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Current chalenges and future perspectives of biotechnology in Croatia

Modern biotechnology in Croatia started primarily within Pliva pharamaceutical industry and several food companies. Achievements of Croatian Nobel Prize laureates Lavoslav Ružička and Vladimir Prelog contributed incomparably to recognition and further development of Croatian biotechnology that was institutionalized by formation of national research Ruđer Bošković Institute. Foundation (in 1956) and later on independence (in 1980) of Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology (FFTB) within the University of Zagreb (UniZg) have been of immense importance for education of new generations of engineers and PhDs in the field of biotechnology. FFTB is a cofounding member of European Federation of Biotechnology, decided 1978 at the meeting held in Interlaken, Switzerland, and cosigned by 36 European academic societies. Most of visionary initiatives are due to late professor Vera Johanides. There is also Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, UniZg, offering biotechnology-realated programmes at all three levels of higher education (BSc, MSc and PhD). Besides UniZg, other univesity centres – University of Rijeka (Department of Biotechnology), University of Split (Faculty of Chemistry and Technology) and Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek (Faculty of Food Technology) offer different level studies in biotechnology or related programess. Croatian universites, research institutes and centres (Scientific Centre of Excellence for Marine Bioprospecting – BioProCro, RBI ; The Research Center of Excellence for Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine of the University of Zagreb School of Medicine ; Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity and Molecular Plant Breeding of the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture ; The Scientific Centre of Excellence for Research in Viral Immunology and the Development of New Vaccines, University of Rijeka ; Centre of Research Excellence for Personalized Health Care, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Pharmacy of Biochemistry and Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek) are involved in biotechnology-related mobility and research programmes founded by Croatian science foundation and European Union. Unfortunately, the research activities rarely resulting in new industrial processes. Croatia had more that 50 companies registered in the field, and the biggest companies belong to red and yellow biotechnology. Croatia has clear advantages in furter development of biotechnology-based economy that rely on high level of higher education and research community and natural resources. However, significant economic impact can be achieved by better long-term planning, multidisciplinary integration, and entrepreneurship investments.

biotechnology, biotechnology-based economy, higher education, research and mobility

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