A unique conclusion of the conference titled Investment Summit Croatia, held on May 9 in Zagreb, was that fundamental prerequisites for more significant inflow of foreign investments that are so much needed are creating a stable business environment and a favorable investment climate. The summit jointly organized Swedish Trade Council and the Embassy of Sweden to Croatia. The Swedish ambassador to Croatia, Frederic Vahlquist, actively participated in the work of the Summit that was opened by Tamara Obradović-Mazal, the deputy Minister of Economy. Among other topics, the discussions dealt with various projects and innovative ways of their financing, which should encourage new investments in Croatia.

The Croatian Association of Employers (HUP) and Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) also supported the organization of the Summit. It gathered several hundred of participants, mainly coming from transport, energetic and telecommunications areas of interest. We witnessed the presence of many well-known companies, such as Bombardier, Kapsch, and Saab. At this business and financial gathering the company, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, as a member of the global Ericsson Corporation, had particularly prominent role.

Gordana Kovačević, MSc, president of Ericssona Nikola Tesla said that no state is competitive in all segments, so it is of key importance to define strategic areas in which we shall build international competitiveness. These words were the leading messaging of the conference for almost all media that covered the event. In her addressing the audience, Ms Kovačević underlined that the investors shall consider Croatian market a springboard for penetration into the region. She also stood up for intensified encouraging of investments into research and development. In that segment, with 0.7 percent of GNP Croatia is near the bottom in Europe. She also mentioned several key prerequisites for creating an encouraging investment climate and the encouraging business environment. Her answer to the question on the major comparative advantage of Croatia in relation to other countries was brief: “People and their competences”.

In her addressing the audience, Sandra Švaljek, DSc, the director of the Institute of Economy in Zagreb, pointed out the government struggles shall be focused to overcoming administrative barriers to investments, as well as to professionalization of the public sector in service delivery to business sector and the citizens. In his discussion Christoph Schoefboeck, a member of the management of Erste Bank, recommended the organization of industry clusters. The statement by Mark Dooley, a senior executive director of Macquarie Group, Australia, was welcome since he noted that lately Croatia had made significant progress in encouraging foreign investments.

 

At the final stage of the gathering Vesna Pusić, prof., the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs delivered an inspiring speech in which she encouraged bilateral business negotiations, and placed the event in the context of EU accession, and the development of the whole region, as well.

 

Company Communications Ericsson Nikola Tesla