April the 13th, 2023 - The impressive Croatian ReversingLabs software company is aiming for the very prestigious unicorn status with its brand new product. It seems they have a very good chance of success.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Josipa Ban writes, during these times when we do just about everything via the Internet - we communicate, pay for things, shop, work, study, and even count our steps using the web - the security of our data and software has never been more important, and it's also never been less secure.

''There are countless channels for attack, from messages, emails, links and documents we open, to the basic pages we browse. The methods these hackers and attacks use are constantly developing and improving,'' Igor Lasic, senior vice president for technology of the Croatian ReversingLabs software company explained. ReversingLabs otherwise specialises precisely in cyber security, and Lasic continued by noting that artificial intelligence (AI) will be another component that will further complicate the fight between the good and bad online.

For example, as he he explained, in the software supply chain, the bad guys are constantly looking for weaknesses, and the good guys are constantly looking for ways to eliminate them. "It's a dead race, although users today are still in a slightly better situation than they were ten years ago," said Lasic.

It's specifically in this area - the software supply chain - that the Croatian ReversingLabs company, with offices in Zagreb and across the pond in Boston, deals with. ReversingLabs is currently seeking an opportunity to achieve the goal they are striving for the most - to become a unicorn, that is, a company worth a billion US dollars. They're currently in the phase, he said, of starting to conquer the market with a brand new product.

The company founded by Mario Vuksan and Tomislav Pericin started its operations in Zagreb fourteen years ago with a focus primarily placed on cyber security. This focus is based on previous work experience in the American company Bit9, which was later renamed to Carbon Black. They have focused on developing technology to detect and fight against malicious software (malware), and today they have the best static analysis of software in the entire world that doesn't require any sort of access to the source code.

A turning point in the development of the Croatian ReversingLabs company was the attack by the Russian secret services on the American software company SolarWinds when there was a breach in the networks of tens of thousands of American companies and government agencies. Then, by chance, ReversingLabs turned out to be the only technology option possible for detecting advanced software supply chain attacks.

"Most of the components of today's software, about 80% of them, come from open sources, that is, the Internet. The primary tactic of the attackers is to get to open sources and insert their components into parts of the software, which the users then completely unconsciously incorporate into their own software," explained Lasic.

As terrifying as that sounds, there are more and more such incidents taking place, and heavily infected software packages are discovered on a weekly basis, with several major incidents occurring annually.

The biggest and most sophisticated such attack so far was the aforementioned "SolarWinds" attack, and nowdays we're witnessing another big attack - the one through the 3CX application for making calls over the Internet.

''Our task is to control open source repositories on a daily basis, and even more often, with the aim of detecting infected software components and preventing such incidents from taking place,'' Lasic pointed out. The quality of their solution was also quickly recognised by investors, and the Croatian ReversingLabs company received a second round of investment in the amount of 56 million US dollars back in 2021, while in total they have received 81 million dollars of investment to date, which makes them one of the most potent domestic startups that could take the title of the third Croatian unicorn.

According to Lasic, the latest investment was led by the private equity fund Crosspoint Capital, which is interesting for several reasons. It is led by some of the giants of the technology industry in the modern day, and one of the partners in the fund is Greg Clark, a big name in the world of cyber security who managed Symantec, a well-known American software giant, for several years.

"They recognised the potential of the technology that ReversingLabs has developed and believe that we can become a unicorn. They're also specific in that they provide us with both tactical and strategic assistance," says ReversingLabs' senior vice president for technology. ReversingLabs will really need that help, because the company is in the phase when it has to market its new product, and on the insanely competitive American market, that is certainly not easy, even with the best possible product.

"Sales and marketing must now capitalise on the technical excellence that we've developed and ensure our recognition on that market," emphasised Lasic, who replaced Zagreb with Boston during his studies and "stayed" there for a full 30 years. The majority of that investment was invested in the development of a product intended to provide security in the software procurement chain and to strengthen the team in charge of sales and marketing.

They increased that department in their American office located in Cambridge near Boston by about five times, and the number of people in Zagreb, who are engaged in engineering work, research and product development, by about 40. Today they have a total of more than 250 employees, and more than 170 of those people are based here in Zagreb. A significant spring in their step in terms of the conquest of the US market will surely be the fact that the analytical company Forrester included them in their overview of the most complete solutions of SCA suppliers (software composition analysis) for the year 2023.

