Project “STAT-KONK” is implemented within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026 and is financed by European Union funds through the NextGenerationEU instrument.
On Tuesday, 17 March 2026, at 11:30 a.m., the second coordination meeting of the project team for the project “Statistics for Competitiveness in the Republic of Croatia – STAT-KONK” was held online.
Activities carried out within the project in the period from 1 October 2025 to 16 March 2026 were presented. Administrative instructions were also provided to the project team members, and a review of the planned activities until the end of the first project year (30 September 2026) was conducted.
The next coordination meeting of the project team for the project “Statistics for Competitiveness in the Republic of Croatia – STAT-KONK” is planned for September 2026.
05. Prezentacija - Radionica - Hrvatska poduzeća i statistika - veljača 2026.pdfAs part of the STAT-KONK project, three workshops were held with first-year students of the integrated undergraduate and graduate university study programme in Business Economics at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business, on the topic “Prerequisites and readiness of Croatian enterprises for the application of artificial intelligence in statistical analysis”. The first two workshops were held on Monday, 23 February 2026, while the third workshop was held on Friday, 27 February 2026. In addition to actively participating in the workshops, the students also completed a short anonymous survey aimed at examining their previous experiences, attitudes, and perceptions regarding statistics and the application of statistical methods in practice.
We are proud to highlight that Dajana Barbić, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business – Zagreb and a member of the research team for the project Statistics for Competitiveness in the Republic of Croatia (STAT-KONK), was appointed on February 10, 2026, as the National Financial Literacy Ambassador within the European Union initiative aimed at enhancing citizens’ financial knowledge and resilience.
The appointment decision was made by the Minister of Finance, Tomislav Ćorić, and the ambassadorial mandate will last until the end of 2027. Through public, professional, and media activities, Associate Professor Dajana Barbić will actively contribute to the development of financial literacy, empower citizens in making informed financial decisions, and represent the Republic of Croatia within the European network of financial literacy ambassadors.
Her appointment is directly connected to the research objectives of the STAT-KONK project, in which she participates through the research component focused on the analysis of fiscal policy and fiscal instruments in strengthening economic competitiveness and citizens’ financial resilience. Within the project, she leads a research segment dedicated to the analysis of fiscal policy and the tax system in the context of long-term economic development, financial resilience, sustainability, and citizens’ behavior, applying advanced regression and panel models.
This appointment further confirms the scientific and social relevance of the research conducted within the STAT-KONK project and emphasizes the importance of linking academic excellence, public policy, and citizens’ financial education.
We congratulate Associate Professor Dajana Barbić on this significant appointment and thank her for her contribution to strengthening the scientific foundation and societal impact of the project.
On Monday, 19 January 2026, at 11:00 a.m., a meeting of the heads of institutional research projects with the Committee for the Evaluation and Selection of Project Proposals and the Monitoring of Selected Projects was held in the Congress Hall of the Faculty of Economics – Zagreb. The meeting focused on processes and procedures related to project implementation. The meeting was also attended by the project leader of “Statistics for Competitiveness in the Republic of Croatia – STAT-KONK”, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Berislav Žmuk.
On Thursday, 18 December 2025, at 12:00 p.m., the first coordination meeting of the project team for “Statistics for Competitiveness in the Republic of Croatia – STAT-KONK” was held online.
With this meeting, the project was formally launched. The project leader, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Berislav Žmuk, presented a project summary, the project team members, the project objectives, as well as the implementation plan and the financial plan.
The work plan for the first year of the project, covering the period from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, was presented, along with individual work plans for each project team member. The procurement needs for 2026 were also discussed, as well as the administrative aspects of project implementation.
The next coordination meeting of the project team for “Statistics for Competitiveness in the Republic of Croatia – STAT-KONK” is scheduled for March 2026.
The ceremonial signing of the grant agreement for the implementation of institutional research projects under Call IIP-581-2025 took place in the Library of the Faculty of Economics – Zagreb on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, at 11:00 a.m.
On this occasion, the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics – Zagreb, represented by the Dean, Prof. Dr. Sanja Sever Mališ, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Berislav Žmuk, in his capacity as project leader of “Statistics for Competitiveness in the Republic of Croatia – STAT-KONK”, signed the grant agreement for the implementation of the institutional research project “Statistics for Competitiveness in the Republic of Croatia – STAT-KONK”.
The project will be financed from Source 581 – the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, under Call IIP-581-2025 of the Faculty of Economics – Zagreb, i.e., with funding from the European Union – NextGenerationEU.