As Poslovni Dnevnik/Bruno Lipej writes, the Croatian Vetti Group acquired a total of 13 members in the first 15 months of operation, and the opening of a 24/7 veterinary hospital in Split has also been announced.

After the opening of Buba by Vetti Group, the largest 24/7 private veterinary clinic in Zagreb in December last year, the group was joined in March by Split Veterinary practice for small animals – SplitVet. SplitVet is specialised in orthopedics. They were also joined by Veterinary station ZAG-VET d.o.o. from Zlatar, which consists of a small and a large practice, a pharmacy and the associated “Luč Zagorje” animal shelter.

Just one month later, more specifically back in April this year, Pet-Vet, a specialist veterinary clinic for small animals from Split, and Zagreb Veterinary Station d.o.o. were also acquired. The latter boasts clinics and pharmacies in as many as five locations across the City of Zagreb. The Ogulin Veterinary Clinic and the Gornja Bebrina Veterinary Clinic also joined the group.

With the aforementioned new acquisitions, the Croatian Vetti Group can boast of more than 230 employees in 26 locations.

“Were expanding throughout Croatia with numerous new acquisitions, and in the next two years we intend to invest another 20 million euros. We’re proud and happy, because we want to provide uniform, high-quality and fast service to every pet and owner living in Croatia. The expansion of the Croatian Vetti Group and new partners, with whom we successfully cooperate, will help us to reach as many clients as possible with this service. We’re already conducting professional training, we intend to share the rich knowledge of our veterinarians and other staff with all members. We’re going to continue to invest in top-quality equipment and raise the standards of the veterinary profession,” said Suzana Skorija, president of the Croatian Vetti Group Management Board.

the croatian vetti group plans a new animal hospital in split

Over more recent days, the lease contract for the future hospital in Split spanning an area of ​​750 square metres was signed. Just like the clinic opened back in December in Zagreb, the upcoming animal hospital in Split will boast plenty of equipment. It will have the most modern CT machine, four modernly equipped operating theatres, eight exam and consultation rooms, a separate waiting room for cats and a separate room reserved for comfort in the most difficult moments where humans and animals must bid farewell. The Croatian Vetti Group has already started filling open positions in Split.

The Croatian Vetti Group will also offer their future employees opportunities for continuous professional development, as well as the possibility of adjusting their working hours, which is an established practice in Western European countries. In addition to all of the above, retirees who feel ready to contribute to the profession and provide the education of young people will also have the option of working part-time.

The post Croatian Vetti Group Plans to Open 24 Hour Split Animal Hospital appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as an investor and holder of the project to increase the capacity of the Natural Gas Liquefaction Terminal (UPP), LNG Croatia has initiated a public procurement procedure for the conversion of the LNG Croatia FSRU ship for the purpose of increasing the capacity of that terminal. The deadline for submitting bids is August the 8th, 2024.

The state operator of the LNG terminal on the island of Krk reported that it has announced a tender for two contracts related to the expansion of the capacity of the floating reception, storage and gasification unit (FSRU) through which UPP is imported on Krk.

In total, these contracts are worth 17 million euros without the inclusion of taxes. The first refers to services that include the installation, implementation and commissioning of a new module and equipment on the FSRU and is worth about 15 million euros. The second is worth about 2 million euros and includes the procurement and installation of power equipment for the integration of the FSRU.

After the expansion, the LNG terminal in Omišalj will boast a capacity of 6.1 billion cubic metres of gas per year. That is almost twice as much as is currently the case. It will be made possible through the installation of a new module manufactured by the Norwegian enterprise Wartsila. The new module should be installed in the summer of 2025.

At the beginning of June, during his visit to the LNG terminal, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković presented the information that Croatia consumes around 2.8 billion cubic metres of gas annually. That means that with the expansion of LNG Croatia’s capacities, there will be a huge space for the gas coming to Krk to be marketed to other countries – Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Bavaria or in the future – through the southern gas interconnection to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He also stated how Croatia used funds from the RePower EU instrument, and that the country is investing 533 million euros in increasing the capacity of domestic gas pipelines.