This is important, according to Lasic, because based on that list, numerous companies decide which and whose solution they will implement. Their goal is to conquer the American market, where they currently generate 90 percent of their revenue with their first product, and those figures have been growing significantly for the past two years now. Europe is important to them, but it is a smaller market, and the general level of awareness of cyber security, as well as the budgets dedicated to it, are much lower.

Despite the difficult economic situation we all continue to find ourselves in, the Croatian ReversingLabs company isn't too concerned about the turbulence and crisis unfolding in the technology sector, which is currently in full swing in the USA and around the world.

"This is the best time to start something. Hard times either bring out the best in you or destroy you. In this situation, you have to focus all your energy on finding the best and optimal ways to make money," said Lasic, who led the development of as many as six startups across the pond in America before coming to ReversingLabs. He has been at ReversingLabs for eight years now, and what keeps him going is the founder's ambition and new projects, of which there is no shortage.

"The company is constantly growing, so my function changes accordingly, which is a big challenge for me. That makes me happy and it's really fulfilling. The worst thing is when the company stagnates because it's difficult to maintain the work ethic in such situations,'' concluded Lasic.

For more, check out our dedicated business section.

April 13, 2023 - A stunning evening of the cultural pearls of Kazakhstan, as world-famous Ethno-Folk Ensemble Turan steals the show.

My inbox is an increasingly interesting place to hang out, and every once in a while, an incoming message with a difference piques my interest.

An invitation to come to an evening to experience the culture of Kazakhstan, with the main event a performance from Ethno-Folk Ensemble Turan. 

I decided to accept, not do any research, and see what Kazakhstan had to offer. My expectations were not particularly high, but I think it is important to support such events, as Zagreb becomes a more international city - there is a lot going in the city that deserves greater exposure. 

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I certainly did not expect to witness what was easily the best concert I have been to in the last five years, if not longer. 

The boys from Turan were simply stunning, with their unique Kazakh instruments, which they frequently interchange. The sounds they produced were simply stunning - I never thought a string instrument could mimic the sound a gentle breeze, for example - a perfect portrayal of life on the steppe. 

But as outstanding as the music was, what stayed with me was just how much fun these guys were having playing together. They knew each other inside out, and watching their faces - a mixture of concentration and joy - was a wonderful experience. 

Although Ethno-Folk Ensemble Turan were the main act, they were not alone,and some excellnent tenor singing accompanied by the piano and cello, made up below. For more details, see the official press release below. 

There was also a great exhibition of Kazakh culture and a selection of traditional Kazakh delicacies. A sterling effort throughout, and rarely has an evening of culture aroused to a country about which one knew relatively little beforehand. 

Congratulations and many thanks to the Embassy of Kazakhstan for the invitation and organisation. 

On April 11, for the first time as part of the celebration of Nauryz Meiramy in Croatia, with the support of the Embassy of Kazakhstan, a concert was successfully held by the ethno-folk ensemble TURAN, whose unique work has been recognized by listeners all over the world.

In his welcoming speech, the Vice-President of the Croatian Parliament, Davorko Vidović, emphasized the importance of this cultural event, which enabled not only an introduction to the rich creativity of the Kazakh people, but also helped to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between the countries.

The strong energy of the group, the virtuoso sound of classic kyuis, folk and original works in the unique genre characteristics of the ensemble and throat singing technique did not leave anyone in the hall indifferent and caused sincere admiration and thunderous applause from the Croatian public. Music lovers were amazed by the magical sound of kobyz, sybyzgy, zhetygen, sherter, dombra and other old Kazakh instruments.

On the stage of the concert hall of the Academy of Music in Zagreb, other soloists of the "Kazakhconcert" performed brilliantly - honored artist of Kazakhstan Aktoty Raimkulova, famous tenor Medet Chotabaev, famous pianist and concert major Dina Mirmanova, as well as cellist, master of studies of the Shanghai Conservatory Talgar Tolkynuly. The audience in the hall applauded the performances of the artists.

A special atmosphere of the evening was provided by the ethno-exhibition, in which the colorful interior decoration of the yurts was presented for the first time to the inhabitants of the Croatian metropolis. Objects of arts and crafts, Kazakh folk costumes, photographs and traditional delicacies of Kazakh cuisine showed the culture and life of the nomadic peoples of the Great Steppe, whose centuries-old history and rich heritage have caused great interest in the Balkans since the time of Marco Polo.

