MEETING G2 IN ŠIBENIK: RETURNEES BRING KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES

How can we make better use of the experience of Croatian returnees for Croatia’s development, and what do we need to do so that even more of our emigrants decide to return?

These were some of the key questions at the conference “Croatia Connects – from the Croatian Diaspora to the Croatian Labour Market”, organised in Šibenik at the end of September by the Ministry of Demography and Immigration, with the active participation of the Meeting G2 Association.

The President of Meeting G2, Antun Krešimir Buterin, moderated the panel “Returnees – people who develop Croatia with their knowledge and experience”. The panel was dedicated to people who spent part of their lives and careers outside Croatia and then decided to bring their knowledge, experience, contacts and business ideas back home.

Among the panellists was the Vice-President of the Meeting G2 Association, Ante Lučić, who spoke from his own experience about returning and reconnecting with Croatia in both business and life.

The experiences of returnees show that the decision to return is never purely economic. It is shaped by quality of life, family, a sense of belonging, business opportunities, the administrative environment, and the chance to genuinely apply in Croatia the knowledge gained abroad.

As part of the conference, Buterin also held a special one-on-one conversation with John Gašparac, a successful Croatian returnee from Canada with many years of international business experience. They talked about his return and his career in Croatia, and about how new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, are changing the labour market.

Particular emphasis was placed on whether the development of AI and work on the global market could open a new opportunity for the Croatian diaspora: young professionals would no longer have to choose between an international career and life in Croatia, but could live in Croatia and work for the world.

For Meeting G2, this is a particularly important topic. Returnees bring Croatia more than just a workforce. They bring international experience, business culture, contacts, knowledge and a different perspective on the opportunities Croatia has. But a successful return also requires an environment in which this experience can really be put to use.

We thank the Ministry of Demography and Immigration for organising the conference and for the opportunity for Meeting G2 to contribute to a discussion on a topic that has been at the very heart of our Association’s work since its founding. Every successful return story can be the best encouragement for someone, somewhere in the world, who is wondering whether their next step in life or business could be Croatia.