Croatia’s ICT sector consists mainly of small and medium enterprises employing about 30,000 people, but these firms are highly vulnerable to economic shifts and liquidity issues. The knowledge economy fosters youth employment and innovation, yet the 2009 crisis caused a sharp liquidity decline, further worsened by delayed state payments. To keep the knowledge society as a development priority, it is essential to ensure timely fulfillment of obligations by both state and private actors, with the Government playing a proactive, transparent role in regulation and support for sustainable entrepreneurship.