The event was attended by citizens of Kazakhstan, members of the Croatian Government, parliamentarians, representatives of business, diplomatic, academic and creative circles. A live broadcast on the YouTube channel was organized for guests who did not make it to the concert due to the full hall.

The held event not only contributed to the popularization of the cultural heritage of Kazakh nomads abroad, but also significantly increased interest in modern Kazakhstan. Many guests of the cultural evening expressed their desire to get to know this country better and visit it in the near future.

April 13, 2023 - It seems that what used to be the Croatian dream is now becoming less and less desirable. Interest for work in the Croatian public sector is slowly but surely waning. In a survey of 1,800 respondents, 40 percent of civil servants said they were satisfied with their workplace, which is below the national average.

As Poslovni writes, employment in the public sector has become unattractive due to salaries that are below the national average, few opportunities for progression and the inability to influence decisions that must be implemented, professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, Dragan Bagić pointed out on Wednesday at the round table "How to attract workers to the public sector".

In a survey of 1,800 respondents, 40 percent of civil servants declared that they were satisfied with their workplace, which is below the national average, Bagić stated. About 30 percent of them are thinking about changing employers, which is above the average (25 percent), so Croatia is threatened with a further outflow of employees from the civil service.

Only 11 percent of employees are satisfied with their incomes, which is also significantly below the national average, said Bagić, warning that wages in the civil service have fallen in real terms due to inflation and lag significantly more than in the real sector.

If such a trend continues, the public sector will not be sustainable, Bagić believes, and notes that civil servants are often the first to be attacked by citizens because of decisions they have no influence over, and are obliged to implement.

Sanda Pipunić, head of the Civil Service Administration of the Ministry of Justice, said that civil servants are dissatisfied with their salaries, working conditions, and other aspects of their work. Younger generations, the so-called millennials tend to change employers more often and look for more flexible working conditions in order to be able to balance business and family obligations.

There are not enough competent officials in key positions, and civil servants at lower levels do not sufficiently participate in decision-making, warned Pipunić.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

April 13, 2023 - The Osijek airport is one of the smaller of nine airports in Croatia. With the eastern part of the country seriously underserved, hopes are that it will increase capacities soon.

As Poslovni writes, passenger interest is increasing in Adriatic airports, which are being renovated and prepared to receive an increasing number of passengers on long-haul flights, such as Pula, which wants to connect with North America, but continental airports are also working to improve their capacities.

Osijek Airport is starting a project to build a passenger terminal. A tender worth EUR 9.29 million without VAT has been published for a "turnkey" package, which includes the creation of design and technical documentation and building permits, as well as the execution of works. According to the tender documentation, the project will reconstruct the existing building with an emphasis on ensuring the conditions that must be met due to entry into the Schengen area, as well as arranging and upgrading the exterior of the building. For the reconstruction, Osijek Airport obtained building permits for the completed project back in 2015, but in the meantime it was abandoned and now it is necessary to adapt the project to new needs, in order to meet the criteria for the entry of passengers into Croatia from countries that are not in the Schengen area.

At the moment, such a connection has been re-established with London, because since June, Ryanair is back with flights to Osijek airport, twice a week, starting from June 2. Of international flights, Osijek airport also has a Croatia Airlines connection to Munich in this year's summer flight schedule.

The existing airport building was built in 1977 and renovated in 2007, and it was extended with permits issued in 2015, but these spaces were never put into operation, which is why the activities are now being restarted. The deadline for submitting offers for this project expires on May 9, and when the most acceptable offer is chosen and the contract is concluded, the estimated deadline for the completion of construction will be 14 months, with the fact that the period of issuing administrative acts for construction will not be counted in the deadline for execution.

Osijek airport is one of the smaller airports of nine in Croatia, and according to the recently published data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, it recorded a strong increase in traffic in the first two months, in January 1163 (a growth of 76%), and in February 993 (+159%), and there are announcements that growth will be more apparent in the summer months, mostly due to the line with London, which will be open by the end of October. In total, more than 15 thousand passengers passed through this airport in 2022, compared to 10.9 thousand a year earlier, and only Mali Lošinj and Brač airports have less traffic than Osijek.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

April 13, 2023 - Croatian tourism has always been an interesting point of discussion. And while the new national currency made some things simpler, it might have come with some complications.

