The Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn participated yesterday in a Seminar on Smart Specialisation in Zagreb and in his opening speech he also stressed:

"First of all Croatia has to commit itself to increasing its research and development budget which in 2010 stood at 0.7%. But while you do that you must also develop the necessary conditions for the spending to be efficient and have an impact. The first thing you have to ask yourselves is what is the unique selling proposition of your regions? How can you take advantage of it and how can you develop it further through innovation?
I urge you to think with a global perspective. How can you develop your distinctive advantage and export it to other regions in Europe and beyond?
Developing your Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy will help you focus and identify the sectors with the highest potential for growth and global competitiveness in your country.
The Strategy will lay the foundations of an inclusive process involving the key stakeholders, universities and enterprises for the development of your policy. It will mobilise and bring together the different governmental departments helping to ease bureaucratic obstacles and joining different policy objectives.
A much better approach than simply supporting unrelated individual projects that have no synergies nor an impact on the industrial and economic structure of region.
The European Commission presented its position paper for Croatia on 31th January. It proposes that you should identify a set of innovative and high-growth sectors that would strengthen the competitiveness profile of the country.

While this is only the beginning of the process I would like to stimulate the debate by suggesting areas in which to my humble opinion, your country has a distinctive advantage and potential for sustainable growth. Croatia is a beautiful country with abundance of natural resources and strong green credentials. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Croatia, in terms of bio-energy, is already at the EU average. As I understand it “bio” seems to be the buzz word in the country. There appears to be big potential for developing the bio-energy, bio-technology and bio-health sectors.
Perhaps these are sectors you should focus on. Your distinctive proposition, not only to Europe but further afield.
Croatia is strategically positioned at the heart of the Western Balkans, Danube and Adriatic regions. You are very well placed to develop international clusters and research and development excellence centres with the countries and regions around you.
I look forward to today’s discussion. I would like to conclude by underlining once more that Regional Policy is an investment in your enterprises, your human and natural capital and for your research and development. It is an investment in growth and jobs in your regions. As the Vice Prime Minister has said, Cohesion Policy funds will account for 70% of your country’s development budget in the years ahead. What a contribution! The European Commission will be your committed partner – whatever specialisations you choose to pursue."

Source: EC press release 12/02/2013

Read the full speeach at:http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-117_en.htm#PR_metaPressRelease_bottom