The 29th Golden Kuna Awards were held at the Croatian National Theatre, a ceremony at which the Croatian Chamber of Commerce presented the most successful companies in 2024 with awards for excellence in business and contribution to the Croatian economy as a whole. The award winners include companies whose quality and innovation have long been recognized worldwide, as well as those that are just becoming recognizable brands on the international economic scene.
The most successful large company is Elka, the leading manufacturer of electrical cables in this part of Europe. In the medium-sized company category, the award went to Zagreb-based Ingemark, specializing in software engineering services and cloud and infrastructure consulting, while the Golden Kuna for the best small company was presented to Rijeka-based Think First, which operates under the Thoughtcap brand and offers solutions in the field of artificial intelligence.Elka’s special strength is its continuous investment in production and sustainable energy, in which the company has invested more than nine million euros in recent years. In the bank category, Privredna banka Zagreb was awarded, and in the insurance company category, Allianz Croatia. The winner of the Golden Kuna for lifetime achievement is Gordana Kovačević, a long-time leader of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, one of the largest technology companies in Croatia. During her impressive career, she led a number of the most complex telecommunications projects in domestic and foreign markets.A special recognition for the exceptional contribution to the development of arbitration law and practice was awarded to Prof. Emeritus Dr. Sc. Mihajlo Dika, for his engagement at the Permanent Arbitration Court at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and for strengthening the reputation of the Court at the domestic and international level as a modern arbitration institution.
The President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Luka Burilović, congratulated the nominees and awardees, emphasizing that the results of their work are a reward for everyone – both the economy and society. “The fact is that – despite all the blows to our economy and uncertainties – we have good macroeconomic indicators that give us the wind at our back. That is why we must continue to work on our resilience. Decisions of the utmost importance for the economy must be – timely, consistent and concrete. After all, tonight we celebrate those who do not wait for better times, but create them themselves,” said Burilović.
The Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković, congratulated the award winners and thanked them for their contribution to the national economy. “In these global circumstances, where the challenges are security and energy, we are trying to strengthen resilience. We tried to nurture it with targeted interventions so that as a society and citizens we go through it together and preserve social cohesion,” said Prime Minister Plenković. “We are grateful to all of you in the private sector who have found their niches in the changed international circumstances,” Plenković said. He said that the Government’s focus will continue to be on strengthening economic and energy security, as well as investing in defense and strengthening the army.
The Croatian Chamber of Commerce continuously follows modern trends in order to make it easier for its members to do business and align with new standards. It is a reliable partner on the path of digital transformation and adaptation to sustainable practices.
Source: Croatian Chamber of Economy