The post LNG Croatia Investing 17 Million Euros in Capacity Expansion appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to the latest available data from 2022, companies within the Rimac Group have a total of more than a hundred patent applications to their name. That puts the Rimac Group in a firm first place in terms of the number of internationally applied patents originating from Croatia. Given that last year they reported a significantly higher number compared to 2022, it can be assumed that this statistic will be even more pronounced when last year’s data is released, reports Autonet.

Patents can be applied for in almost all countries across the world, and the Rimac Group has the most applications in the EU, USA and China, as these are its main markets or production countries for the sort of technology it makes.

It’s important to emphasise that the Rimac Group not only patents technologies for their own hypercars, but also for technology developed by Rimac Technology for global car manufacturers – for example, in the sector of making systems for electric drives and battery systems.

arduous and expensive processes

One of the latest inventions from the Rimac Group, for which the company filed a patent application, is a system for the extremely fast detection of insulation breakdown in electrical circuits. Consequently, their system allows for the possibility of its quick and safe shutdown if necessary.

This is particularly interesting in the context of high voltage, which is present in electric cars. In this particular procedure, the process of patent recognition lasted approximately three and a half years, which – as strange as it may sound – is in fact very short in international terms.

“The patenting procedure is extremely complex, time-consuming and expensive. There are many reasons for that. The main factor is the large number of patent applications that are submitted annually, the number of which as a rule increases every year, and patent offices must study each application in detail to see if it meets the conditions for the recognition of patent protection.

Studying all of the above actually means that they have to compare that invention with all existing technical solutions. They need to be compared with the so-called state of the art, for which they use special comprehensive databases of global patents, patent applications and professional technical literature that number more than 100 million documents.

If the invention is new, inventive and industrially applicable in relation to being state of the art, it will be recognised as a patent,” Branimir Puškarić, Intellectual Property Manager at Rimac Technology, explained to Autonet.

Throughout the the process of patenting, the confidentiality of all of the data is extremely important because, as a rule, any public announcement of an invention before the filing of a patent application automatically eliminates the invention from the possibility of patenting. This eliminates the possibility of licensing it to third parties, who will then exploit it commercially.

With the aim of preserving intellectual property (IP) within the company, Rimac Technology has established a special IP Legal team made up of highly qualified experts in their fields. These individuals cover the main fields of intellectual property protection – which few other companies in Croatia or even the wider region have.

The post Rimac Group is Croatia’s Number 1 Patent Application Holder appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Ana Roksandic writes, regardless of whether they’re for plant lovers or those who can’t manage to keep their plants alive, terrariums are the ideal solution because they’re self-sustaining ecosystems in beautiful glass containers.

According to Ana Hrgovčić, the owner of the Vinkovci-based brand Biljke.Plants, which specialises in the production of plant terrariums in a bottle, her customers are divided into huge lovers of plants and those who even manage to kill cacti.

“After the coronavirus pandemic, everyone started buying plants en masse. I think that people lacked contact with nature and became aware of the effect that living plants and the colour green have on the psyche. What we concluded is that most people like terrariums because they;re an innovative way of keeping plants that enables their continuous growth and longevity, and they’re a solution for accidental cactus killers. Of course, cactus killers would also be good plant owners if they chose a plant that fits their space and if they were careful with watering,” explained Hrgovčić.

Hrgovčić learned how to make a plant terrarium in a bottle quite by accident while surfing the Internet. Soon after that, her interest in indoor plants was awakened and she opened an Instagram profile called Biljke.Plants where she wrote instructions for maintaining indoor plants.

biljke.plants took on a life of its own

“I did the same thing that every person who discovers plants does, but I still stood out from the majority and started a serious company specialising in making plant terrariums in a bottle and making them as business gifts in a box with a logo,” said the owner of the brand.

She entered the typically choppy entrepreneurial waters in pandemic-dominated 2020 when she was 22 years old. From the initial production in Vinkovci, she reached five branches across five Croatian cities: Split, Zagreb, Rijeka, Pula and Osijek. In addition to Biljke.Plants branches, they also have an online store.

