October the 21st, 2025 – The already traditional Croatia Meeting G2 has inspired swathes of people yet again with the end of its 11th successful edition in Novska.

With a tour of the construction site of the truly unique Gaming Industry Centre and a trip to the gorgeous Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, the two-day international Croatia Meeting G2 conference concluded this weekend in Novska.

This leading international gathering has been connecting Croats in the homeland and those from abroad for over a decade now. It has all been done with the aim of strengthening economic cooperation, increasing investments across Croatia and exports from Croatia. For its 11th edition in Novska this year, it brought together in excess of 250 participants over two days from over 20 countries; Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru and Canada, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland and Germany and even Australia.

connecting the homeland and the diaspora

The organisers from the Croatia Meeting G2 Association particularly highlighted the business delegation of a dozen Australian Croats and 45 young people from 15 countries who have been learning Croatian in Croatia for months through the popular “Croaticum” programme. In addition to almost all countries across South America, the guests of this year’s Croatia Meeting G2 also included young people from Japan, New Zealand and Canada.

This year’s conference was held under the motto “Life is a Game – Croatia is Your Playground”, as the content focused on the increasingly strong video game industry, which is becoming a focal point of development in Novska. As explained by the president of the Meeting G2 Association Antun Krešimir Buterin, “gaming” served as the foundation of the programme, which presented some of the best Croatian companies, startups and experts in other technological topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), drones, robotics, space technologies and IT in agriculture.

croatian technology and innovation set the stage

From the stage of the PISMO2 Business Incubator in Novska, the audience was addressed by 40 top speakers and panelists from Croatia and the world, including the first deputy mayor of Malmö, Sweden, Roko Kursar, a respected Swedish scientist of Croatian origin, Dr. Katarina Gospic, an expert in AI and brain research, and Dr. Siniša Grgić, the Croatian ambassador to Sweden and Latvia. From the other side of the world, from faraway Argentina, the highest-ranking Croat in the Argentine government arrived – Nicolas Bronzovich, director of the National Institute for Agricultural Technology INTA.

At the conference itself, the Croatia Meeting G2 association also exclusively presented the results of its global survey of Croatian emigrants, in which around 500 business people of Croatian origin from all over the world participated. The research was conducted, in addition to Buterin, by economic analyst Velimir Šonje and sociologist Ivan Burić, professor at the Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, who also held a presentation of the results. The most interesting part refers to the fact that around 46% of those surveyed said they were thinking about returning to Croatia in the next two years, while around 9% of them stated that their return was completely certain or very likely.

croatia’s improved investment and business climate is a natural lure for many

The aforementioned research reveals a strong connection between the improvement of Croatia’s business climate and higher immigration rates. Now, Croatia has become widely perceived as very attractive mostly by emigrants from South America, followed by those living in North America, and to a lesser extent by those from Europe and Australia. Safety of life and exceptionally low crime rates are universal factors of attraction of Croatia, while social security, interpersonal relations and care for children and family are particular factors of attraction for expatriates in the USA and Canada. The surveyed expatriates show an exceptionally strong emotional connection with Croatia, which is significantly greater than the emotional ties to the countries in which they currently live. This is a factor that Croatia needs to make better use of, especially when it is linked to the strengthening of the domestic economy.

sustainable economic growth, investments, tech and digitalisation

Opening the Croatia Meeting G2 conference, the envoy of the President of the Republic of Croatia and Deputy Advisor to the President of the Republic of Croatia for Economy, Martina Ciglević, said that sustainable economic growth must be based on investments in innovation, technology and digitalisation. This all goes hand in hand with the creation of new added value and a competitive economy.

“From North and South America to Australia, there’s significant potential in knowledge, experience and capital that we can use for the economic growth of Croatia. Small, open economies like Croatia cannot afford to be mere observers of global trends – the domestic economy must become an active driver of development through exports, the internationalisation of business and proper investment in knowledge and excellence,” she stated.

The envoy of the President of the Croatian Parliament, MP and Mayor of Petrinja, Magdalena Komes, emphasized that Novska is achieving exceptional success and proving that even smaller towns can achieve great progress. “Entrepreneurs are the backbone of the economy – the economy either builds or destroys society. Croatia is currently in its greatest momentum and among the fastest growing economies in the entire EU, as shown by the growth of its GDP. Croatian expatriates, our dear entrepreneurs – we need your help, cooperation and advice more than ever,” said Komes.

investments in youth, family, and tech

The Prime Minister’s envoy, Minister of Labour, Marin Piletić, stressed the importance of connecting the Croatian homeland and the Croatian diaspora, as well as investing in youth, family and new technologies.

