Under the high auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Ivo Josipović, DSc, the first Congress of Croatian Managers and Entrepreneurs was held on May 18, 2011, in the Hotel „Antunović” in Zagreb. The co-organizers were the Croatian Association of Managers and Entrepreneurs CROMA, Croatian Bar Association and Croatian Employer Association. In order to create long-term perspective for growth the Croatian managers and entrepreneurs initiated the draw up of a strategic document. The leaders of Croatian economy shall determine the frame contents and general directions of this Master Plan. The drawn up document and then distributed to government institutions. Therefore, the main goal of this first Congress was to create the real frame for the Master Plan of the Croatian economy development focused to reindustrialization.

The moderator of the congress was Vladimir Ferdelji, CROMA president and the president of the Elektrokontakt Management board. He underlined that the Master Plan should represent the strategic turnover in the economic strategy covering ten major areas in which changes shall be implemented. It is about monetary and fiscal policy, mode of state owned companies management, optimization in development of production and industry in compliance with joining EU, insolvency, reduction of Para fiscal levies, territory reorganization to achieve more efficient and cheaper administration, more efficient energetic policy, efficient legislation and judiciary, engagement science and education into the production development and changes in other areas as well. Mr. Ferdelji also pointed out that Croatia needs strong production, and the strategy to re-industrialization is the first step forward to recovery and way out from crisis. The microeconomic policy, with the growth of services, debt accumulation, consumption, assets sales and industry termination is out, and the solution is seen in the new doctrine where production and industry is the basis of development.

The congress audience was addressed by the advisor of the President, prof. Boris Cota, DSc, who said that Croatia needs a new model of growth. He considered that the adjustment to the new growth model requires no radical measures implementation to the market but only a direction towards “flexible security”. He believes that Croatia shall focus to the development of the high technology economy that will initiate the development and provide the cut of unemployment as well as the higher standard.

Gordana Kovačević, MSc, the president of Ericsson Nikola Tesla also addressed the audience and presented her vision of the development. She greeted the congress in the name of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, where she holds the position of a vice president for economy. Ms Kovačević presented the analysis of the Croatia competitiveness and the ICT competitiveness index too. According to the Word Economy Forum, out of 138 countries, Croatia was at the 54th position, as ICT competitiveness is concerned, which is by three positions lower than last year, and by five positions lower than two years ago. Unfortunately, this means that it continued to move away from the TOP 50 countries. In her speech, Ms Kovačević underlined ICT technologies as the driving force of the society development and economy recovery, and presented the global trends in development and application of ICT, guidelines of EU Digital Agenda. She proposed recommendations, relating to the economic recovery such as, focus to priority areas, encourage faster development of ICT industry, set relations among science, education and economy, make technology available to all, develop electronic public administration and implement e-business into all environments and processes. Besides being important profitable industry, ICT is beneficial to many other fields of activities, such as faster development and more efficient work and cost efficiency. Besides, ICT is beneficial to citizens like through healthcare system, education, infrastructure and public safety, and one shall not forget the impact to environment due to reduced CO emission. In addition, Ms Kovačević presented successful examples of ICT technology implementation, such as Ericsson Nikola Tesla solutions in e-health and smart systems, and added that the company was the largest ICT as well as knowledge exporter in the country. She pointed out that the investment into ICT research and development activities shall be increased and stimulated. Last year, its share in Croatia’s GNP was only 0.8%, and according to Ms Kovačević, it should reach 2% by 2015. She presented her vision of Croatia in 2020, with an average growth in number of broadband access users by 15% per year to reach the 100% penetration of the broadband internet. This would offer a vast range of benefits: 270 thousand newly employed high profile specialists, GDP growth by 30% through implementation of new technologies (as related to 2010) and “green” economy based on new technologies. The presentation ended by the conclusion that ICT sector directly influences the total growth of the national economy, increase of competitiveness in other sectors, export potential of domestic industry, and sustainable development of the society, as well.

Afterwards, many economists addressed the audience, and the open discussion followed on the Master Plan. Within the Congress HUM-CROMA session was held too.

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