Croatian Data Center Summit 2026

On May 12, the Croatian Data Center Association (HRDCA) held Croatian Data Center Summit 2026 at Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb – the first major professional event in Croatia dedicated to data centers, cloud technologies, and digital infrastructure. The summit brought together international experts, investors, policymakers, and companies from across the ecosystem, with an impressive turnout of 200 participants.

The conference was opened by HRDCA president and Director of Digital Realty in Croatia, Goran Đoreski, followed by opening remarks from Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan, who noted that Croatia has 70 data centers, 22 of which are privately held, and highlighted the strong cooperation between state institutions and private companies in this area.

The keynote address was delivered by Vladimir Prodanović from NVIDIA, one of the key managers responsible for the implementation of AI data centers in Europe and Asia.

Piotr Kowalski of the Polish Data Center Association (PLDCA), in a conversation with Igor Grdić, HRDCA Vice President and Regional Director of Vertiv for Central Europe, presented how Poland has, in just a few years, significantly strengthened its data center sector and become a regional hub.

Filip Olujić, HRDCA Vice President and CEO of Databox, and Vjekoslav Vorih from ABB discussed current trends in the data center industry, while journalist Anja Šeparović moderated a panel discussion with Dario Hrebak, Mayor of Bjelovar, and Dalibor Domitrović, Mayor of Ogulin.

The main message of the summit was that, according to EUDCA data, Croatia is recording the highest annual growth rate of the data center market in Central and Eastern Europe — 30 percent, ahead of Poland and Romania — and that cumulative European investment in the sector by 2031 is projected at 176 billion euros. Participants emphasized the need for a clear national strategy, a regulatory framework, and the development of energy infrastructure to capitalize on this potential.