“Expanding to other cities enabled me to produce a product that is of high quality and that is long-lasting. Terrariums are a solution for all those who aren’t comfortable with the maintenance of plants, for those who don’t really have good conditions in the office or at home for plants, and for those who want an original unisex gift. The terrarium isn’t immortal, because it’s still a living plant, but it’s a perennial plant that succeeds better and longer for the type of customers I mentioned previously than other plants,” said Hrgovčić.

Starting her own business, she said, wasn’t very difficult even though she didn’t have much entrepreneurial background, but that is exactly why she started everything with the idea that she had nothing to lose. Today, she has employees and students with her, making up a total team of 12 people.

“I threw myself head first into entrepreneurship, I interrupted my studies, I moved to Zagreb and worked from 24 hours per day in order to build what I have now – a successful company that plants plant terrariums all over Croatia with quality and dedication. The fact that I had earned capital from several business collaborations that I worked on while I was still in the phase of just being a plant enthusiast made it easier for me to sail into entrepreneurial waters. Somehow I knew that this would work, I didn’t allow myself to believe that all the effort, risk and work would go to waste,” testified Hrgovčić.

Creating a terrarium is a creative gardening process that only takes about 15 minutes. During the production process in Vinkovci, they always try to prepare all the materials for work in advance so that the planting is as quick as possible.

To make a terrarium, it’s necessary to prepare a high-quality substrate, i.e. soil that contains enough nutrients for the growth of plants for a long period of time, and to arrange soil that is neither too hard nor too loose. The most common buyers of terrariums are women, who mostly buy them as gifts,” testifies Hrgovčić.

“However, men aren’t far behind either, but they buy terrariums for themselves more often. Terrariums are extremely popular as a business gift because they’re a sustainable choice that can be given to both sexes, and it’s great that they can be kept in offices and are always in sight of the person you gave it to,” said the owner of the brand.

the bilje.plants business experience taught her a lot…

In order to make that business gift even more special, Biljke.Plants made it possible to personalise it with engraving on cork, with logo stickers, pendants with instructions for terrarium care, decorative ribbons with print and in the colour of the brand, and with decorative lines of sand in the colour of the customer’s brand inside the terrarium.

The materials they use for production are purchased from across Europe, and they independently mix the substrate and plant the plants in their own characteristic way. In smaller quantities, they also buy materials from Croatian producers.

“We collect micro quantities ourselves. Especially when we have themed terrariums such as marine souvenirs for branches in Split, Rijeka or Pula. Then we use pebbles and shells collected on local beaches,” explained Hrgovčić, admitting that sometimes inquiries lead to new ideas. That was the case after they had an inquiry from an IT company and they started maintaining the plants in their offices.

“I must admit that we learned a lot in the field with them and their office plants. We’ll see what the market will need in the coming period and we’ll probably try to answer that problem too. There are a lot of ideas to mull over”, concluded Hrgovčić.

The post Vinkovci-Based Biljke.Plants Conquers Five Larger Cities appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Mladen Miletic writes, the story of another interesting investment for the increasingly popular Croatian continental tourism sector comes from Istria. It lies partly on the trail of Leopold Botteri and Siniša Šara, investors in residential villas and the San Canzian settlement.

In the very heart of the gorgeous Istrian peninsula, near the picturesque town of Tinjan, sits the almost untouched village of Banki. The Banko family have lived there for generations. Back at the beginning of the 20th century, Nono Giovanni and his parents often hosted business travellers who stopped there to rest on their way to the coast. The younger generation of the family has now, out of love for local tradition and sustainable development, invested in creating a modern holiday destination that, from this summer season on, will provide its visitors with the environment of truly authentic Istrian village life.

The Banki Green Istrian Village project covers an area spanning ​​three hectares and includes mobile homes with their own jacuzzi and glamping tents manufactured by Adria Home. There are also separate plots for caravans or tents, as well as a large swimming pool, a restaurant and wellness in the common complex.

