Entrepreneurial Infrastructure

Entrepreneurial infrastructure in the Republic of Croatia includes entrepreneurial zones and entrepreneurial support institutions that enable entrepreneurial activities to be carried out in standardized conditions with high infrastructure equipment

The basic issues of organizing the entrepreneurial infrastructure system are contained in the Law on the Improvement of Entrepreneurial Infrastructure, which, among other things, prescribes the establishment of the Integral Register of Entrepreneurial Infrastructure, as a systematized database managed by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. In order to facilitate the registration process in the Register, the Instruction on the Integral Register of Entrepreneurial Infrastructure was adopted.
 
The purpose of the legislative framework is to define entrepreneurial infrastructure, types and categories of entrepreneurial zones and entrepreneurial support institutions in order to enable entrepreneurs to start and perform their activities within the entrepreneurial infrastructure, both in the start-up phase and in the growth and development phase.

Entrepreneurial zones 

Entrepreneurial zones are infrastructure-equipped areas defined by physical plans, for business and/or production purposes and intended for the performance of entrepreneurial or economic activities. The basic characteristic of entrepreneurial zones is the joint use of infrastructure-equipped and organized space by entrepreneurs who, by doing business within the entrepreneurial zone, are enabled to rationalize their business and use the available resources of the entrepreneurial zone with other users of the entrepreneurial zone.
 
A special subcategory of entrepreneurial zones are free zones established on the basis of decisions of the Government of the Republic of Croatia in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Free Zones, which regulates the establishment, management and operation of free zones in the Republic of Croatia.

Entrepreneurial support institutions 

Entrepreneurial support institutions are legal entities aimed at creating a high-quality, user-oriented entrepreneurial environment in the Republic of Croatia and implement programs aimed at the development of entrepreneurship.
 
Categories of entrepreneurial support institutions:
 
Development agencies (local, county or with specific activities) are responsible for the operational implementation of measures for the development of the economy and entrepreneurship, encouraging and attracting investments, and initiating and implementing projects to encourage economic development and entrepreneurship, unifying the work of economic entities, local and regional entrepreneurial institutions, and higher education institutions and knowledge centers.
 
Entrepreneurship centers are responsible for the operational implementation of measures for the development and encouragement of entrepreneurship in the local and/or wider area (county, region) and represent centers of professional and educational assistance to entrepreneurs for the development of entrepreneurship in their areas. A special subcategory of entrepreneurial centers are digital innovation centers that provide support to entrepreneurs in the process of business digitization, digital transformation and development of digital skills, as well as mediation between service providers in the field of new technologies and users.
 
Business incubators (entrepreneurial or for new technologies) are responsible for helping and supporting entrepreneurs in the early stages of developing entrepreneurial projects and provide professional, technical and educational assistance for starting entrepreneurial projects and companies and their rapid and sustainable development.
 
Entrepreneurial accelerators are responsible for providing support to entrepreneurs in the post-incubation phase, i.e. in the phase of business development and expansion on the domestic and foreign markets.
 
Business parks have physical spaces, land and resources for the accommodation of small, medium and large entrepreneurs on a commercial basis, with a special focus on attracting domestic and foreign investments.
 
Science and technology parks are established to commercialize scientific results and encourage cooperation between scientists and businessmen.
 
Competence centers carry out research projects of a developmental or production nature and develop competencies in certain areas, with which other business entities can contract research and development services for the purpose of strengthening certain industrial branches.
 
You can send all inquiries related to business infrastructure to Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development at  javnost@mingor.hr.