March the 5th, 2024 – In 2023, Croatian exported goods to the UK totalled 248 million euros, of which 150 million euros refer to the export of IT services.
The Association of Croatian British Professionals (ACBP) and the Croatian Association of Employers (HUP) organised a conference entitled “How to do business in Great Britain?” on Tuesday.
As Krešimir Krajnović, the co-founder of ACBP, explained in his opening speech, the goal of the event was to exchange the experiences of successful Croatian experts who have business ties to Great Britain and connect them with other people interested in opening a company or finding investors and business partners in that country.
“The United Kingdom nurtures a special business culture that contains some of the European and the American spirit. There are very many opportunities for Croatian companies in the UK, but it’s always easier to succeed if you have the knowledge and support of a professional business network of experts behind you. This is precisely why we founded the Association of Croatian British Professionals, in order to create a community where our members can actively support each other, both professionally and privately”, said Krajnović, who thanked ACBP co-founder Margareta Klinčić Tremac in his speech, adding that in the last year, it grew into an association boasting almost 400 members.
Irena Weber, the CEO of HUP, confirmed that trade relations between these two countries continue to be extremely important. As she stated, last year, the Republic of Croatia exported goods worth 248 million euros to the United Kingdom, and imported goods worth 137 million euros, which indicates a surplus of 110 million euros in trade alone. In the field of service exports, the export of IT services stands out at the level of around 150 million euros in 2023, which positions the UK as the fourth largest Croatian export market for IT services.
On the other hand, there is the huge interest of the British in Croatia as a tourist destination – last year the income from British tourists doubled compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, amounting to a staggering 1.3 billion euros. “The United Kingdom represents one of the most dynamic markets in the entire world, with a rich business culture and strong influence, and the aforementioned data clearly shows the potential for growth and development of economic cooperation between Croatia and the UK going forward. In this context, we must also mention the traditional interest of Croatian students in studying in the UK. This is the type of potential that we must continue to build because it’s precisely upon this potential that we can improve our mutual business relations”, said Weber.
Simon Thomas, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Republic of Croatia, also addressed those gathered at the conference. He emphasised that the most important thing to improve international relations are dynamic people who work to build links between Croatia and the United Kingdom through their everyday lives. These people, he says, are tourists who come to the country to holiday, just like business people who see opportunities for further development in both markets.
“The Association of Croatian British Professionals is living proof that there’s very much a need for a dynamic link between our two countries and proof that there’s enormous potential for companies that want to do business on both markets. It’s so important that you share your stories, your advice and help people navigate the UK business environment. We’re going to continue to be your partner, as well as a partner to all companies that are thinking about expanding to the British market or who want to use the United Kingdom as a springboard to the global market,” said Thomas.
The opening speeches were followed by a panel discussion on what it’s like to do business in the UK. It was attended by Filip Ljubić, executive director of Q agency, Boris Pogačnik, vice president for business development at Infobip, Rosa Rogina, director of the London Festival of Architecture, Tena Kovačević Janko, a specialist in general and obstetric gynecology at the London Fetal Medicine Research Institute, Luka Dorotić, a partner in the law firm Čolić Dorotić, and Marko Jurčić, the director of international relations at HUP.
As part of the panel discussion, the speakers revealed how they succeeded in the demanding British market, shared their experiences and advice for successful business and life in both nations.
