EFFECTUS University of Applied Sciences participated as a partner and supporter of the regional entrepreneurship competition Business Challenge 2026, held on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at the XII Gymnasium in Zagreb for the region of Continental Croatia. Through this participation, EFFECTUS once again confirmed its commitment to promoting entrepreneurial competencies among young people and supporting educational initiatives that encourage the development of business thinking and innovation.

The competition was officially opened with welcome speeches by representatives of the organizers and institutions that support the development of entrepreneurship among young people. Among them was Miljenko Javorović from EFFECTUS, who emphasized the importance of systematically encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset already during secondary school education.

During the competition, students developed and presented their business ideas within a limited time to a professional jury, demonstrating creativity, analytical thinking, and an understanding of market challenges. The expert jury evaluated the quality of the business models, the innovativeness of the ideas, and the sustainability of the proposed solutions.

Particular success was achieved by the Hug Wear team from the XII Gymnasium Zagreb, which won first place at the regional level of the competition. The winning team consisted of students Lea Kos, Ana Digula, and Paula Cirimotić, mentored by Professor Dijana Soldić.

The competition is organized by the Private Gymnasium and Economic School Katarina Zrinski and the Association Poduzetni, under the high patronage of the European Parliament, the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and the City of Zagreb.

We congratulate all participants on their effort, high-quality ideas, and entrepreneurial spirit, and wish them great success at the national level of the competition.