Preparations for houses with their own heated pool within the Banki Green Istrian Village premises are now nearing completion, and they can be bought and used both for personal needs and for rent. The expected return on capital is 10 to 14 percent, and the rental is taken care of by Effectus Management & Consulting, which manages the Tinjan camp and has many years of experience under its belt from previous projects of a similar nature.

The Banko family, which has already been involved in the entrepreneurial, construction and transport business, invested around six million euros in the entire Banki Green Istrian Village project. This was done by combining their own capital and a loan from a commercial bank, and they expect a return on that investment in 10 to 12 years.

Local architect Slaven Cetina was hired to arrange the space, while Igor Poljanac was in charge of brand strategy and visual identity design. They currently employ 15 people, and for now – all of them are local.

plans for the expansion of the tinjan camp

Keeping the beautiful natural landscape untouched with distinctive elements reminiscent of dry stone walls and paths made of brick, their Banki Green Istrian Village aims to provide a contemporary holiday experience in harmony with nature. The biggest asset that the owners are counting on is peace and quiet, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, even though the village is close enough to the sea for people to enjoy the coast. Much like the nearby OPG (family farm), it’s located in the middle of an old forest full of native trees.

“We want people to come and recharge their batteries with us. We’ve combined greenery with the comfort of houses and attractive tents, as well as the possibility to enjoy wellness and local food. We’re surrounded by bike paths, jogging routes and beautiful walks through untouched nature.

We’re proud of the cooperation we’ve achieved with local food producers, which we plan to intensify, as well as the local materials we’ve tried to use in construction. Our ecological footprint is also important to us, so we have implemented an advanced system for purifying water for irrigation and sanitary needs”, describes the camp manager, Paola Bellini, with pride.

The Banki Green Istrian Village facility will be open this season until the end of November, with plans to expand in future seasons. Those expansion plans include the aforementioned cottages with their own pools, the construction of a shop selling solely local products, a children’s playground and the possibility of a family garden with fruits, vegetables and domestic animals.

The post Banki Green Istrian Village: Investment in Continental Tourism appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Index vijesti/news writes, Mate Rimac presented the much anticipated Verne robotaxis off last week, but it didn’t go without quite a few bumps in the road. The Verne robotaxi being presented unfortunately failed to respond to a command and remained in place. During the presentation, Mate Rimac attempted to call the robotaxi to the stage via the app twice, but the car never came. At the large Rimac Campus, one of the Verne robotaxis was presented, of which we only saw an interior cabin and nothing more.

criticism because of eu taxpayer cash

This, of course, immediately provoked plenty of criticism across the media spectrum and in the public space. Many critics kept going back to one thing, and that’s the fact that Mate Rimac had received 180 million euros from EU taxpayers.

Mate Rimac recently published a new video in which, as he says, he reveals much more detail about the Verne robotaxis. Verne is the new name of the former Project 3 Mobility, a company that has worked to develop this system.

“We wanted to go into a little more detail and show how we got to where we are today,” says Mate Rimac at the beginning, before adding that “developing a conventional car is a terribly long and complex process that not many people can do. When you develop a conventional car, you usually take some competition, some predecessors or manufacturers that already have some models and start from there. We wanted to make something completely different: a car developed from scratch to take advantage of all the benefits of autonomous driving. We wanted that car to be the safest, most spacious, most comfortable, the best experience for the person in the car.”

Then he showcased the 2019 model, the one with which, he says, they initially started the complex and lengthy development process.

“We already had a two-seater back then. Why a two-seater? Because the data shows that 90 percent of taxi or Uber rides are with one or two people in the car. We wanted to give those two people the best experience, the most space,” he said.

He also showed other models. “In 2021, we had sensors on the roof. In 2022, we redefined that design, and not only the design, but also the technical characteristics, crash requirements and so on…” he said.

“We’ve been developing our own car and other elements of the system, but one part we decided not to develop ourselves was the autonomous driving. We worked with some of the best companies in the world, in the end we decided on Mobileye,” he revealed, adding: “as the car is developed, different elements are tested and developed separately.”

“we’ve thought a lot about safety”

Rimac then said that the overall goal was to make people feel like it was their car once they got in. Verne, according to Rimac, will have information about the person who enters and thus will play the right type of music, adjust the temperature, and so on.

