On the occasion of Europe Day, May 9, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) at the University of Zagreb highlights its strong integration into the European research and education area and its commitment to the shared goals of the European Union.

On July 1, 2025, Croatia will celebrate 12 years of EU membership — a membership that has brought numerous opportunities for international cooperation, development, and the strengthening of scientific excellence. During this time, FER has become the leading Croatian partner in EU-funded projects in the fields of research, innovation, and higher education.

FER is currently implementing more than 150 research projects, 57 of which are funded by the EU. Among them, 24 projects are part of the Horizon Europe program, securing FER’s leading position in Croatia in terms of both number and value of contracts. The faculty collaborates with nearly 300 institutions across Europe in areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, robotics, energy, semiconductors, and communication and space technologies.

The European Chips Act has opened the door to new opportunities for Croatia, and FER has recognized its strategic role in this field by establishing the Croatian Center of Competence for Semiconductors (CROCCS).

With projects such as Croatia’s first and only center of excellence, MARBLE (Center of Excellence in Maritime Robotics and Technologies for a Sustainable Blue Economy), CroQCI (Croatian Quantum Communication Infrastructure), DARE SGA 1 (Digital Autonomy for RISC-V in Europe), and DATACROSS (Center of Excellence for Data Science and Cooperative Systems), FER is actively contributing to positioning Croatia within European value chains.

FER is also a pioneer in the green transition. It is one of the first faculties in Croatia to build its own solar power plant and battery storage system, aiming to cover more than 50% of its annual energy needs. This makes FER a leader among low-carbon institutions in the region. The project not only supports sustainability but also provides students with hands-on experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and smart grid technologies.

FER strongly promotes international mobility of students, faculty, and researchers, affirming its role as Croatia’s leading institution deeply integrated into the European educational and research space.

The year 2025 has been declared the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education — an initiative FER proudly supports. Through its work, FER demonstrates that knowledge, research, and innovation can build a better, more sustainable, and technologically competitive society, aligned with European values and goals.

On Europe Day, we proudly reaffirm our contribution to building a strong, innovative, and digitally sovereign Europe. FER continues to shape an University that is internationally recognized, deeply engaged in European developments, and a leader in technological advancement.