In an interview for Forbes Croatia, published ahead of the 4th FER Connect, the Dean of FER, Prof. Vedran Bilas, speaks openly about the global challenges shaping education, industry, and science. He points out that not even the experiences of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have prepared Europe for the destabilizing effects of changes in U.S. economic policy, emphasizing the need to strengthen resilience and strategic autonomy.

Looking to the future, Bilas explains that FER is actively monitoring and engaging with the latest global technological trends — from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to renewable energy sources.

"We follow trends thanks to projects from the European research framework program. In terms of the number of projects, we are the leading faculty in Croatia. It’s a competitive process with strong competition, and we apply because we set high goals for ourselves. This keeps Croatia included in technological trends and opens partnerships with prestigious partners. We also retain and develop knowledge and competencies that we can transfer to Croatian industry and society", Bilas highlights in the interview.

The Dean warns that national investments in science should be more ambitious: "I advocate for stronger public funding of research and the development of research infrastructure so that we can more quickly achieve national priorities and keep pace with developed countries". He also adds that the current reform of science funding does not show promising progress in that direction.

Speaking about his long-term vision, Bilas shares an ambitious idea of Croatia as a European technological hub. "I advocate for Croatia as a 'high-tech destination' — a country people come to for education and to work in tech companies; a country from which people go abroad for new experiences and eagerly return; a place where it is good and desirable to innovate and where there is no fear of making mistakes", he says for Forbes. He sees the key to this transformation in academic institutions like FER, which are entrepreneurial, internationalized, and socially engaged.

"FER can and will be the core of that transformation", dean concludes ahead of FER Connect — an event that brings together leaders from science, industry, and young talent with the goal of fostering dialogue, collaboration, and development.