“We’ve thought a lot about safety. We want the autonomous driving system we’ve chosen, which is still constantly evolving, to be the safest in the world and better than 99 percent of human drivers. An accident shouldn’t happen. But in the unlikely event that an accident does happen, this should be the safest car in the world,” assured Rimac.

The post Mate Rimac Explains How Verne Robotaxis Were Developed appeared first on Total Croatia.

The Croatian leader in furnishing luxury interiors, Sinago, is taking over the Croatian branch of umdasch The Store Makers. Both companies are internationally recognised for the production of customised interiors in several commercial directions. This includes the furnishing stores of both fashion and perfumery brands, furnishing luxury residential buildings, and furnishing luxury catering and office spaces.

They are long-standing leaders whose position on the market is confirmed by cooperation with some of the world’s biggest brands. Sinago has worked with brands such as Armani, HUGO, Diesel, Penhaligon’s and On, while umdasch The Store Makers Croatia is behind the interiors of high street brands and luxury department stores as well as retail chains and high-end stores.

Sinago, from a small company from Mokrice (Oroslavje) in Zagorje, founded in 2006, has turned into a global exporter that creates art, which was recognised by the company Futura Partners in 2022, taking it over with the aim of a new takeoff on the foreign market.

Umdasch The Store Makers had previously taken over the Croatian company founded in 2009 as ATT interijeri. With more than 90 percent of its products exported, Sinago and umdasch currently deliver first-class projects worldwide, confirming their position among the industry leaders.

The goal of this synergy is to strengthen the capacity and offer in the design and production of luxury interiors on a global level, they pointed out from Sinago.

a win for both parties

“By signing the agreement with umdasch The Store Makers, we’re entering into a partnership with the aim of long-term cooperation as a provider of luxury and premium interior solutions for their clients. This synergy represents a win for both parties, and at the locations in Mokrice and Zagreb, the plan is to create centres for the development of top personnel, attracting the best experts from project management, technological development of interiors and production. By opening up new jobs, we’ll further strengthen our already exceptional team of a total of 130 employees”, said Marko Majcenović, director of the Sinago company.

With this merger, umdasch Store Makers Croatia is changing its name to Bespoke Interiors by Sinago and will continue to operate as a separate company, ensuring continuity and stability for all existing projects and clients.

“Sinago and Bespoke Interiors by Sinago will continue to provide superior interior solutions, acting as a solution provider, not just a furniture manufacturer. Our goal is to create a comprehensive platform which, together with its collaborators, can deliver complete interior solutions anywhere in the world, additionally positioning Croatia as a centre of innovation in the segment of interior project production”, emphasised Filip Jelić, director of Sinago and Futura Partners.

“We’re glad to be able to carry out this transaction with Sinago, because our main priority is for the entire Croatian team to remain in place. Additionally, this is the beginning of continuous cooperation and partnership between our companies. We’d like to wish Sinago many successful projects in the future and we’re happy to cooperate with this Croatian company for future projects,” stated Kurt Steindl, COO of umdasch Store Makers Management GmbH.

the goal is to become a european leader

“The partnership with umdasch The Store Makers is another step towards the goal we had when we took over Sinago – to become a European leader in the segment of luxury interior fittings. This is an additional spring in our step on the way to that goal. Sinago and Futura Partners will continue to strengthen their position on the investment market. In the long term, we at Futura Partners are focused on sustainable projects and staff development, with the aim of raising the quality, the level of excellence of the organisation and creating a system that will last for generations and leave lasting value”, said Futura Partners co-owner Ognjen Bagatin.

As a reminder, Futura Partners has been investing in small and medium-sized companies with great growth potential since its foundation in 2022. Their investment focus is currently on specialised production, such as Sinago, and on the healthcare sector, through polyclinics such as Sinteza, Markušić and Sabol. Behind the company Futura Partners is a group of successful entrepreneurs and businessmen ready to invest in small and medium-sized Croatian companies with great growth potential.