As Poslovni / Glas Istre write, the introduction of the euro in Croatia not only enabled Croats to better understand the relationship to prices in other countries, and to conclude how expensive it is here, but also for foreigners to do the same. So these days in Slovenia, the prices in the neighbouring tourist country, where usually they love going, have become a point of discussion.

They are particularly active in the Facebook group "Kampiranje je zakon", where a photo of a receipt from a restaurant in a Poreč camp was published. A Slovenian woman ordered a glass of wine and two scoops of ice cream and paid 24 euros, that is, 180 kuna.

A similar thing happened to the famous Slovenian restaurateur who runs the Lars & Sven burger bar chain. A few days ago, he visited Umag and shared a photo of a bill from a tavern on Facebook. He paid 28 euros, or 210 kunas, for one serving of calamari.

"Lijepa naša, no thanks. What's worse, the calamari were not from the Adriatic at all," wrote Primož Novak, adding that perhaps the time had come to sober up.

Horrified Slovenians also published the prices of drinks and crepes at ordinary stands. So they noted that a single crepe with Nutella in Poreč cost 6.50 euros, and a beer in one of Poreč's restaurants cost 5.10 euros.

"This is sick. I think we will have to go back to the habit of the old days when we just brought everything with us," the comments read.

And in the end, the Slovenians state that all this is just the beginning, that is, the pre-season. They're wondering what the prices will be during the actual season.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

April the 13th, 2023 - The Croatian Orbico Group is aiming high for this year with its logistics and distribution centre, after rounding off 2022 with a fantastic turnover and earnings.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Jolanda Rak Sajn writes, the Croatian Orbico group ended last year with an extremely impressive turnover of 3.2 billion euros, with EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation) of around 72 million euros in total.

The achieved growth stood at about 15%, and it was similar right here in Croatia, where Orbico achieved a record 520 million euros in turnover. In an interview with Vecernji list, Branko Roglic, the owner of the group which is currently the largest European distributor of consumer goods, announced that the construction of their LDC (logistics and distribution centre) in Zdencina will begin at the end of this month.

"The total cost of the construction should be around 55 million euros, while the necessary equipment and automation systems that are planned imply an additional 15 million euros of investment. As far as moving in is concerned, we're tentatively talking about the period from the 2nd to the 4th quarter of 2024. With an additional 42,000 m2 in the first phase in Zdencina, the total storage capacity of Orbico in Croatia and Slovenia will rise to 114,000 m2. We do business with more than 100 suppliers, and more than 340,000 pallets of various goods pass through our centres based in Croatia annually."

Roglic also stated that the Croatian Orbico group is working on a permit for the construction of a marina in Omis in Central Dalmatia, but that project is still in the early stages and it is necessary to obtain a permit first.

"Investments outside of the Republic of Croatia alldepend on the end of the war in Ukraine. I hope that will occur soon and that peace will return to Ukraine and its citizens. We do business in 20 countries, but due to the war in Ukraine, we froze our work in the Russian Federation, shut down our operations in Belarus, while we're continuing to work in Ukraine with a slight drop in traffic," said Roglic, revealing the Croatian Orbico group's current five-year plans.

"We're counting on great development. By the year 2030, if everything goes well, we will have a turnover of 6.2 billion euros, which would mean that we will double it in the next seven years,'' Roglic concluded.

For more, check out our business section.

April the 12th, 2023 - In this edition of How to Croatia, I'm going to talk you through how you can bring weapons in and out of the country, and delving deeper into the European Firearms Pass.

First things first, why would anyone even want to bring weapons in and out of Croatia?

It's a valid question to ask, but those who are passionate hunters or into target shooting tend to bring their weapons with them in and out of European Union (EU) member states quite frequently. These people typically hold the aforementioned European Firearms Pass.

In said pass, the exact number and type of weapon(s) you intend to bring into or take out of the country needs to be clearly highlighted. In that case, you won't reqire any sort of police authorisation in order to bring your weapons into Croatia with you, as long as there are no more than three individual pieces intended for target shooting or legal hunting (for which you'll also need to prove you have a hunting license if you're a foreigner). 

You can also have no more than 500 individual pieces of ammunition for each individual weapon in your European Firearms Pass. The ammunition needs to be clearly listed as well. 

You will require full police authorisation if you have any more than three weapons.

How does one obtain police authorisation if it is necessary?

