At the opening of the 30th anniversary international conference Society and Technology at the Zagreb Innovation Centre ZICER, the attendees were addressed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković.
He emphasized the importance of connecting science, technology, media, and the economy, as well as the challenges of modern digital society.
“For me, this conference has a special dimension, as it was founded by my late father and late uncle, so I would like to thank everyone who continued organizing this conference for many years after they were gone.”
Connecting science, technology, and media
Plenković emphasized that from the very beginning, the conference was aimed at linking different areas of society and monitoring contemporary global trends: “Since its inception, it has been an attempt to connect science, technological development, and the role of the media, and finally their reflections on the economy in the best possible way, by following contemporary trends, anticipating global trends, and striving to keep pace with what people in the scientific community have sought to follow in their work.”
He also highlighted the extraordinary development of artificial intelligence and technological solutions, which today are significantly changing the way we communicate and work.
“Technology has advanced so much that the founders of this conference probably could not even have dreamed that after 30 years, thanks in practice to artificial intelligence, we would have automatic translation.”
At the same time, he pointed to the importance of media literacy in an era of rapid information flow and social media: “Today we live under, I would say, not a forest but a jungle of information that is available to everyone every day. The real skill is to distinguish complete, true, accurate, and verified information from that which is not.”
He also emphasized that the Croatian government, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, supports projects to increase media literacy, especially among younger generations, who are increasingly obtaining information through social media.
Croatia, Slovenia, and Europe's competitiveness
He also devoted part of his speech to relations between Croatia and Slovenia and emphasized the importance of stable cooperation between the two countries: “Croatia and Slovenia are not only friendly neighboring countries, but nations oriented toward one another. The policy of the Croatian government is aimed at peacefully resolving open issues and strengthening economic and cultural cooperation. In ten years of leading the government, I can say that we have not had even five minutes of tension in our relations.”
The Prime Minister of Croatia also presented the national plan for the development of the Croatian economy, with an emphasis on industry and the ICT sector.
“Only countries that adapt quickly and invest in technology remain competitive.”
In conclusion, he also emphasized the importance of a competitive European economy and the consequences of global crises for European countries: “If energy prices are higher, the effects on the entire economy are immediate, which is felt in inflation, social tensions, and political processes.”
