11 NOVEMBER 2025 at the Croatian Chamber of Economy in ZAGREB, CROATIA
POWERED BY:
BRITISH EMBASSY ZAGREB, CROATIAN CHAMBER OF ECONOMY and BRITISH BUSINESS CHAMBER CROATIA
The auditorium at the Croatian Chamber of Economy was close to capacity as companies and government officials from both Croatia and the UK joined together to show that there is much potential in developing closer business cooperation between Croatian and British companies after Brexit.
The forum was organised by the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK), the British Embassy in Zagreb, and the British Business Chamber Croatia (BBCC).
"Cooperation with the UK is important. It is a trade and investment partner, with bilateral trade amounting to around €450 million. We believe it can grow further," said Igor Pokaz, HGK Vice President for Trade and Internationalisation.
Tourism remains a key area, but there is potential to expand into new technologies, digitalisation, cybersecurity, IT, and manufacturing. Pokaz expects more British companies to register in Croatia in the future. He noted that while Brexit initially posed challenges, the situation is now normalising.
President of the British Business Chamber Croatia (BBCC), Paul Suchar, was pleased by the full house, and he noted the calibre of panelists as well as the number of UK and Croatian companies that attended. "This shows that there is considerable interest from Croatian companies that want to develop connections with the UK, and vice versa. The BBCC's goal is to facilitate and promote a community of companies that are looking to enhance business cooperation between the two countries."
Economy Ministry State Secretary Goran Romek emphasised Croatia's strong industrial and investment growth and said Brexit is not a major barrier to cooperation.
British Ambassador Javed Patel said the forum is a valuable opportunity to deepen business ties, exchange expertise, and explore sectors such as finance, technology, tourism, and infrastructure development.
The UK is among Croatia's top ten foreign investors, having invested €1.65 billion from 1993 to 2024, including €123 million in 2024 alone.
Total trade between Croatia and the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) reached €416.3 million in 2024, up 11.3% from 2023, with Croatian exports amounting to €269.7 million and imports €146.6 million, resulting in a surplus of over €123 million, which continued in the first seven months of 2025.
Panels of Discussion at the UK-Croatia Business Forum
Presentation: “UK Trade & Industrial Strategy,” building bridges for the future
● Mr Archie McCreath, UK Department for Business & Trade
Presentation: “UK Export Finance,” removing financial roadblocks
● Representative of UK Export Finance
Presentation: “UK Manufacturing Supply Chain Opportunities,” how to build supply chain strengths (pre-recorded video)
● Henry Anson & Joe Bush, The Manufacturer
Panel Discussion: “GoUK-Expand and Succeed in the UK”
● Moderator: Rebecca Bekkenutte, Gateley (Holdings) Plc
● Panelists: Infinum, Koios, Museum of Illusions, Q Agency
Panel Discussion: “GoCroatia-Expand and Succeed in Croatia”
● Moderator: Justin Barnes, BBCC Board Member
● Panelists: AstraZeneca, New Bakery, Nomad Foods, Poseidon
Open dialogue: “Energy”
● Moderator: Diana Nimac, Trade Director, British Embassy Zagreb
● Panelists: Hive (Solar), Star Energy (Geothermal)
The UK-Croatia Forum was followed by the Fintech Gathering: “From Local to Global: Scaling Croatian AI Startups into the UK Market” with Rebecca Bekkenutte (Managing Director, Gateley Global) and Marin Mrša (Founder and CEO of Peekator), which was held at the Bird Incubator, Zagreb
Inquiries for BBCC: info@bbcc.hr
Inquiries for British Embassy Zagreb: diana.nimac@fcdo.gov.uk