On 1 July, Zagreb hosted the second edition of the Liftoff conference at the Mozaik Event Centre, bringing together more than 400 participants from across Europe, including over 80 startups and technology companies and more than 40 investors and venture capital funds. The conference was organized by Nuqleus, the program of the Innovation Centre Nikola Tesla at FER, with the support of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, the World Bank, and the DIGIT project.

For DIGIT, Liftoff carries special weight: Nuqleus is part of the DIGIT Project and is growing through the project’s investments in strengthening Croatia’s research and innovation system. What began as a support program for scientists commercializing their research is today a venture builder with more than 25 spinoff companies and over €4.5 million raised, ranked by the Financial Times among Europe’s leading startup hubs in the mentoring segment.

This year’s edition focused on Europe’s strategic technological sovereignty, with speakers including Marko Primorac, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank; Michiel Scheffer, President of the Board of the European Innovation Council; and Stefan Drüssler, COO of UnternehmerTUM. The Ministry of Science, Education and Youth was represented by Hrvoje Meštrić, PhD, Director General of the Directorate for Science and Technology, who coordinates the implementation of the DIGIT Project.

DIGIT was also present with its own exhibition booth, where visitors could learn about the project’s programs and funding opportunities, from technology transfer support to development of startups. Liftoff 2026 confirmed DIGIT’s core premise: systematic investment in the innovation ecosystem delivers measurable results.