AGP Executive Report

Bosnia Election Tech: Polls opened across Bosnia and Herzegovina with 3.4M registered voters choosing a new tripartite presidency and 518 officials, and for the first time biometric voter ID plus optical ballot scanners are being used to speed counting and reduce fraud—though some polling places reportedly faced delays. Croatian Bioeconomy Policy: Croatia has started building a national framework for its bioeconomy, setting up a coordination body and drafting a 2027–2035 plan to link agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, energy and biotech. Vineyard Disease Alert: Croatia’s agriculture ministry renewed warnings about grapevine flavescence dorée, urging owners to inspect vines, remove infected plants and control the leafhopper vector to limit spread. AI in History: An AI system reportedly cracked Napoleon’s 217-year-old encrypted military letter, using scanned symbols and massive variant testing to recover readable French. Marine & Climate Watch: A Copernicus Marine report flags concerning, partly irreversible changes in Croatian waters and the wider Mediterranean, tied to faster warming and more extreme marine heat events. Mobility & Infrastructure: Croatia is preparing for tolling changes from March 2027, moving toward electronic recording without stopping at booths. Croatia in Europe’s Tourism Scene: Croatian MEP and former tourism minister Nikolina Brnjac is set to speak at the WTTC Global Summit in Malta on tourism growth, mobility and sustainability.

AI for Logistics in Croatia: Researchers from the University of Zagreb and Osijek used AI to generate rules for the container relocation problem, aiming to cut the costly shuffling of containers in ports. Marine Climate Watch: A new Copernicus Marine analysis flags concerning, some irreversible changes in Croatian waters and the wider Mediterranean, tied to faster warming and marine heatwaves. Smart Mobility & Tolls: Croatia’s motorway toll system is set to move away from the ENC device toward electronic passage and licence-plate reading from March 2027, changing how drivers are charged. Energy Heritage: “Munjara,” Croatia’s castle-like hydro power plant near Ozalj, has been producing electricity since 1908. Defense Industry: Croatia says it signed over €200M in defence contracts with domestic firms to modernize capabilities and boost high-tech exports. Cyber/Audio Software: Arvital Audio’s AudioRoute “captures what your computer is already playing” and routes it into a DAW without virtual cables. Maritime Engineering: Navantia expands cooperation with Croatian partners AITAC and Iskra Shipyard under the MRC programme, covering digital engineering and lifecycle support. Space & Science Story: An AI system helped crack a 217-year-old ciphered Napoleon order using GPT-6 Astra. Health Tech: A new cancer treatment technology is reported as coming to Croatia. Elections Tech (BiH): Bosnia’s election uses biometric voter ID machines and optical ballot scanners to improve security.

Rescue Tech & Safety: Croatian climber Mauro Persic was recovered from Mount Kinabalu at 3,700m after a five-day operation, with rescuers using ropes and offline navigation to reach him off the official trail. Sports Tech & Policy: Croatia’s Nations League home match vs England is set for Saturday (ITV1/STV, 5pm kick-off), but will be played behind closed doors after crowd trouble sanctions. AI & Security: An AI system (GPT-6 Astra) helped decipher a 217-year-old Napoleon order, using language-pattern matching to crack a lost cipher. Medical Tech: Siemens Healthineers’ Accela radiotherapy system is due to be installed at Radiochirurgia Zagreb in November, aiming to speed complex treatments while keeping precision. Defense Industry: Croatia says it signed over €200m in defence contracts with domestic firms, as minister Ivan Anušić warns of regional military build-up. Cyber & Finance: A major AI-cloned voice scam hit Italian private bank Fideuram, with investigators tracing missing funds into Bitcoin wallets. EU Funding Fight: Seventeen EU countries, including Croatia, push back against cuts to farm and cohesion spending in the 2028–2034 budget talks. Maritime Engineering: Navantia signed MoUs with Croatian partners AITAC and Iskra Shipyard for cooperation under the Multi-Role Corvette programme. Elections Tech (BiH): Bosnia’s Oct 4 vote will use biometric voter ID machines and optical ballot scanners to curb fraud.

