Regional innovation competitions held in Zadar and Istria

Two distinct regional programs aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship are taking place in Croatia.

In Zadar, the University of Zadar and the DIH Innovamare Digital Innovation Hub, in collaboration with Zadar County, are hosting the finals of the EIT Water & PDJF Regional Hackathon 2026. The competition brings together students, researchers, and startups to develop solutions for water, sea, and coastal management. Key focus areas include reducing water loss in supply networks, monitoring freshwater environmental data, and predictive maintenance of infrastructure. A separate category, Open Blue Innovation, addresses maritime challenges such as pollution reduction and coastal resilience. The event features a prize fund of 5,250 euros.

In Istria, the GROW ISTRA 2026 accelerator program is preparing for its Demo Day. Managed by the Istrian County Administrative Department for Economy with support from the Istrian Development Agency (IDA), the program provides mentorship and education to help entrepreneurs transition from initial ideas to sustainable business models. Ten selected projects are competing for a 20,000 euro prize fund from Istrian County, alongside additional awards from Infobip.