The American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia has published Proposals for Determining the Strategic Guidelines of the Multiannual Financial Framework for the Digitalization of Croatia. AmCham's proposals focus on digitalization as a way of boosting the recovery, competitiveness and growth of the Croatian economy.

At the meeting with the Minister of Science and Education Radovan Fuchs, four key elements were presented, which are an integral part of digitalization. They include: connectivity, digital transformation of both public and private sector (modernization of private and public sector business operations led by specific automation and digitalization projects), digital skills development (digitally aware and literate citizens), and infrastructure (data centers, IoT).

In addition to Executive Director of AmCham Andrea Doko Jelušić, the meeting with the representatives from the Ministry of Science and Education was also attended by Ruža Tomić Fontana, President of AmCham’s Board of Governors (Coca-Cola HBC for Croatia), Tomislav Dominković, member of AmCham's Committee for Digital Economy (ALGEBRA University College), and Dražen Malbašić, Policy Manager in AmCham.

The focus of the meeting with Minister Fuchs was on digital skills. “The key factor in realizing the potential of digitalization lies in digital skills. Without digitally aware and literate citizens, the impact of digitalization of certain spheres of society is considerably reduced. According to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) conducted at the level of the European Union, Croatia ranks 13th, or slightly below the EU average. However, for a relatively small country such as Croatia, the quality of human resources is extremely important because it cannot derive its competitiveness from the size of its population,” stated Andrea Doko Jelušić, the Executive Director of AmCham.

AmCham believes that, within the development of digital skills, it is necessary to:
• Expand the education of the unemployed by contracting comprehensive digital acquisition programs (e.g. software development, interface design, IT infrastructure, system administration, digital marketing, sales and customer management on digital platforms, etc.), but also of the employed who are willing to change careers and learn a new profession;
• Develop the general digital competencies of the elderly population with special emphasis on socially vulnerable groups (e.g. from rural and sparsely populated areas, lower socio-economic status, etc.);
• Develop advanced digital competencies of teachers, especially in STEM subjects, and general digital competencies of public and civil servants;
• Develop digital competencies of young people, 18-29 year-olds, to work in a digital business environment;
• Further encourage the strengthening of the competencies of companies for the use of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, advanced analytics (Data Science), and digital adaptation management (Digital Transformation), through targeted grants for the private sector;
• Prepare a system of value vouchers for the needs of the economy to provide digital training for employees in the workplace.

Representatives of the Ministry of Science and Education pointed out that through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan they will support projects related to digitalization of higher education, which includes investments in equipment and human resources to achieve higher levels of digital skills and literacy, but also equal opportunities for gaining such skills at the state level.