In addition to the directors of Futura Partners Ognjen Bagatin and Filip Jelić, their team consists of Bojan Pintarić, director of the Futura medical group, Luka Abrus Fijačko and Alan Sumina from the ICT sector, Berislav Horvat and Krešimir Šikić from the world of banking, finance and auditing, lawyers Josip Konjevod and Zlatko Knezović and serial entrepreneur Saša Cvetojević.

about umdasch

Umdasch is deeply rooted in craftsmanship, visionary in digital, always with human standards and one goal: to achieve successful stores. Store Makers at umdasch create extraordinary worlds of experience for sophisticated customers. With their four business units – Multistore Solutions, Premium Solutions, Construction Solutions and Digital Solutions – they serve numerous areas of competence from design consulting and value engineering to project management, general contracting and store systems to digital retail.

With around 1,300 employees, umdasch is one of the leading companies for shop fittings in all of Europe. Their headquarters are located in Amstetten, Austria. The company realises more than 7,000 construction and 200 general contractor projects every single year. Together with the Doka division, the Umdasch Group is active on five continents with over 170 production, logistics and sales subsidiaries. It has been in the Umdasch family for 155 years.

about sinago

With about 70 projects a year and 80 employees, 90 percent of their production is exported, of which 50 percent goes to North America. Specialising in the construction, production and project management of high-end and luxury interiors, they bring unparalleled expertise to fashion retail stores, perfume boutiques, boutique hotels and luxury residences. They are committed to innovation and excellence, and continuous investment in research and development and improving the knowledge and experience of the team at all levels – from project management to furniture making, production, packaging and assembly.

The post Sinago Growing Closer to European Leader Through Synergy With Austrian Luxury Interior Pioneer appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, for the second year in a row, the Croatian global cloud communication platform Infobip has been named the leader in the CPaaS market (communication platform as a service). The news came as part of this year’s Gartner Magic Quadrant for Communications Platform as a Service report by the analytical company Gartner. Infobip was recognised for its ability to execute tasks and its enviable completeness of vision.

Gartner’s report on the top ten trends in business communication services for 2024 highlighted the growth of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI): “Throughout 2023, we witnessed the rise of generative artificial intelligence as an important disruptor that affected almost all technology areas.”

A Gartner survey of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and technology executives singled out customer experience, better margins, revenue growth, business alignment/risk reduction and increased employee effectiveness as the top key outcomes expected from digital technology investments for business users.

Croatia’s Infobip, which rose from very humble beginnings in the Istrian town of Vodnjan, has invested in its own AI Hub system. This system is dedicated to AI-based consumer experiences that work to accurately solve business problems. In addition to that, Infobip was among the first in the world to launch CAMARA-compliant network APIs (application programming interfaces) as part of the GSMA Open Gateway initiative.

“As Gartner explained – when purchasing communications services, companies are now prioritising business outcomes, purchasing experiences and cloud consumption models. This is exactly why we innovate at all levels to enable companies to digitally transform their interactions with customers. While the CPaaS market continues to grow, Infobip remains a full-stack multi-channel communication platform for every platform,” said Silvio Kutić, CEO of Infobip.

The post Infobip Named CPaaS Market Leader For 2nd Consecutive Year appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Brnic and Davor Ivankovic writes, every two years, one of the world’s largest exhibitions of arms and military equipment, EUROSATORY, is held in Paris. Croatia had its representatives at this exhibition as well – the state Agency Alan, which represents other Croatian manufacturers of arms and military equipment.

The Zagreb manufacturer of demining machines, DOK-ING, and the increasingly propulsive technology company Orqa from Osijek also participated, using a joint stand with the Alan Agency.

Croatia’s largest producer of pistols and assault rifles, HS Produkt from Karlovac, and the Croatian companies Šestan Busch from Međimurje, Čateks and Spar-tac also performed independently. In addition to Croatian companies, there were 38 other national pavilions, and more than 1,700 exhibitors from all over the world appeared at the exhibition.

