Ericsson Nikola Tesla Opens Research & Development Centre in Slavonia

New centre opens in Osijek (Photo:Ericsson Nikola Tesla)

Ericsson Nikola Tesla’s research and development has expanded to Slavonia with the opening of its Research and Development Center in Osijek on Friday.

Gordana Kovačević, president of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Croatian largest exporter of knowledge, Ivica Vrkić, Mayor of Osijek, and Ivan Anušić, County Prefect of Osijek-Baranja County welcomed numerous guests which included Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts Darko Horvat, Minister of Environment and Energy Tomislav Ćorić, Gabrijela Žalac, Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Minister of Science and Education Blaženka Divjak, Oleg Butković, Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, and Vlado Guberac, Rector of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.

Gordana Kovačević pointed out that Ericsson Nikola Tesla, with its large Research and Development Center which employs 1400 out of total 3100 employees, significantly contributes to the strategic goals of technological, economic and social sustainability. She highlighted that the company will continue its practice of annual investments of more than 400 million kuna in people and knowledge, and owing to this, people from Slavonia, together with their colleagues from Zagreb and Split will participate in the development of 4G and 5G mobile communications.

Gordana Kovačević (Ericsson Nikola Tesla)

Currently, there are thirty, mostly young employees working in the office in Osijek, and additional employment and expansion are planned. The dynamics of this process will depend on the availability of highly educated experts.

Gordana Kovačević also thanked numerous individuals and institutions on their cooperation, because without their support this success would not have been possible, and concluded: “Instead of young people leaving Slavonija and going into the world, the world is making a big entrance to Slavonija, and our ICT ambassadors will take care of that through their work, knowledge and devotion, because they are connected to all the countries and experts in global Ericsson. This is the best message we are sending out today.”

Osijek (Photo: Ivo Biočina/Croatian National Tourist Board)

Prime Minister Plenković thanked Ericsson Nikola Tesla on opening a new research and development center in Osijek and stated that this is a powerful message for the future, and a guideline how, by using modern technologies, we can create good prerequisites for the development of Slavonija. We live in a digital age where technology is one of the drivers of the development of the entire society, and therefore it is important that the experts of this Research and Development Center will work on the global development of the fifth generation of mobile technology.

Prime Minister speaks at the opening (Ericsson Nikola Tesla)

He also reminded that the Government is strongly supporting digital transformation processes as important components of all structural reforms and expressed his satisfaction that support and contribution of ministries and public administration bodies on regional and local levels were recognized for such an important project.

He highlighted that in this way, much needed new job openings and high-value jobs are created, and better prospects for young people and their families are secured, and therefore based on this model, he expects more quality projects in the future.