After four extremely successful editions and the first Healthtech Adria conference held in December last year, Healthtech Adria Meetup is back in its fifth round! These quarterly gatherings have become a recognizable place for exchanging knowledge, experiences and connecting within the healthtech community, and yesterday we were once again convinced of how valuable such gatherings are for stimulating ideas and new collaborations.
This time we brought together enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, scientists and industry representatives at the Faculty of Medicine in Split to address some of the key issues in the field of biopharmaceuticals – a sector that carries enormous potential, but also challenges for all who decide to embark on this path. We are here to encourage you to take the next step on your professional path!
Yesterday’s edition of the Healthtech Adria Meetup was again held in collaboration with the NetHub accelerator and the Faculty of Medicine in Split, in the Center for Clinical Skills, this time on the topic Success in biopharmaceuticals: (impossible) mission? Through a lecture and conversation, we explored what it means to build a biopharma startup in Croatia, what obstacles entrepreneurs face, but also what the success of those who managed to find their way looks like.
Meetup was opened by Mihaela Petrić from NetHub accelerator, briefly reviewing the successes so far and the importance of such gatherings for encouraging cooperation and exchange of experiences within the healthtech community. She was particularly pleased to announce our guest, Maria Lovrić, executive director of BIOCentre.
The goal of the fifth Meetup was to bring the challenges and opportunities in biopharmaceuticals closer to everyone who is thinking about developing innovations in this sector, whether they come from science, industry or the startup world. Through the lecture and conversation, we raised questions about market obstacles, regulatory requirements, the role of the team and support in the development of ideas, and the importance of networking.
Dr. sc. Marija Lovrić, with many years of experience in science and industry, works every day to connect science and economy and support startups and researchers in the development of concrete, market-relevant solutions in the field of biotechnology and biomedicine. Through her lecture, she presented the challenges and obstacles in the development of biopharma startups in Croatia, as well as the successes of those who built their own path.
“We often cooperate with Croatian pharmaceutical companies that do not have enough laboratory capacity to solve specific problems and formulate products. Our role is to support them in the development of protocols, optimization of production and analysis of product composition, so that they can continue independently,” Marija pointed out.
She also specially presented BIOCentar, the first and only incubator specialized in biosciences in Croatia, and also the leading one in Southeast Europe. She emphasized that the BIOCentar is more than a space – it is an ecosystem that enables innovations to grow, providing laboratory services, education, infrastructure support and consulting, all to help startups in biotechnology to develop market-relevant products.
BIOCentar is celebrating ten years of successful work this fall, and during that period it has become recognizable for its model that combines the academic community, entrepreneurship and industry. Marija particularly emphasized the importance of connecting tenants within BIOCentar. “It often happens that new collaborations are “It’s like a hallway – for example, a biostatistics firm finds a joint project with a lab team, which wouldn’t happen if they weren’t in the same space,” she said. Such spontaneous networking is part of the BIOCentre philosophy, where the goal is for residents to be not just users of the space, but active participants in the community. The lecture was followed by a Q&A session, moderated by Jelena Šuran, Ph.D., Ph.D. Jelena, who was one of the panelists at the first Meetup, served as moderator this time, drawing on her extensive experience as a co-founder and CEO of a biotechnology startup ApiotiX Technologies. Together with Maria, she opened important topics about real obstacles on the way to commercialization of biopharma innovations – including systemic barriers, mindset of scientists and challenges in connecting with industry and the tech community.
They put special emphasis on the fact that a critical mass is slowly being created in academic institutions in Croatia ambitious individuals ready to entrepreneurial leap. Marija emphasized that this step is crucial for strengthening the biopharmaceutical sector.
During the conversation, they also touched on financial challenges in biopharmaceuticals, emphasizing that this sector requires a different investment approach compared to some other industries. “Investors most often look for rapid growth and returns within a year or two, while the development of biopharmaceutical products takes ten or more years, which is not attractive for classic investors,” explained Marija. Jelena added that Croatian companies are often dependent on European funds, while abroad there are specialized funds that understand the long-term nature and complexity of biotech and pharma. She emphasized how important it is to have systematic support, from education to financing, all the way to the protection of intellectual property, so that innovations in biopharmaceuticals have a chance for market success.
Meetup concluded with a question from the audience: “Why do investors avoid investing in Croatia, despite EU membership and competitive business costs?” Marija answered without hesitation: “It is a combination of perception, political instability and legal uncertainty. Investors still often see us only as a tourist destination and it takes a lot of effort to convince them of Croatia’s innovation potential.”
In conclusion, the conversation during the Q&A session indicated that, despite the challenges, there is a clear perspective for the growth and development of the biopharmaceutical sector in Croatia. Although the path is not easy, it is evident that a community of people ready to cooperate, exchange knowledge and jointly create opportunities is slowly but surely being built. The number of startups and entrepreneurial initiatives in the field of bioscience is growing, and with it the awareness of the importance of connecting science and industry.
This year’s edition of the Healthtech Adria conference was also announced at Meetup, which will be held October 2nd and 3rd at the Faculty of Medicine in Split! The conference once again brings together healthtech innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and scientists from all over Europe and provides networking opportunities, a startup pitching competition, and inspiring lectures and panel discussions. Book your place today via the Entrio platform:
https://www.entrio.hr/event/healthtech-adria-conference-2025-24010
After the officialpart of the Meetup, socializing continued in a relaxed atmosphere with catering, informal conversation and exchange of experiences among the participants.
The fifth edition of the Healthtech Adria Meetup once again confirmed that such gatherings are not only an opportunity to exchange knowledge, but also an important space for connecting people, encouraging innovation and strengthening the healthtech community. We are looking forward to seeing more and more of you recognizing the value of these meetings – and we are already excited to prepare new topics and guests to inspire, educate and connect you at the next Meetup!
Until then, don’t forget to reserve your spot at the Healthtech Adria conference in October and be part of the largest healthtech gathering in the region!