Croatia’s GDP average growth rate of 7.7% from 2021 to 2023 was the second fastest among EU countries. Croatia continues to need high-tech, cost-effective solutions to digitalize governance and production, increase energy independence, and strengthen its security, defense capabilities, and healthcare. Some of the abundant EU funds that have been supporting these efforts are likely to remain available to Croatia even beyond 2030, when most of the current assistance programs expire. Croatia is digitalizing its administration, cities, industry, agriculture, transport, courts, hospitals, and schools. U.S. firms can help by leveraging their expertise with advanced information and communication solutions based on the Internet of Things, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, or Blockchain.

In 2025, the Croatian government has taken steps to establish a Nuclear Energy Agency that will oversee a planned domestic nuclear generation program and expressed interest in building small modular reactors to meet Croatia’s anticipated energy needs in the next decade. Croatia’s mild, Mediterranean climate with high solar coverage, as well as its strong tourism industry, makes it attractive to U.S. firms supplying smart grid equipment as well as photovoltaic units and advanced batteries to be used by households and businesses that produce energy for their own consumption and sometimes sell the excess electricity on the market. Croatia is also doubling the capacity of its LNG terminal on the island of Krk and expanding its network of regional gas pipelines. There are numerous ongoing projects exploring Croatia’s significant geothermal energy potential and waste-to-energy opportunities. 

Key defense procurements on the horizon include naval vessels and communication, command, and control systems. Cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructure are emerging as defense policy priorities for hybrid threats. 
Croatia’s privately-owned clinics and hospitals are steadily increasing in number and size, providing a sound alternative to the struggling public healthcare system. This trend could be further boosted by the development of medical tourism, an area in which Croatia has excellent potential, given the high quality of its physicians, their relatively low wages, and the attractiveness of the country as a destination for tourists and retirees. U.S. medical equipment and services suppliers could help Croatia’s private healthcare providers grow into large and highly profitable businesses.