If you want to bring more than three individual pieces of weapons into Croatia with you, then you'll need, as stated above, prior police clearance in order to do so. You need to do this before any sort of hunting or target shooting contest is set to begin in Croatia. You can make your application for authorisation from either:

Inside the Republic of Croatia at any administrative police station

Outside of the Republic of Croatia at a diplomatic mission/Croatian consular post

What you'll need in order to make your application

In order to make your application for police authorisation, you'll need your European Firearms Pass, your national weapons license and a letter of invitation to come and hunt or partake in target shooting within the borders of the Republic of Croatia. That document must be the original one.

Caveats

If you're travelling into Croatia or indeed into the EU, you need to have your valid European Firearms Pass and the original invitation for you to come to a hunt or to partake in a target shooting competition with you.

If you need to apply for a European Firearms Pass, you can do so at a police station responsible for the area in which your permanent address is registered. It will have the same expiration date as your national weapons license has on it, but it won't be valid for a period longer than five years.

You need to hold a valid European Firearms Pass and a national weapons license in order to partake in a hunt or in a target shooting contest in Croatia and in any other EU member state.

Those who possess a certificate on declared weapons classified under category C must also have a European Firearms Pass allowing them to have and carry weapons classified in categories B and C in the EU, and this will also allow them to take such weapons across the borders of those countries.

For Croatian citizens wanting to take their weapons abroad with them, or if you're interested in bringing weapons with you into or out of a non-EU nation, MUP has more information here.

For more How to Croatia articles, which cover all you need to know about moving to and living in Croatia, make sure to keep up with our lifestyle section. A How to Croatia article tackling some aspect of life here is published every Wednesday.

April 12, 2023 - WRC Croatia Rally 2023 will be held in five Croatian counties from April 20 to 23!

The best rally drivers in the world are coming to Varaždin, Krapina-Zagorje, Zagreb, Karlovac, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, and the City of Zagreb this April, like eight-time world champion and winner of the Croatia Rally 2021, Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, the current world champion, Finn Kalle Rovanpera, and Belgian Thierry Neuville, currently second in the championship. A total of 57 crews from all over the world will compete.

Croatian colors will be defended by eight crews led by Martin Ravenščak, who is entered with a Ford Fiesta Rally3 in the WRC3 class. In addition, four drivers will compete in Rally4 class cars, including Tomas Hrvatin, Željko Magličić, Jan Pokos, and Marko Lončarić. There is also Vjekoslav Čičko, Slaven Šekuljica, and Igor Mandić in the Renault Clio Rally5, as well as an old acquaintance of Croatian speedsters, Janos Szilagyi, in a Rally4 class car.

The ceremonial start will be at the Zagreb fountains, where the finish line will be, and the service parking lot is at the INA building on Večeslav Holjevac Avenue. The total length of the itinerary is 1,650 km, of which 301 km are for speed tests.

Daily tickets for the WRC Croatia Rally can be purchased for 10 euros, and a four-day ticket package is also available for 30 euros.

In addition to entrance to all Fan Zones with speed tests, all tickets are valid for the service parking lot. Regular tickets are available for online sale via ulaznice. hr. 

WRC Croatia 2023 – schedule and stages
Thursday (20.4.)

• 9:01 Shakedown Okić
• 18:30 Ceremonial start

Friday (21.4.)

• 8:03 Mali Lipovec - Grdanjci
• 8:56 Stojidraga - Hartje
• 9:59 Krašić - Vrškovac
• 11:12 Pećurkovo Brdo - Mrežnički Novaki
• 14:45 Mali Lipovec – Grdanjci 2
• 15:38 Stojidraga – Hartje 2
• 16:41 Krašić – Vrškovac 2
• 17:54 Pećurkovo Brdo - Mrežnički Novaki 2

Saturday (22.4.)

• 7:54 Kostanjevac - Petruš Vrh
• 9:05 Vinski Vrh - Duga Resa
• 10:23 Ravna Gora - Skrad
• 11:26 Platak
• 15:54 Kostanjevac - Petruš Vrh 2
• 17:05 Vinski Vrh - Duga Resa 2
• 18:23 Ravna Gora - Skrad 2
• 19:26 Platak 2

Sunday (23.4.)

• 7:08 Trakošćan - Vrbno
• 8:35 Zagorska Sela - Kumrovec
• 10:23 Trakošćan - Vrbno 2
• 13:15 Zagorska Sela - Kumrovec 2
• 15:30 Podium (City of Zagreb)

Source: Gol.hr

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.