30. okt. 2025
Business Breakfast: Creating Synergies Between Innovation and EU Funds
On 29 October 2025, from 10:00 to 13:00, a Business Breakfast was held at the Zagreb Energy Centre (ZEC) — a morning of dialogue and exchange hosted by the Development Agency Zagreb (RAZ) within the framework of the Twin Synergies project, with the support of Algebra Bernays University.
Under the theme “Partnership Dialogue of Key Stakeholders in the Environment of Digital and Green Transition: Synergy of Innovation and EU Funds in Practice,” the event gathered experts from academia, public administration, and business support organisations to discuss how to connect better Horizon Europe, Cohesion Policy funds, and other EU programmes to strengthen research and innovation capacity in Widening Countries.
The session opened with welcoming remarks from Kornelija Mlinarević, Director of the Development Agency Zagreb, and Assoc. Prof. Leo Mršić, Vice-Rector of Algebra Bernays University. The central discussion — moderated by Ivan Vinšćak (RAZ) and supervised by Prof. Miroslav Vesković (University of Novi Sad) — encouraged a dynamic exchange of perspectives, practical experiences, and new ideas for collaboration.
Topics of Discussion
Throughout the round-table, participants addressed key challenges and opportunities for improving the effectiveness of EU funds and fostering innovation in the context of the green and digital transition.
The conversation focused on:
Aligning priorities and evaluation criteria across different EU funding instruments (Horizon Europe, ERDF, IPA);
Strengthening cooperation between public authorities, academia, and industry in project preparation and implementation;
Tackling brain drain through better HR development and continuous learning;
Developing skills for the green and digital transition;
Embedding project outcomes into long-term regional and Smart Specialisation (S3) strategies;
Overcoming administrative and procedural barriers in funding coordination.
The Business Breakfast concluded with a brief reflection and informal networking session, highlighting a shared commitment to building a more connected, innovative, and resilient European research and innovation ecosystem.
Photos by Algebra and DAZ