Canadian Croatian Business Network host lunch in Zagreb ‘Big potential for tech & innovation development’
- by croatiaweek
- in Business
ZAGREB, 8 March 2019 – More than 50 business experts from Canada and Croatia gathered at Zagreb’s Sheraton Hotel for a business lunch.
The hosts of the meeting was the Canadian Croatian Business Network – CCBN who organised the lunch with the aim of exchanging positive experiences of cooperation and encouraging Canadian investments in Croatia.
Honorary guest at the lunch was Berry Vrbanović, a Canadian-Croat who is the Mayor of the City of Kitchener in the province of Ontario, known as Silicon Valley of the North. CCBN Vice President Dennis Rukavina, Canada’s Ambassador to Croatia E. Daniel Maksymiuk, and Ministers Blaženka Divjak and Darko Horvat also spoke about key issues for developing good relations between the two countries.
The excellent relationship that Croatia has with the diaspora in Canada is an example of the Canadian-Croatian business network. “Our association has been promoting the best of Croatia for almost ten years now among our immigrants to Canada. We are trying to connect them, maintain contacts with them and encourage cooperation, both academically and economically, “said Dennis Rukavina, vice president, at the CCBN business lunch.
One of the main speakers of the CCBN’s traditional gathering was Vrbanović, who won a second term as Mayor of Kitchener. His city is located in the Toronto-Waterloo province, where the largest Canadian cluster of universities, colleges and institutes dealing with quantum computer science, theoretical physics and artificial intelligence is located.
“Until recently, the heart of the Kitchener economy was small producers, and the present and future of our economy lie in start-up companies. Our universities are strongly associated with both the economic and public sectors, and are primarily geared towards innovation, which is why we are one of the leading Canadian cities for economic growth. I believe that Croatia and Zagreb have a lot of potential for development in the field of technology and innovation, and I hope that the great relations of our countries will realise new investments,” said Berry Vrbanovic, who added that Canada is his home but that his heart always pulls towards Croatia.
The Canadian Croatian Business Network – CCBN was established in 2010 with the aim of improving and strengthening the relationship between Canadian and Croatian business people who want to expand the economic co-operation of the two countries. The main goals of CCBN are to encourage more solid development