AI & History: A SentinelOne engineer used OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra to decipher a Napoleon Bonaparte coded letter sent in 1809—its message had resisted cryptographers for 217 years. Healthcare in Croatia: Siemens Healthineers’ new Accela radiotherapy system is set to be installed at Radiochirurgia Zagreb in November, aiming to speed complex treatments while keeping precision. Environment & Public Health: A new European study found “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in the blood of all 10 Croatian participants, with 6 above EFSA reference levels—most from Gospić. Croatian Industry & Defense: Navantia signed cooperation MoUs with Croatian firms AITAC and Iskra Shipyard under the Multi-Role Corvette programme, covering engineering, digital work and lifecycle support. Cyber/Business Tech: HCLSoftware plans to acquire Croatia-based Robotiq.ai to expand enterprise automation. EU Policy: Seventeen EU countries, including Croatia, pushed back against cuts to farm and cohesion funding in the bloc’s next budget talks. Regional Tech & Mobility: The EES biometric entry/exit system now covers Croatia, with UK travellers needing photo and fingerprint registration.

Defense & Shipbuilding: Navantia signed MoUs with Croatian firms AITAC and Iskra Shipyard to explore engineering, digital engineering and lifecycle support for the Multi-Role Corvette (MRC) programme, including ship design and integrated logistics support. Local Industry & Finance: Rimac Group appointed Matthias Wich as its new CFO, tasking him with financial strategy across Bugatti Rimac and Rimac Technology/Energy projects. Health & Environment: A new European study found PFAS “forever chemicals” in the blood of all 10 Croatian participants, with six above an EFSA reference level, raising fresh concerns about exposure. Cyber & Business Expansion: Evolution Dome named Cyber Event as its official Romania distributor, with coverage expanding across 16 territories including Croatia. AI & Security: An AI system (GPT-6 Astra) helped crack a 217-year-old Napoleonic coded letter, showing how modern tools can tackle long-lost ciphers. Tech in Croatia: Tesla received approval for supervised self-driving in Croatia, adding to the country’s push toward driver-assist automation. EU Policy: The European Commission published key infringement decisions against member states, including environment-related enforcement actions.

AI & Security: A 217-year-old Napoleon coded letter was decrypted by AI, revealing French and Austrian troop movements from 1809—another reminder that modern systems can crack long-lost puzzles. AI in Education: A campus AI survey found students are more likely to avoid AI than faculty and staff, with top concerns ranging from environmental impact to mental well-being. Croatia-China Connectivity: Zagreb’s new direct Beijing–Zagreb flight is already boosting Chinese arrivals (+7%) and overnight stays (+8%), with the tourism board pointing to stronger business and cultural exchange. Enterprise Automation (Croatia): HCLSoftware plans to acquire Zagreb’s Robotiq.ai to expand AI-driven automation and agent execution across complex enterprise systems. Digital Infrastructure & Policy: A complaint says the EU is limiting public access to how much power and water individual data centers use, as AI demand fuels a push to triple capacity. EU Enforcement: The European Commission published key infringement decisions and closed 87 cases after issues were resolved. Regional Tech/Industry: Vertiv announced a major Slovakia expansion to meet rising AI-related demand across power and cooling manufacturing. Science & Society: Bosnia’s Oct 4 election is framed as dominated by ethnic divisions, while demographic decline and emigration loom in the background.

