At the conference
“Croatian Defence Industry 2025 European Opportunities, Dual-Use Technologies and Global Security” held in Zagreb, new opportunities for domestic industry and exports were presented, with an emphasis on cooperation between science, the economy and the state.
“We definitely have certain niches in which we are already competitive,” said Goran Basarac, CEO of Agencija ALAN highlighting that these are companies that have grown organically and are capable of maintaining production continuity, quality and standards, as well as strong production capacities.
https://vijesti.hrt.hr/gospodarstvo/hrvatska-obrabena-industrija-baza-postoji-potrebno-prosirenje-kapaciteta-12415695
Support from Agencija ALAN Is Crucial for Domestic Exporters
Participants especially emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional support for exporters, reducing administrative barriers, and increasing the involvement of Croatian companies in European defence programmes and financing projects.
Agencija ALAN confirmed that, following the instructions of the competent authorities, it will allocate specific funds to further strengthen the representation of domestic companies and the visibility of the Croatian defence industry portfolio in key international markets.
It was also highlighted that, thanks to its innovation and competitiveness, Croatia’s defence industry is playing an increasingly significant role within the European security and industrial landscape.
A Huge Opportunity for Development and Export
Things have changed dramatically because of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and I believe that Croatia now has a huge opportunity to develop its economy precisely in the direction of the defence industry,” said Defence Minister Ivan Anušić. He added that there is no longer time to merely discuss security —action is required. "Without our own defence capabilities, there is neither stability nor development,” the minister concluded.
Game-Changing Technologies
One of the four panels focused on drones and unmanned systems. Manufacturers themselves provided concrete insights, noting that automation will make human control of weapon systems increasingly the exception. “In Ukraine we are already seeing the first signs of autonomy in unmanned systems,” said Srđan Kovačević from Orqa FPV.
Cooperation between the military and civil sectors has never been more important, said Ivica Grebenar, Director of the Armaments Directorate. Alan CEO Basarac warned that administrative demands are extremely important but currently restrictive for the development of the defence industry in the EU. For example, applying for a project in the European Defence Fund requires around 200 pages of core documentation and an additional 1,000 pages of supplementary documents. “This urgently needs to change,” he said.
An Industry at a Turning Point
The conference concluded that Croatia stands at a crucial turning point, with the potential for the domestic defence industry to become an important part of the country's economy, innovation ecosystem and export sector. If opportunities are seized by connecting knowledge and technology and reducing administrative barriers foreign markets and new technologies can become a realistic part of Croatia’s industrial future.