“Croatia has never been closer and more accessible to its diaspora, and the diaspora has never been more involved in the everyday life of Croatia than it currently is,” said Piletić, adding that the government’s policy is aimed at improving relations with the diaspora and creating opportunities for young Croats around the world.

“Through scholarships, we’re working hard to enable young people to come to Croatia – to get acquainted with Zagreb, Vukovar, Dubrovnik… as well as smaller cities on the continent and all along the coast, to see the opportunities that are being created here,” he said.

The minister also emphasised that the state, through CES programmes and other similar measures, encourages the return of young people. “We’re enabling the return of those who are still hesitating – to stay in Europe or to take advantage of the wave and return home – because Croatia is now achieving significant macroeconomic results: never have we had higher salaries, never have we had more jobs and never have we enjoyed more support for starting your own business,” said Piletić.

He added that the negative trend of emigration stopped in 2022: “Enough talk about emigration – it’s time for Croatia to become a country of immigration,” he said, thanking the Croatia Meeting G2 Association for the project that always “awakens emotions and connects Croats regardless of the kilometres.”

the croatia meeting g2 – a builder of bridges for croats worldwide

State Secretary at the Ministry of Demography and Emigration, Mladen Barać, said that the Croatia Meeting G2 has become a centre for meetings and building bridges between Croats in their homeland and those who have emigrated.

“Over 300 companies connected so far, hundreds of successful business friendships are proof that this conference isn’t just an event, it’s a movement of togetherness, vision and trust,” said Barać, adding a personal note: “We’re a gaming generation – we played computer games, but as a father of five children, I see how much new technologies affect children’s development. Children and young people need the most a sense of belonging to this space and the belief that they can maximally develop their potential in their homeland. Croatia is truly a playground – it’s challenging, beautiful and full of opportunities, but we must build it on shared values: honesty, innovation and togetherness.”

novska – from obscure slavonian town to a gaming centre

Novska Mayor Marija Kušmiš pointed out that Novska is now recognised as the centre of the Croatian gaming industry, but also as a place that “turns ideas into reality.” Over the last decade, it has evolved from a small Slavonian town into a centre of innovation, digital entrepreneurship, and new technologies:

“Novska’s economy traditionally relied on the wood, metal, construction, and textile industries, but a few years ago we boldly turned to new challenges, following the trends of the digital revolution. Back during that time, the development of gaming in Novska seemed like an absolutely mad idea, but today we can very proudly say that it was a courageous move,” said the mayor of Novska.

Today, 80 startups operate within the PISMO Incubator, and a video game development technician course has been introduced in the local high school – the first in all of Croatia. The construction of the Gaming Industry Centre worth 70 million euros, which will spread over nine hectares, is also now underway.

“it’s no coincidence that the 11th edition of the croatia meeting g2 was held in novska”

The president of the Meeting G2 Association, Antun Krešimir Buterin, pointed out that it’s no coincidence that the conference was held in Novska: “Here, where tradition and innovation meet, the Croatia Meeting G2 conference shows our guests and friends from the diaspora that Croatia is not small, but a big country with great opportunities,” said Buterin.

“Our mission has been perfectly clear from day one – to connect Croats from all over the world through work, investment, entrepreneurship and innovation. If Croatian football players and other athletes, born in the homeland and in the diaspora, can unite and win world medals, we believe we can do it in the business sector as well,” he concluded.

returnees galore

The 11th edition of the Croatia Meeting G2 conference was opened by the popular female pop group MERITAS, who returned from Germany, with a performance of the Croatian anthem, as well as their big hit song “Igra”. The closing of the conference was marked by emotionally charged speeches by fearless long-distance swimmer Dina Levačić and peacemaker Marijan Gubina, whose life story from the Homeland War was recently the subject of a harrowing feature film “260 Days”, which will soon be released in cinemas.

The Croatia Meeting G2 conference this year was once again supported this year by the highest state institutions: the President of the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Parliament, the Ministry of Demography and Immigration, the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, as well as Sisak-Moslavina County. The conference was organised by the Meeting G2 association, in cooperation with Novska and the Novska Development Agency – NORA.

In its first decade, the Croatia Meeting G2 conference has successfully brought together around 2000 participants from 35 countries around the world.

 

Subscribe to our newsletter

the fields marked with * are required