It was significant that the Ministry of Defence also sent its representatives to the stands of the Croatian defence industry, which proved to be significant for Croatian companies and manufacturers.

croatian companies like dok-ing remain a huge support to ukraine

The most important Croatian manufacturer of military equipment and weapons remains HS Produkt, but now DOK-ING also stands out. This company has already delivered, or is in the process of delivering, about 50 powerful demining machines to Ukraine.

A portfolio of products from the Croatian defence industry was presented at the fair. It included Croatian assault rifles, pistols, hand grenade launchers, 40×46 mm grenades, TAKRAD-tactical radios, DRAGON-advanced thermal imaging cameras, combat helmets, combat kits (ballistic vests), a new concept of multifunctional helmet, and a proposal of a new camouflage pattern for uniforms.

The Croatian stand received a lot of interest and Croatian companies received a large number of business inquiries. A proper communication channel was also opened with future perspective markets, such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and the USA.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik/Josipa Ban writes, Verne (formerly Project 3 Mobility) finally presented their ecosystem of urban autonomous mobility to the public. It should all come to life in Zagreb in 2026 in the form of the Rimac robotaxi. Rather ironically, the thing that held it all up was the robotaxi’s “disobedience”.

After the so-called Rimac robotaxi was supposed to be brought before a large crowd, including Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, the Minister of Transport, investors and representatives from numerous cities interested in using the urban mobility concept developed by Verne… the robotaxi’s obedience waned.

“we’re building the future”

There was a problem with the brakes, Mate Rimac, the co-founder of Verne and chief executive officer of the Rimac Group, later explained in a statement. “He who works also makes mistakes,” he said. However, this version of the Rimac robotaxi is only the working version that will, of course, be refined in the coming period. In any case, the concept, which consists of three elements – an autonomous electric vehicle, a software platform and a specialised infrastructure – which is worth a total of 535 million euros, should soon come to life.

Those of us in Zagreb should be able to ride in the Rimac robotaxi as early as 2026. It will boast two seats, the interior of which will be covered by screens, and no steering wheel or brakes. It will be completely powered by artificial intelligence. There is no place for fear, its creators assure. “This car has the largest possible impact zone, which allows it to absorb the energy of any impact,” Rimac pointed out, adding that they paid the greatest possible attention to safety.

In addition to safety, comfort and experience were important to them. Although the taxi is robotic, users will feel as if it is in their own hands. This will enable a number of built-in features.

“Everything we’re developing is quite bold. We’re building the future, and that’s what Jules Verne did. That’s why we decided to use his name,” said Mate Rimac.

the rimac robotaxi will be “cheaper than bolt and uber”

How much will it cost to use? Less than driving with Uber or Bolt, according to Mate Rimac. This, as they say, “revolutionary” project that is being developed in Croatia, should be the initiator of a new and most innovative industry that is currently developing in the world. Its importance was recognised by the government, seeing it included as a project within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan back in 2021.

A total of 179.5 million euros of public money will be thrown at the robotaxi project, with an additional 100 million having been collected from several investors. So far, 89 million euros of public money have been paid out. When the next payments will be made will depend on the dynamics of the project’s development, according to government representatives.

In addition to the Rimac robotaxi, the project also consists of other elements – an infrastructure and software platform. The software platform is actually a user application for ordering a ride and a platform for managing the entire service. The infrastructure, on the other hand, presupposes the construction of a place where the vehicles will be located, inspected, maintained and cleaned.

This infrastructure, which they’ve called the “Mothership” will be in Buzin, revealed Marko Pejković, the chief executive officer of Verne. In addition, he announced that the construction of the production plant is now starting. It will be in Lučko near Zagreb and should be completed in October next year.

testing is to come

“It will be the first factory where autonomous electric vehicles will be produced and delivered to the world,” Pejković pointed out. In the beginning, there should be about a hundred such vehicles on Zagreb’s roads. For the sake of profitability, contracting partnerships with other cities will be key. Intensive work is being done on this.

Pejković added that there is an agreement with eight cities, and they are still negotiating with 30 of them. Among those who will implement the Rimac robotaxi service will be cities from across the rest of the Europe and the Middle East. The testing of the new robotaxis will begin soon, first on an indoor range, and only then on the roads.

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