October 24, 2023 – As we wrote in September, CRATIS stepped up to boost both Varaždin and Croatian data security, and opened DC North, the biggest data storage and disaster recovery centre in Croatia. TCN had the honour to visit just in time for the opening ceremony.
DC North, the largest and most modern data centre in Croatia and the region, with a high security certificate, was officially opened on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 in Varaždin, writes the local portal. The ceremony took place in the presence of the Croatian President Zoran Milanović, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, as well as the representative of the President of The Croatian Government Davor Filipović. Other esteemed guests included the Prefect of Varaždin and the envoy of the President of the Croatian Parliament Anđelko Stričak, the Secretary of State in the Central State Office for the Development of Digital Society Bernardo Gršić, the Member of Parliament Barbara Antolić Vupor, the Mayor of Varaždin Neven Bosilj and his deputy Miroslav Marković and others.
In his speech, the Mayor of Varaždin County, Anđelko Stričak, pointed out that this valuable investment, as well as all other investments that take place in Varaždin County, confirm two facts – that Croatia as a state, and Varaždin as a county and city are safe and stable.
“Currently, in Varaždin County, in just four places – cities of Varaždin and Novi Marof and municipalities of Vidovec and Kneginec, we have investments worth over 300 million euros. We have never had so much going on. This investment, on the one hand, gives us confirmation of safety and stability, and on the other hand, builds on all of that. We are much safer, but we know that because of this new lifestyle, because we live in the digital age, we have to follow all world trends”, said Stričak, stressing that this investment is the realisation of the dreams of young people primarily because of their persistence, teamwork, and expertise.
The company CRATIS d.o.o. and its chief visionary, Matija Grabar, president of the company’s management board stand behind the DC North project.
“As a company, we have had to control the entire process to guarantee perfect services for our users. For all this, we were missing one component, which is the data center. That was our primary motivation in creating such a facility. Without it, they would not be able to perform ordinary transactions, withdraw money from their accounts, access social networks, etc. This facility will ensure and increase our national security and the stability of the economy as the largest data center in the Republic of Croatia – said Cratis Management Board President Matija Grabar.
Projects Such as DC North are the Future
Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Davor Filipović emphasised that Croatia faces challenges in the areas of decarbonization, demography, and digitalization.
“DC North’s investment is directly related to digitalization and the process of the overall transformation of our society. Data centers are the backbone of the digital world. What differentiates digitalization from the revolution that happened before is the speed with which this digitalization happens and the way it affects business, communication, but also our way of life, and all this on a global level. I see the possibilities provided by modern technologies as an opportunity for Croatia to become even more competitive in that area, to rely on those products and services that create added value. Due to its great importance for the Croatian economy, this investment is included in the list of strategic projects of the Republic of Croatia, as it develops the basic infrastructure for data-based management”, said Minister Filipović.
President Zoran Milanović pointed out that the data center is a matter of national security, control of money processes, personal property, bank accounts, without which the societly cannot function properly.
“This is a big deal, for everyone who participated in the project, for this part of Croatia which is doing well, moving forward, developing, which draws in large investments. And this shows that in a world in which we cannot manage large and turbulent events, much less control them, we must accept them as they are, understand that the existing world order is changing, and that the new one has not yet emerged, because we are part of it and that our influence on it is infinitely small. If we are aware of that world, of our reach in large projects, let us concentrate on such projects, which from the point of view of the world and Europe are small and almost invisible. For us, they are large and profitable and affect the quality of life and our wealth, the wealth of the nation – it will be better for us”, said President Milanović.
DC North was also recognised by the world-renowned Uptime Institute, which awarded the data center a Tier III Facility certificate, making it unique in Croatia. DC North, whose value after the first phase is 17 million euros, and after the second phase will be worth more than 20 million euros, is located on a plot of 12,000 m2, includes more than 2,000 square meters of IT space, and has more than 4MW of installed power. In addition to the electricity supply, it also has fuel-powered electricity generators and its own radar.