Croatia–China Connectivity: Zagreb’s new direct Air China Beijing–Zagreb flight is already boosting Chinese tourism, with September arrivals up 7% and overnight stays up 8%, as the Zagreb Tourist Board points to stronger tourism, business, and cultural links. Startup Funding & Expansion: Notey closed a $3M seed round and is launching a European operation in Malta, backed by Tivoli Ventures and Malta Venture Capital, with a distribution partnership via Telemach across the Balkans. Enterprise Automation in Croatia: HCLSoftware plans to acquire Zagreb-based Robotiq.ai to expand AI-driven automation and agentic execution across enterprise systems. Smart City Orders: Beam Europe secured about $4M in Q3 smart city infrastructure orders spanning Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Greece. Healthcare Tech (Croatia link): A new study highlights a nasal spray combo (sufentanil + ketamine) for rapid pain relief in pediatric ER cases, with Zagreb’s University Hospital Merkur noting mild side effects. EU Digital Identity: The .eu domain marks 20 years as everyday European internet infrastructure. Mobility Tech: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi visited Zagreb to ride Rimac’s robotaxi at Verne, signaling continued expansion talks.

EU Enlargement & Tech Conditions: The European Commission is drafting “gradual integration” for accession candidates, offering earlier single-market access and research participation, but only if countries align with EU foreign policy and block transfers of key technologies like semiconductors, quantum, biotech, AI and space tech. Data Centers Under Fire: A complaint says the EU is hiding how much energy and water individual data centers use, with Lighthouse Reports warning of a “wall of silence” as AI demand pushes expansion. Croatia’s Rail Push: Croatia plans about €6bn in railway infrastructure investment through 2035, covering track renewal, electrification, signaling, stations and bridges. Croatian AI Automation Deal: HCLSoftware plans to acquire Zagreb-based Robotiq.ai to expand AI-driven enterprise automation. Autonomous Mobility in Zagreb: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi visited Rimac’s Verne and rode a robotaxi without a safety driver, signaling continued rollout plans. Health Tech in Croatia: A nasal spray using sufentanil and ketamine is reported to bring fast pain relief for injured children in ERs, with Zagreb’s Maša Soric commenting on mild side effects. Bosnia Elections & Tech: Bosnia’s election commission met EU ambassadors and discussed introducing electoral technologies to boost transparency ahead of Oct 4 polls.

AI & Data Centers Transparency: A Dutch non-profit Lighthouse Reports filed a complaint accusing the European Commission of a “wall of silence” over data centers’ energy and water use, with the case tied to Aarhus Convention access rules. EU Digital & Market Policy: Politico reports the EU may offer candidate countries “gradual integration” into the single market and research programs before full membership, conditional on alignment and enforcement capacity. Croatian Tech Deal: HCLSoftware plans to acquire Zagreb-based Robotiq.ai to expand AI-driven enterprise automation and agentic RPA. Autonomous Mobility in Croatia: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi visited Zagreb and tested Mate Rimac’s robotaxi concept, as driverless trials continue around Verne. Health Tech (Croatia link): A study presented in Paris says a nasal spray combining sufentanil and ketamine can ease pain quickly for injured children in ERs, with Zagreb’s University Hospital Merkur noting mild side effects. Education Pressure: An OECD report warns teacher shortages are hitting math and science hardest, especially in rural and disadvantaged areas.

Autonomous Mobility in Zagreb: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi visited Verne and Rimac’s campus and rode in a robotaxi in Zagreb without a safety driver, signaling deeper cooperation as Verne tests driverless rides on a 22-kilometre route. Enterprise IoT for Industry: NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS and stc group launched an IoT connectivity solution in Saudi Arabia for Komatsu’s connected construction equipment, aiming at compliant, end-to-end data links for remote monitoring and predictive maintenance. Croatia’s AI Automation Push: HCLSoftware announced it plans to acquire Zagreb-based Robotiq.ai to expand enterprise agentic automation, bringing RPA execution into HCL UnO Agentic. Driver-Assistance Regulation: Tesla’s supervised Full Self-Driving was approved in Croatia, with rollout expected soon, while EU-wide approval still faces delays and safety concerns. STEM & Skills Pressure: An OECD report warns teacher shortages are hitting math and science hardest, especially in rural and disadvantaged areas. Croatia’s Knowledge Jobs: A new index says Croatia has more than doubled its share of adults in knowledge-intensive “brain business” jobs since 2014, with Zagreb leading. Food Supply Chain Efficiency: COOL-BORDER starts an Interreg project to cut barriers in chilled and frozen food logistics across Central Europe, including packaging and cold-chain documentation.

