16.9.2010
Before around 300 participants at the Combis Conference which takes place in Novi Vinodolski from September 16 to 17, a round table "From innovative potential to innovations" was held. The participants of the round table tried to provide answers to questions like 'What enables the development of a favourable innovation climate?', 'Is it possible to learn how to be inventive and innovative?' and 'Does our society support innovations?'. How to strengthen the innovative potential, how to use it, and whether and how technology is in the correlation with innovations, in discussion tried to discover Member of the Management Board and Chief Operating Officer Business of Croatian Telecom - Irena Jolić Šimović, IBM Hrvatska CEO - Krešo Perica, Director of the Croatian Business Innovation Centre BICRO - Dalibor Marijanović, innovator, founder and owner of TEMA Company - prof. dr. Branimir Ružojčić and Combis CEO, Ivan Gabrić. The round table was moderated by Dubravko Merlić.
Commenting the investments into innovations, Marijanović pointed that BICRO, in the last three years, has invested 200 million kunas into innovations. Further, Ružojčić said: "There is an opinion that the state gives a little, but those are still significant resources. Moreover, innovations do not occur because the state gives funds, but because simply there is the need for innovations. "
When asked how important education is for innovation, Ružojčić commented saying: "We must not underestimate the impact of education and science. You can get the idea, but from the idea to the final product a high level of science is necessary, and therefore it is essential to cultivate top-quality education."
This answer was followed up by Gabric's commentary that function of a University is to provide a good base, and of the company is to continue developing and building it. "What we lack as a society is fundamental work. In fact, sometimes we talk about working more than we work, and therefore creating double standards." - said Gabrić.
"All obstacles serve to be beaten“ – noted Ružojčić, adding: "Very often we are superficial in our perception because we see only the ultimate success, while we forget the actual amount of embedded work. And this is the anomaly of our culture."
Referring to education, Perica stated that the educational structure of the ICT employees is very high and that there is certainly creative potential among them.
Finally, stating the most important elements for increasing the utilization of innovative potential, Jolić Šimović pointed out: "Knowledge is certainly in the first place, and what is also very important is technology, as well as the financial background. But next to all this, indispensable is positive energy, a healthy innovative spirit and faith into idea.
The fourth Combis Conference under the topic "Exploration. Innovations. ICT." brings together participants from the area of financial and telecom sector, government and industry. With a round table, as the central event of the Conference, today and tomorrow, participants can expect many interesting lectures, case studies, and many informal events.
Next to the partner of this year's Conference - Hrvatski Telecom d.d., the Combis Conference was also supported by gold sponsors: Cisco Systems Hrvatska, Citrix Systems, IBM Hrvatska, Microsoft Hrvatska, Oracle Hrvatska and Reichle & De-Massari Austria; silver sponsors: Lexmark International CRT d.o.o. and Lenovo Technology, and by media sponsors: Lider, Mreža, Poslovni dnevnik, poslovni.hr and tportal.hr.