. Bringing together entrepreneurs, educators and professionals from different fields is a crucial step towards creating a dynamic and resilient business environment. The organizers announced that they plan to continue the Eduza Show Unplugged meetup in Rijeka and regularly gather Rijeka, Croatian and regional experts.

Rijeka Development Agency Porin will continue to support initiatives that promote cooperation, lifelong learning and the growth of entrepreneurial competences.

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Eduza.hr is a platform for business education and promotion of professionals. It brings together business education on over 500 topics, making it accessible to learners and providing educators with a complete ecosystem for life from their knowledge – from training presentation software to video podcasts for visibility to the supportive community. The mission of Education is to help educators to live from their knowledge, and students to find educations that will improve their career and business.

On September 10, 2025, our city faced one of the most intense rains in recent times.

In just a few hours, heavy rains overburdened drainage systems and caused flooding across the city. The streets turned into rivers, cars remained underwater, and traffic on key roads was closed. Firefighters had more than 100 interventions, while utilities worked all night to remove landslides, pump water and provide vital infrastructure.

Consequences outweighed traffic difficulties. Landslides and soil erosion in multiple locations have raised issues of building safety and urban resilience. The floodwaters and drift have created dangers for residents, damaged property and highlighted the growing vulnerability of cities to extreme precipitation linked to climate change.

URBANFLOODS project – Resilience as a necessity, not a choice

These events strongly recall the importance of the URBANFLOODS project. The project is implemented under the Interreg IPA ADRION programme and brings together partners from eight countries with the aim of developing innovative risk management scenarios, prevention measures and nature-based solutions for flood-prone cities;.

Rijeka is one of nine pilot areas where advanced hydrological models are used to simulate extreme precipitation and flood scenarios. Special emphasis is placed on the Rječina River Basin, which flows into the very centre of the city. By combining scientific modelling, GIS tools and local knowledge, the project will provide decision-makers with reliable data on where floods are most likely, which infrastructure is at risk and which preventive measures can be most effective.

The results of the modeling will serve the development the Early Warning System i Urban Planning Strategy, helping the River to anticipate such events, and not only to react to them. The project also highlights transnational cooperation, Climate impacts know no administrative boundaries. Lessons learned from Rijeka will contribute to the regional set of flood resilience measures, which will be shared across the Adriatic-Ionian region.

Recent floods highlight the urgent need for a systemic approach to disaster risk reduction. Investing in resilient infrastructure, green stormwater solutions and community preparation is no longer an option but a necessity to protect the life, economy and cultural heritage of European cities.

URBANFLOODS will continue to work with the City of Rijeka, local experts and citizens to turn the recent crisis into tomorrow's resilience.

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More about the project: https://urbanfloods.interreg-ipa-adrion.eu/

Under the ‘Efficient Human Resources 2021’ programme. -2027", a financial instrument is available Micro loans for growth and inclusion, which carries out HAMAG-BICRO. The loan is intended for micro and small enterprises with a view to fostering self-employment, job creation and business strengthening, in particular for those from vulnerable groups.

Loans are granted in amounts of 1,000 to 25,000 euros, at a low interest rate, a grace period of up to 12 months and a repayment period of up to 5 years.

An additional advantage of this instrument is Possibility of write-off up to 30 % the principal of the loan; if the beneficiary employs, during the period of use of the funds, members of vulnerable groups – including young people without work experience, people with disabilities, the long-term unemployed and people over 55 years of age.

Loans can be used for investments in capital goods (tangible and intangible assets) or as working capital (maximum 30% the amount of the loan), exclusively for projects implemented in the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

Applications are open until the funds are used up, and at the latest by the end of 2029.

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More information on conditions, eligible activities and how to apply is available here.

Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovations and Investments (HAMAG-BICRO) awarded the grant agreements to the beneficiaries; the Acceleration Program – a national programme aimed at accelerating the growth and development of innovative start-ups. In total, almost €3 million; where the maximum aid amount per beneficiary was up to €25,000.

These are micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that were previously selected to participate in the Acceleration Programme and have passed the Pre-acceleration phase and competed in the the largest competition of innovative projects in Croatia, held in December 2024 in Zagreb, Osijek and Zadar.

The signatories of the contract also include: Museit Network d.o.o. i Bambino Bundle j.d.o.o., users AKCELERATORA Opportunity, which operates within a consortium and which together with us (beneficiary's mentor) STEP RI i the Physical Development Center.

Both companies develop solutions that meet real market needs, with a strong focus on technological innovation, user experience and sustainability.

Museit Network d.o.o.

Museit Network develops a digital platform for the profit and promotion of musicians. Musicians, especially independents, will be provided with a new channel for monetization and promotion their works, and business users (companies, agencies, brands) easy access Original music for commercial purposes. The platform enables direct connections between musicians and the business sector through creative projects and music marketplaces, a digitally transforming way of collaborating in the music industry.

• Thanks to the grants, Museit will complete the development of the platform up to level TRL 9, which means that the platform will be fully functional, tested and ready for market and expansion.

Bambino Bundle j.d.o.o.

Bambino Bundle develops Digital platform for sustainable children's fashion, which allows parents to easily rent quality clothes for children from 0 to 3 years through a subscription model. Through a few clicks, parents can choose, receive and replace clothes when the child is outgrown. This model not only reduces costs; alreadyextends the lifespan of clothing and reduces textile waste, through which the project actively contributesa circular economy and more responsible consumption.

• The support will allow further development and improvement of the platform, as well as expanding sustainable solutions to an increasing number of users.

Grants for growth and competitiveness

The appropriation is intended to cover activities aimed at developing innovative products and solutions, including:

• technology or market upgrade, testing and validation;
• development of pilot lines and test versions;
• the protection of intellectual property,
• external professional services and preparation for commercialisation.

These funds allow users to additional momentum towards stable growth and internationalisation, and are confirmed by the quality and market potential of their solutions;, selected from more than one hundred registered teams from all over Croatia.

We are proud of the success of our users and congratulate all entrepreneurs and partners who are part of this important step forward towards a more modern, competitive and sustainable Croatian economy.