Croatia needs to become a country with more technology, and the current international crisis is an opportunity to do so faster and more intensively than we otherwise would - this was the key message of FERConnect, a discussion among leading Croatian engineers and economists, jointly organized by the Alumni Board of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) and the alumni of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Zagreb. This special, fourth edition of the initiative, aimed at gathering and connecting FER alumni, brought together over 200 attendees for a panel on the impact of geopolitical changes on technology titled "The Future in Turmoil."

The opening speech was delivered by Zvonimir Frka-Petešić, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Croatia, who emphasized Croatia’s efforts in participating in and shaping European regulations.

"Europe is waking up, and the first signs are concrete. These include the AI Act—the first law of its kind in the world, the NIS2 Directive—a unified cybersecurity framework for the EU, a plan to close the innovation gap and reduce strategic dependencies, and other key documents. Croatia doesn’t want to be a bystander but a participant and co-creator of such acts. It is actively contributing to the implementation of European digital regulations, utilizing funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan to digitize healthcare, education, public administration, and to develop its own capacities, from AI laboratories to digital transformation of businesses and local government," said Frka-Petešić.

The Governor of the Croatian National Bank and President of the EFZG Alumni, Boris Vujčić, in a brief speech on the future of money, highlighted the initiative by central banks to introduce the digital euro, given the decline in cash usage and the rise of cashless payments.

"The digital euro is central bank digital money that has existed conceptually for a long time. Central banks want to introduce it due to changes in payment methods we are seeing today. The idea is for the digital euro to become the first pan-European payment solution usable at any payment point, as similar as possible to current cash available to consumers. The aim is for it to work without internet and be supported by all POS devices. However, the entire project is still in the preparatory phase. It is a technological leap in currencies," said Vujčić.

Davor Baković, CEO of Končar – Instrument Transformers and President of the Croatian Exporters Association, spoke about international trade and Europe’s current position.

"When you look at the trends, they point to a polarization of global trade and a tightly connected world with evident trade blocs. One bloc is backed by the United States or the Western world, while the other is China. What’s new for Europe is that the Atlantic is no longer the center, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Taking a step back gives it time to restructure and invest in energy and technology," said Baković.

The panel, which discussed topics directly affecting 450 million EU citizens, also featured prominent experts such as Josip Ćesić, co-founder of robotics and AI company Gideon Brothers; Josip Mikulić, senior analog design engineer at semiconductor company ams OSRAM; Matija Žulj, CEO of agricultural software company Agrivi; Dr. Luka Šikić, assistant professor at the Catholic University of Croatia; and Dr. Valentina Vučković, professor at the Faculty of Economics. FERConnect was opened by Prof. Vedran Bilas, PhD.

"We believe Croatia can and should become a high-tech destination, competitive in the field of science and technology. To achieve this, we need strong academic and research institutions that are committed to transferring knowledge to Croatian industry and society. It’s crucial that Croatia is competitive in academic, research, and technological terms and sets ambitious goals, because in today’s dramatic geopolitical situation, opportunities and institutions are key. FERConnect is therefore an opportunity to recognize and confront the challenges of geopolitical change," said Dean Bilas.

The discussion was moderated by Mladen Pejković, President of the FER Alumni Board and Senior Executive Director for Strategy, Business Development and ICT at Atlantic Grupa, and Assoc. Prof. Anita Čeh Časni, PhD, from the Faculty of Economics and Business.

"The new, somewhat dramatic geopolitical circumstances have raised concerns in many areas, including technology. Regardless, I believe they are an opportunity to strengthen European technologies and competitiveness through existing and new programs in the fields of robotics, the chip industry, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and strengthening cybersecurity. Croatia has much to offer through such initiatives. Through the collaboration of science and education, government, and industry, we can seize the opportunity that presents itself, which was the guiding idea behind today’s FERConnect," said Pejković.

Photos from the 4th FERConnect can be viewed in the gallery here.