Project “OCA” is implemented within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026 and is financed by European Union funds through the NextGenerationEU instrument.
Research team
Mile Bošnjak, PhD earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Department of Applied Mathematics at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb (2001). He subsequently completed a postgraduate scientific study in Accounting, Auditing, and Finance (2007) and a postgraduate doctoral study in Economics (2014) at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. He developed his professional career in the banking and financial sector, specializing in risk management and software development. He was elected to the scientific rank of Research Associate in 2016, and subsequently to the ranks of Senior Research Associate (2019) and Scientific Advisor (2022), meeting the criteria of scientific excellence. Since 2017, he has been employed at the Department of International Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, first as Assistant Professor (2017) and later as Associate Professor (2022). At the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, he teaches courses in International Economics and Empirical Finance, while at the Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, he is the course leader and lecturer for Fundamentals of Biostatistics, Medical Informatics, and Advanced Statistics. Independently and in co-authorship, he has published a university textbook and a university manual, as well as more than 80 scientific papers published in scientific journals or conference proceedings. Of the total number of scientific publications, 45 papers are indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (SSCI – 8, SCI-EXPANDED – 1, ESCI – 28, CPCI – 8), while 29 papers are indexed in the Scopus database. More than 10 single-authored and co-authored scientific papers have been published in journals with an impact factor above the median (WoSCC/Scopus). His scientific publications fall within the fields of Economics, Econometrics, and Finance, according to the Scopus subject area classification. For his scientific work in 2018, he received the “Dr. Pero Jurković” Award in the category of scientific papers in the field of finance published in journals, conference proceedings, or otherwise made available to the scientific and professional community. He was also awarded the Best Paper Award at an international scientific conference in Paris (June 2018) for the paper “Export-Led Growth Hypothesis: The Croatian Case Revisited”, granted by the International Society for Engineers & Researchers.
Associate Professor Ivan Novak, PhD, graduated in Business Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, in 2008. In 2012, he completed an MBA postgraduate programme in Business Management, and in 2015 he earned his PhD at the same institution. Since 2008, he has been employed at the Department of International Economics, initially as a research associate. In 2017, he was appointed Assistant Professor, and in 2022 he was promoted to Associate Professor, based on meeting the criteria of scientific excellence. He has actively participated in numerous national and international research projects, including: Managerial Tools in the Digital Enterprise (2008); Croatian–Slovenian Project: Management Tools in the EU and Croatia (2008–2010); the EU Tempus project Fostering Entrepreneurship in Higher Education (2008–2011); Research and Innovative Strategies for Smart Specialisation (2013); the LL Leonardo Project – SLIM, in cooperation with Manchester Metropolitan University (2012–2014); as well as more recent projects such as BUFSIE – Framework for Embedding Social and Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Higher Education Institutions (2021–) and Sustainable Future in Higher Business Education Inspired by Permaculture Design Principles (2023). At the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, he has been involved in teaching a wide range of courses, including International Economics, International Entrepreneurship, International Business, Technology Transfer, Advanced Forms of International Business, Applied International Economics, and Empirical Finance. He has also taught International Business at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin and at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb. He is the programme leader of the postgraduate specialist programme International Business Management. Throughout his academic career, he has published more than 80 scientific papers in academic journals and conference proceedings, of which 24 are indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection and 22 in the Scopus database. He is a recipient of the Dean’s Award (2008), the Best Paper Award granted by the International Society for Engineers & Researchers (2018), and the Award of the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb for scientific research productivity (2020), based on total citation counts.
Vlatka Bilas, PhD, is a Full Professor with tenure at the Department of International Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She was born in Split, completed primary school in Gradac, and attended a general secondary school in Ploče. She enrolled at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, in 1998 and graduated in 2002 with a degree in Finance. In the same year, she continued her academic education at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, where she obtained her Master of Science degree in 2004 and her PhD degree in 2006. In 2004, after one year of employment in the energy sector, she joined the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, as a research assistant. In 2008, she was elected to the academic rank of Assistant Professor, in 2012 to Associate Professor, in 2017 to Full Professor, and in 2024 to Full Professor with tenure at the Department of International Economics. She completed the Programme for the Development of Competences of Higher Education Teachers. She continuously participates in teaching activities at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels. She is a (co-)course leader and lecturer in courses such as International Economics, Regional Economic Integrations, Geoeconomics and Globalization, Contemporary Concepts in International Trade, International Economics, and Regional Economic Integrations at the undergraduate and integrated undergraduate and graduate programmes at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She was also a long-standing co-course leader and lecturer of the course Entrepreneurship and Exporting in High-Technology Industries at the graduate programme of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb. Since 2012, she has served as the Head of the postgraduate programme Export Management, where she is the course leader and lecturer for Contemporary Trends in International Exchange and Entrepreneurship and Exporting, as well as a co-course leader and lecturer for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness. She is actively involved in committee work at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. Since 2020, she has served two terms as Head of the Department of International Economics. Prof. Bilas continuously participates in the implementation of both national and international scientific and professional projects in the field of international economics and has supervised numerous undergraduate, graduate, specialist postgraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses. She has also been actively engaged as a consultant, expert advisor, and project leader of numerous scientific, professional, and strategic projects in various fields (e.g., Horizon Europe and Interreg projects). Since 2012, she has been the founder and owner of Notitia d.o.o., a consulting and services company. She is also the publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the international scientific journal Notitia – Journal for Economic, Business, and Social Issues. She served as Special Advisor to the Minister of Health for Planning and Analysis at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia. She held the position of Chair of five hospital rehabilitation boards and served as Regional Coordinator of 18 healthcare institutions in Central and Northern Croatia. She was a member of the Management Board of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund, Chair of the Management Board of the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices, a member of the Supervisory Board of Zagreb Airport, and a member of the Audit Committee of Zagreb Airport. Prof. Bilas has extensive experience in the preparation and coordination of numerous national, regional, and local strategic documents, including the Industrial Strategy of the Republic of Croatia 2014–2020, the Smart Specialisation Strategy of the Republic of Croatia 2016–2020, the Operational Plan for the Implementation of the Industrial Strategy of the Republic of Croatia 2014–2020, the National Plan for the Development of Clinical Hospital Centres, Clinical Hospitals, Clinics, and General Hospitals, the National Health Development Strategy 2012–2020, the Disaster Risk Management Strategy, the National Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Plan until 2027, and many others. She also works as a consultant for the World Bank. She is the recipient of the Dr. Pero Jurković Award for scientific papers in the field of finance at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb (2018). She has also received awards for Teaching Excellence at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb (2016) and for Outstanding Teaching Performance in the academic year 2015/2016. She is the author of over 150 scientific publications, including university textbooks, university manuals, and books, with most of her research and analyses published in national and international scientific and professional journals. She serves as a reviewer for numerous international scientific journals.
Prof. Gordana Kordić, PhD is a Full Professor with tenure at the Department of Finance, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1998 and her Master’s degree in 2002 from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She obtained her PhD in 2006 at the Faculty of Economics, University of Mostar. From 1998 to 2005, she was employed at the Faculty of Economics, University of Mostar. Since 2005, she has been employed at the Department of Finance, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. She was appointed to the academic rank of Full Professor with tenure in 2023. Previously, she was elected to the academic rank of Assistant Professor in 2007, Associate Professor in 2012, and Full Professor in 2017. She teaches several courses within the Department of Finance and serves as a visiting professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has published several dozen scientific and professional papers, both independently and as a co-author, and in 2018 she received the “Dr. Pero Jurković” Award for the best scientific paper in the field of finance. She actively participates in domestic and international scientific conferences and academic events. She serves as a reviewer for scientific journals, conferences, and scholarly monographs. She regularly attends professional and scientific training workshops and has undertaken multiple periods of advanced training abroad. She participated in the European Entrepreneurship Colloquium on Participant-Centered Learning at Harvard Business School, Boston, USA (July 2007), and spent the period from October to December 2007 at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, within the framework of International & Area Studies.
Zoran Wittine, PhD, is employed at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, where he has been working as an Assistant Professor since 2006. He enrolled in the Business Economics programme at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in 2004. He continued his academic education at the same institution, earning a Master of Science in Business Economics in 2010 and completing his doctoral studies in Business Economics in 2012. He began his professional career in the consulting sector and worked as a consultant at the international consulting firm McKinsey & Company from 2005 to 2006. Since 2006, he has been employed at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, where he participates in teaching activities at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels. Throughout his academic and professional development, he has continuously pursued advanced professional training in the fields of innovation, risk management, and finance, including the Advanced Program in Business Innovation (Innovation Institute Zagreb), training in project and process risk management (Management Centre Oskar), and the programme Analysis and Management of Financial Risk at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has also participated in numerous international summer schools and programmes in Poland, Greece, and countries of Central and Eastern Europe. He actively participates in the implementation of numerous national and international professional and scientific projects. As an expert associate, he contributed to the preparation of key strategic documents of the Republic of Croatia, including the Industrial Strategy of the Republic of Croatia 2014–2020, projects focused on defining development priorities of broader regions (NUTS 2), as well as feasibility studies related to innovation networks, organizational restructuring, and the economic utilization of geothermal energy. In the area of scientific research, he has served as a project leader of international projects focused on social entrepreneurship and social innovation in higher education, and as a collaborator on a number of research projects in the fields of digital business, market strategies, and consumer behaviour. He has received multiple awards for his scientific and teaching activities. He is the recipient of Best Paper Awards at international conferences and in scientific journals in the United States, Ireland, and Sri Lanka, as well as the Best Lecturer Award at the graduate programme of the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb. During his studies, he was a scholarship holder of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports and the City of Zagreb. Dr. Wittine is actively involved in the international academic community as a member of organizing and programme committees of numerous international conferences in Europe, Asia, and North America. He also serves as a regular reviewer and editorial board member for several international scientific journals in the fields of economics, management, and business. He is a member of international professional and scientific organizations and actively participates in domestic and international professional associations.