Croatia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in croatia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Information and Communication Technology
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Croatia’s ICT sector continues to grow, driven by EU digitalization funding, growing tech exports, a vibrant domestic startup ecosystem, and strong demand for private and public sector digital transformation. ICT services account for around 70% of the market, followed by equipment (26%) and hardware manufacturing (4%). The sector’s upward trajectory reflects Croatia’s commitment to its Digital Croatia 2032 strategy, as well as increasing participation in the EU’s Digital Europe Program (see more details in the Digital Economy Chapter).

Croatia remains a growing, but still relatively unsaturated ICT market. Strategic growth areas include cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, enterprise software, e-commerce, remote work solutions, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Leading ICT buyers include the telecom, financial, healthcare, retail, and public administration sectors, with utilities, transport, manufacturing, and tourism emerging rapidly.

Croatia’s global ICT visibility is also growing thanks to successful tech companies like Infobip (a global cloud communications platform and Croatia’s first “unicorn,” with offices across six continents), Rimac Group (a tech leader in both mobility and battery innovation known for its electric hypercars and EV systems), Orqa (a leading developer of First Person View (FPV) systems and smart glasses for drones and other smart devices), and Gideon (formerly Gideon Brothers, specializing in AI-powered autonomous robots for logistics and warehousing).

59% of the Croatian population uses the internet regularly, and 86.33% of Croatian youth (ages 16–24) have at least basic digital skills, well above the EU average of 69.98%.  About 40% of Croatian enterprises use cloud services, 50% use e-invoicing, and 12% report deploying some form of AI. AI adoption is still at an early stage but has increased by 49% in 2024 compared to 2023, with the CroAI association as a key industry advocate.

Telecommunications

Croatia’s telecom infrastructure is robust and largely privatized, with 5G services now commercially available in all major cities. Despite the full allocation of 5G spectrum, rural deployment remains uneven. The National Plan for Broadband Development aims to reach 100% gigabit connectivity by 2030, aligning with the EU’s Digital Decade objectives.

Semiconductors

Semiconductors are gaining strategic importance in Croatia’s digital industrial policy, with national efforts focused on chip design, characterization, and SME support. Croatia has established the Croatian Competence Center for Semiconductors (CROCCS), coordinated by the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing. It represents a significant step toward integrating national capabilities into EU-level efforts under the European Chips Act. Croatia will contribute to European semiconductor sovereignty in research, design, and advanced infrastructure, rather than industrial-scale production. 

Quantum technologies

Croatia is accelerating its engagement in quantum computing technologies. The University Computing Centre (SRCE) is developing a test environment for quantum and hybrid computing simulations integrated with national HPC infrastructure. 

Croatia is building its quantum technology ecosystem—especially in quantum communication and computing—through active participation in the EU’s EuroQCI initiative and the Croatian Quantum Communication Infrastructure (CroQCI) project. Spearheaded by Ruđer Bošković Institute, CARNET, SRCE, FER, and other academic and industry partners, CroQCI is deploying an experimental quantum key distribution (QKD) network using fiber optics and pioneering plans for satellite integration, with nearly €10 million in EU and national funding. 

While Croatia’s quantum ecosystem remains research-oriented, these initiatives are aligned with broader EU efforts and form the foundation for Croatia’s long-term participation in secure and advanced digital technologies.

eGovernment Service

Croatia has made notable strides in public sector digitalization. Its e-Citizen platform now integrates over 80 services used by more than 75% of online citizens, including eTax, ePermits, and digital identity. 

  • The National Healthcare Information System (CEZIH) leads in eHealth services, offering a comprehensive suite including ePrescriptions, electronic referrals, and patient records. Croatia is a front-runner in cross-border eHealth services interoperable with other EU countries.
     
  • Croatia’s 2030 National Development Strategy sets ambitious digital priorities for digital transition. If fully implemented, this strategy could raise the ICT sector’s GDP contribution from 4.5% in 2019 to 15% by 2032.

Smart City 

Smart City development in Croatia is gaining momentum, strongly backed by EU Funds. Leading Smart Cities include Zagreb and Rijeka among large cities, Karlovac and Pula for mid-sized cities and Varaždin, Bjelovar, Dubrovnik, and Koprivnica among small cities. Projects include intelligent traffic systems, open data portals, energy-efficient public infrastructure, and citizen feedback platforms. There is a growing demand for urban mobility, sensors, big data, and smart governance tools.

Cybersecurity

Despite an adequate legislative and enforcement framework as well as raising investments in cybersecurity, cyberattacks in Croatia are increasing, making cybersecurity market as one of the most active sub-sectors for U.S. companies in Croatia. According to Statista, the Croatian Cybersecurity market is expected to witness a significant growth in revenue, with projected earnings reaching $106.79 million in 2025.

The main topic in cybersecurity in Croatia in 2024 and 2025 are new EU laws, primarily Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2). The Directive has been transposed to the Croatian law, introducing the Security and Intelligence Agency’s (SOA) National Cybersecurity Center as the main implementing institution. Public and business entities included in the new law are currently assessing their cybersecurity systems, emphasizing lack of a skilled workforce as the main challenge in abiding the new law.  

While business entities and individuals are the most common victims of cyberattacks, Croatian government entities have also been targeted by hacktivists in the past. The government has a number of measures in place to increase security and support the market, including SOA’s SK@UT program, a distributed network of sensors that protects over 80 key government and critical infrastructure-related entities. Croatia also has two computer emergency response teams (CERTs). The National CERT, established in 2009, is responsible for coordinating security and incident response measures for parties that use a Croatian IP address. The Information Systems Security Bureau’s ZSIS CERT has jurisdiction over Croatian government institutions.

Similarly to other markets, leading cybersecurity buyers in Croatia include government, finance, and critical infrastructure entities. Cybersecurity in industry (OT cybersecurity) is among the new, fast-growing market segments.

Opportunities

  •  eGovernment Services
  • Smart City Solutions
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Network Infrastructure
  • Digitalization of Healthcare
  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Innovations in Agriculture Technology
  • Smart Energy / Grid / Utilities
  • AI and Robotics
  • Quantum Computing
  • Semiconductors
  • Cybersecurity

Resources 

 

U.S. Embassy - U.S. Commercial Service
Manuela Celic Marusic, Commercial Assistant
Zagreb, Croatia
Tel:  +385 (0)1 661 2020
Email: Manuela.CelicMarusic@trade.gov

Website: https://www.trade.gov/croatia 

/www.trade.gov/croatia