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Čakovec old town

Međimurje County, Croatia

Čakovec old town
© xbrchx | Adobe

Međimurje County, the northernmost county in Croatia, lies between the Mura and the Drava rivers, on the borders with Slovenia and Hungary. Međimurje is known as a rural as well as an entrepreneurial area, with highly developed manufacturing and, in particular, metal-working industries. In recent years, it has also been making its mark as a holiday and wellness destination: the number of tourist overnight stays tripled from 2009 to 2019. One specific feature of this county is its large Roma minority.

Examples of projects and initiatives supported by the EU

Grants for companies

A large number of companies have received EU grants for the development of innovative new products, such as Šestan-Busch for multifunctional safety helmets, and Čateks for fireproof fabrics.

Renovating and buying equipment for the day hospital in Čakovec

One dilapidated building belonging to the Čakovec County Hospital was renovated and put into operation with new amenities: a central outpatient chemotherapy clinic, an outpatient psychiatric clinic, an inpatient psychiatric unit and a physiotherapy unit. The EU co-financed the project to the tune of EUR 5.6 million.

Metal Centre

The EU co-financed the 'Metal Core' education and development centre in Čakovec, which opened in 2021, to the tune of EUR 3.5 million. The centre has laboratories dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT) and for creating prototypes intended for research in collaboration with businesses. Companies will also have an advanced 3D printer at their disposal that does not exist anywhere else in Croatia. The proximity of 'Metal Core' has encouraged some companies to open facilities in Čakovec.

Meat from tiblica

In 2017, the Međimurje specialty 'Meso 'z tiblice' was included in the European register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications, which has improved Međimurje's gastronomic appeal.

Energy renovations of school buildings

Co-financing was provided for the energy renovation of buildings belonging to around a dozen Međimurje primary schools in Donja Dubrava, Donji Kraljevec, Goričan, Selnica, Šenkovec, Hodošan and Macinec. The premises of the construction, technical and economic and trade schools in Čakovec were also renovated. The EU co-financed 85% of the costs of the renovation of the school buildings.

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