Tesla in Croatia: Tesla says its supervised Full Self-Driving system is approved for rollout on Croatian roads, with drivers still fully responsible and required to supervise. Enterprise AI automation: HCLSoftware (HCLTech) plans to acquire Zagreb-based Robotiq.ai to add enterprise robotic process automation to its agentic AI orchestration, targeting production-scale automation for banks, insurers and telecoms. Education pressure: An OECD report warns teacher shortages are hitting many systems, especially math and science and in rural or disadvantaged areas, as recruitment and retention get harder. Croatia’s knowledge jobs: A new index finds Croatia has more than doubled its share of adults in “brain business” roles since 2014, with Zagreb leading the density. Digital travel perk: Opera’s Android browser adds an eSIM feature in Croatia with 3GB of free 5G data for a limited trip trial. EU health policy: The European Commission backs a new push for cardiovascular health checks across member states, aiming to cut premature deaths. Local tech & industry: Vertiv expands data-center power and cooling manufacturing in Slovakia, while COOL-BORDER starts a cross-border push to reduce barriers in chilled and frozen food supply chains. Space diplomacy: Croatia is among the latest Artemis Accords signatories as NASA grows its Moon exploration coalition.

Croatia–US Business Push: Croatia and the USA are stepping up cooperation after a New York Economic Forum brought together dozens of companies for B2B meetings, with focus on energy, food and defence. Green Energy Buildout: INA is building Croatia’s first commercial green hydrogen plant at the Rijeka Refinery, targeting about 1,500 tonnes per year and aiming for first molecules early next year. AI Automation Deal: HCLSoftware plans to acquire Zagreb-based Robotiq.ai for €9 million, adding enterprise RPA capabilities to support AI-driven workflows in systems where APIs are limited. Data Center Power Race: Vertiv Week 2026 in Zagreb highlights how AI is forcing data centers to plan power, cooling and software together, while Vertiv expands manufacturing capacity in Slovakia. EU Health Policy: The European Commission proposes EU-wide cardiovascular health checks to improve early detection and cut premature deaths, with access for high-risk groups. Space Cooperation: NASA welcomed Croatia as a new Artemis Accords signatory, adding to a growing coalition for peaceful lunar and deep-space exploration. Tech & Security: A South Korea inquiry into a Turkish drone engine points to ongoing efforts to stabilize military drone programs after public crash incidents. Science & Society: A study suggests some invasive plants may adapt to urban heat and dryness, potentially making them harder to manage as climate changes. Sports Tech Moment: Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić became the first Croatian inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.

Data Centers in Focus: Vertiv is expanding its Slovakia plant near the Czech border, adding 22,000 sqm to boost power and cooling gear production for AI and high-performance computing, with “hundreds” of new jobs planned. Renewables in the Region: Energy Week Western Balkans (Oct 6–7, Budva) aims to line up policymakers and investors across the Balkans for 20 GW of new renewables by 2040, with solar, wind and storage on the agenda. Hydrogen Push (North Adriatic): The Hydrogen Ecosystem North Adriatic moves from a cross-border Hydrogen Valley into a broader platform for innovation, investment and market deployment, with new open calls and a major conference in Gorizia/Nova Gorica on Nov 11–12. Croatia’s Climate & Tech: A study involving Zagreb researchers warns that computer-based test scores can reflect more than knowledge, shaped by how questions appear and how long people struggle with them. Healthcare Tech: Research presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress reports a nasal-spray pain option for children in emergency care, plus a blood test approach that may help distinguish bacterial vs viral infections in newborns. Energy Storage R&D: Qnetic reports low-speed testing progress for a 200 kWh flywheel prototype after 100 fault-free cycles. Artemis Milestone: Croatia becomes a new signatory of the Artemis Accords, tying local space ambitions to the US-led exploration effort.

