In Biograd the 7th International fair on innovation in agriculture, food industry and agricultural machinery was held.
For the feeding of local population, but also for 11 million tourists who visited Croatia, food of value of 1,2 billion US dollars is imported annually. Plans for the next years anticipate the arrival of up to 16 million tourists annually, which is undoubtedly a challenge for the greater development of the competitiveness of Croatian agriculture and food production in which innovation and technology development in this area is an essential characteristic - it was pointed out, among other things, at the opening of the Seventh international fair on innovation in agriculture, food industry and agricultural machinery, held for the second time in Biograd, from 9 to 11 May 2014.
This time, to a great number of citizens, farmers and stakeholders over 400 innovations in agriculture were presented, the results of creative ideas and actions of those who seek a modern and competitive way to present domestic production of food and new food products both in Croatia and to other European countries and beyond. Anyway, the fact that, along with numerous domestic exhibitors from all over the Croatia, at the Agro Arca participated exhibitors and innovators from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates confirms this.
The sponsor of the International Fair Agro Arca was the Ministry of Agriculture, the organizers the Croatian Association of Innovators, Croatian Association for Technical Culture and the Town of Biograd, while the Croatian Chamber of Economy – Zadar County Chamber was the co-organizer, along with the Zadar County. Partners of the fair were the Karlovac County, towns Slatina, Benkovac and Ivanić Grad, and the Tourist Board of Biograd. Zadar County Chamber of Commerce presented itself, like last year, at an info-stand, at which all the information about the European Union project "Miniaturization technology: synergies of research and innovation to enhance the economic development of the Adriatic - IPATECH" could be obtained. The project is carried out by the Chamber for more than a year in collaboration with numerous partners from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Greece and Italy.
The IPATECH project objectives and its presentation were very well integrated into the objectives and activities of the Agro Arca fair, considering the emphasis that is given in the field of competitiveness and innovation and application of new technologies in small and medium-sized family farms. Thus, the action and the possibility of expert support of the Agro-food innovation center spurred the interest of a part of exhibitors and visitors, and within that - as an example of a person who found the support for the development of his innovative ideas in the INPO center - a significant innovation of the innovator Ernest Čubrić from Zadar was presented in the field of treatment and processing of herbs, fruits and vegetables, which received a special award from the professional jury - the Golden Medallion.
In addition, special interest of the high school " Knez Branimir“ from Benkovac and elementary school "Milka Trnina" from Križ should be emphasized. Those schools intend, as part of their teaching activities, to introduce their students more closely to the project IPATECH.
