Business Models for a Sustainable Future – Successful First DECIDE Workshop in Croatia

DECIDE partners from Croatia gathered participants from regional government institutions, development agencies, civil society organisations, and the private sector at Humana Nova premises to introduce them to the importance of circularity in the economy and the role that the DECIDE project plays in promoting this transition. The workshop took place on Monday, 14^th October 2025.

The workshop brought together participants from regional authorities, development agencies, civil society associations and the private sector. Copyright: TICM

This was the first workshop organised by Croatian partners, Technology Innovation Centre Međimurje Ltd. (TICM), the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Organisation and Informatics, and the Social cooperative Humana Nova.

In the first part of the workshop, Ivan Plačko (TICM) spoke about the concept of the circular economy, how it differs from the linear model, and why it is important for both society and the environment. He also presented the DECIDE project and its main goals, focused on supporting companies in transitioning towards circular business models.

Ivan Plačko talked about the circular economy and what differentiates it from the linear economy. Copyright: TICM

In the second part, Karolina Kraljić from Humana Nova presented Humana Nova’s circular business model, one of the most significant examples of successful circular practices within the DECIDE project. Participants also had the opportunity to visit Humana Nova’s facilities and learn firsthand about its operations and impact.

Karolina Kraljić from Humana Nova presented Humana Nova’s circular business model. Copyright: TICM

After the study visit, participants engaged in a practical group exercise aimed at applying the discussed concepts to real-world business scenarios.

Participants were very active during the workshop. Copyright: TICM

In the final part of the workshop, Lea Masnec and Professor Vjeran Strahonja from FOI introduced the DECIDE Toolbox, a set of tools designed to help companies analyse, plan, and implement circular strategies to improve their market performance, sustainability, and overall competitiveness.

Lea Masnec presented the tools from the DECIDE Toolbox. Copyright: TICM

The workshop concluded with an open discussion, where participants shared ideas and identified opportunities for collaboration in promoting circular economy practices in Croatia.

Prof. Vjeran Strahonja elaborated on how to use the tools in practice.  Copyright: TICM

The workshop was successful, and participants’ feedback was very positive, as reflected in the excellent evaluation results. Their ratings and comments will be of great help to us in organising future workshops.