Neonatal Diagnostics: A small study presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress says a blood test comparing two molecules can accurately tell bacterial from viral infections in newborns with fever, aiming to cut “false positives” that lead to unnecessary lumbar punctures, antibiotics and admissions. Pediatric Emergency Care: Another Congress study finds a nasal spray can deliver fast, needle-free pain relief for children (ages 1–17) with injuries in emergency departments, addressing gaps in timely pain treatment. HEVC Standardization: IEEE announced the 2027 Arun N. Netravali Video Analytics, Technology, and Systems Award for leaders behind HEVC/H.265, highlighting their role in shaping the video coding standard used worldwide. Croatian Infrastructure & China: New concerns around the Pelješac Bridge’s concrete layer and related claims bring attention back to how Chinese firms have expanded in Croatia’s major infrastructure market. Smart Tourism in Dubrovnik: The Dubrovnik Pass won an ECTN award for smart tourism, using digital tools, real-time visitor monitoring and crowd forecasting to protect heritage while improving access and transport. Indoor Air Quality: EU-funded research is pushing indoor pollution into the spotlight, turning findings on home and workplace contaminants into practical recommendations.

Emergency Care Tech: A needle-free nasal spray approach showed promise for quickly easing moderate-to-severe pain in children in ER settings, while a separate newborn study tested a blood test that can better tell bacterial from viral fever to reduce unnecessary antibiotics and procedures. Energy Storage & Grids: Qnetic moved its 200 kWh flywheel prototype into low-speed testing after 100 fault-free cycles, aiming for long-duration renewable storage; meanwhile Sweden’s ViaEuropa is pushing smaller local “grids” to make electricity sharing cheaper and more resilient. Climate Data Infrastructure: Germany’s climate computing center is expanding storage to back up U.S. climate simulations ahead of the next major UN assessment. Indoor Air Quality: EU-funded researchers are mapping what’s actually in indoor air in homes, schools, and workplaces to turn findings into practical recommendations. Digital Tourism in Croatia: Dubrovnik Pass won a European smart tourism award for using real-time visitor data and forecasting to manage crowds and protect heritage. AI & Youth Mental Health: A large JAMA Pediatrics study links affective generative AI use for emotional support with mental health problems in young people. Ocean Monitoring: OceanEye Alliance launched with major pledges to strengthen global ocean observation. Croatia-US Business: A New York forum highlighted the push for stronger Croatia–U.S. economic ties, with the double-taxation deal still a key hurdle.

Healthcare Innovation: A small study at the European Emergency Medicine Congress suggests a blood test that can tell bacterial from viral infections in newborns with fever, aiming to cut unnecessary antibiotics and invasive procedures. Energy Storage: Qnetic starts low-speed testing of its 200 kWh flywheel prototype after 100 zero-fault cycles, pushing long-duration storage as a potential alternative to lithium-ion. Smart Tourism: Dubrovnik Pass wins a top European award for digitalisation in smart tourism, using real-time visitor monitoring and crowd forecasting to protect heritage while improving access. Legal AI Funding: German legal AI platform Noxtua raises over €100m in Series C, with C.H. Beck taking majority stake as the company expands its Europe-focused legal workspace. EU Regulation Push: The European Commission opens infringement steps against multiple countries, including Croatia, over missed transposition of industrial emissions rules and other EU compliance gaps. Ocean Tech Alliance: OceanEye International Alliance launches with major pledges from Canada, the EU and partners to strengthen global ocean monitoring for climate and safety. Croatia-US Business: A Croatia–US forum in New York highlights energy, data centres and IT as priorities, with the long-awaited double taxation deal still a key blocker for investment. Space: Croatia becomes the 74th signatory of the Artemis Accords, with NASA welcoming the country as part of the space exploration effort.