This year’s 5th anniversary Split Tech City Festival brings another big novelty – on the eve of the festival, September 4th, the first Innovate Split Conference will be held at the Split Technology Park, organized by our strategic partner, the Split Development Agency (RaST).

This new flagship event connects local innovators with international investors and experts.

The conference brings to Split more than 30 speakers from eight countries, combining the best of both worlds – local startup stories and global expertise.

Startup panels with local stars

A special highlight will be the showcase of local talent presenting their innovations. Among others, we’ll hear from Irena Šoljić (Metabelly), Ante Gojsalić (SplxAI), Josip Volarević (dReader), Miljenko Baković (Reeinvent), Ivan Lovrić (WORKSPACE), Neno Dodig (Apex Academy), Darko Majić (Marteching Solutions), Marsel Čuljak (ENGASCO), as well as many other local startups and scaleups.

The program is designed so that each panel has a practical application – from concrete fundraising advice with Luka Sučić (Meta Change Capital) as moderator, to real-life case studies of digital transformation led by Mateo Perak (Profico), IoT solution development with Dario Boras (Parklio), platform development strategies with Jozo Petrović (Osiguraj.me), and commercialization of research presented by Petar Roje (University of Split Technology Transfer Office).

International experts

The international dimension of the program is equally impressive.

Cosmin Ochisor (GapMinder VC) will share investment perspectives in the CEE region, Keith Wallace (Hivos Investments) will provide insights on impact investments, while Phoebe Tseng (Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan) will present global technology transfer trends.

Tamas Szeker (iScale Hub) and Arjan Goudsblom (Preneurz.Amsterdam) will focus on developing local startup ecosystems through European perspectives.

Special emphasis will be placed on networking – a chance to engage with entrepreneurs, startups, and investors in a relaxed atmosphere.

The evening gathering will also serve as a prelude to the Split Tech City Festival, creating a natural bridge between the two events.

Innovate Split is organized by Split Technology Park, the University of Split, and HAMAG-BICRO, with Split Tech City as the event partner. With this, Split is hosting its first true “tech week” – from exclusive business panels at the Technology Park to inspiring community stories at Bačvice.

The first Innovate Split Conference will take place on Thursday, September 4th, 2025, from 9 AM to 4 PM at Split Technology Park. Tickets are available through the official website of Split Technology Park and via Entrio.hr, with limited seating.

For everyone planning to attend the Split Tech City Festival on September 5th and 6th, Innovate Split will be an ideal opportunity for business networking the day before – and a great introduction to two days of tech inspiration at Bačvice.