State Secretary Vedrana Šimundža Nikolić participated on Tuesday 16 June 2026 in the final conference of the NRRP investment "Establishment of a central data lake repository and business analytics system", organised by the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation in Dubrovnik
The project represents an important step forward in the further development of the digital transformation of public administration, and the established infrastructure forms the basis of the national data infrastructure.
‘With this investment, funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, we have laid the groundwork for building a national data infrastructure. The data that Croatia has collected for years now have a home, a structure and a path to those who need them’, said the State Secretary.
The goal of establishing a central data lake repository and a business analytics system is to improve data management in the state administration, improve the reporting system and enable data-driven decision-making. The project has given over 500 public administration bodies access to a common data infrastructure, creating the preconditions for a more efficient operation of the institutions, a reduction in costs and a safer sharing and use of data.
The new infrastructure will allow public policy makers to access data in real time, while opening up new opportunities for citizens, researchers and innovators to use public sector data for research, innovation development and decision-making.
An important part of the established system is also the Shared Services Centre, one of the key elements of the digital transformation of public administration. Thanks to the government cloud, public sector bodies can use a common, reliable and scalable information and communication technology (ICT) and a range of shared services that form the basis for the further development of digital solutions.
Numerous partners participated in the implementation of the project, including APIS IT, the Croatian Institute of Public Health, the Croatian Employment Service, the Ministry of Health and teams of state institutions that participated in system integration and business process adaptation.
‘The infrastructure has been built. Now our task is to use it - to fill it with data, to open up access to researchers and innovators, and to align it with the coming European standards. As a country, we are in a position to be an active participant in the European data space. Let's try and use this opportunity to the best of our ability, because infrastructure is not the goal. The goal is the well-being of society that it can improve’, concluded the State Secretary.
Participants of the conference were also welcomed by the Mayor of the City of Dubrovnik, who emphasized the importance of digital transformation and investment in modern data infrastructure for the development of public services and the local community. In his address, he also recalled the historical importance of information for the Dubrovnik Republic.
The Director General for the Development of National Information Infrastructure and Electronic Services also spoke about the importance of the project and the role of data infrastructure, pointing out that Croatia had been continuously investing in the development of the national information infrastructure for the past ten years, which was the basis for the development of digital services intended for citizens and the economy.
‘Central data lake is one of the key elements of the national information infrastructure. It is located in the government cloud i.e. the Shared Services Centre, which is used by public sector bodies to provide services to citizens and business entities. It is a place for storing different types of data that can later be used for different analyses and for making better decisions', said Director General Modrušan.
'When you have data in a data lake, you need to know how to use it. So far, we have trained around 300 civil servants so that they can use the data, extract useful insights from it and turn it into better public services for citizens', he added.
As part of the expert part of the programme, Mladen Goršeta, chief IT architect in APIS IT for the Shared Services Centre, gave a presentation on the "Government Cloud as Core Infrastructure for Secure Data Exchange in Public Administration". Examples of using the data platform were presented by Hana Zoričić from the Ministry of Finance and Slavko Štefičar from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, while Dr. Anja Barešić from the Ruđer Bošković Institute gave a presentation on "AI at the Service of Science and Medicine".
The role of artificial intelligence and data in modernising public administration was discussed at the panel entitled "AI and data as drivers of innovation in state administration", moderated by Miljenko Hajnić, Head of Sector for Interoperability and Data Management of the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation. The panel was attended by the Director and Board Member of Combis Dean Krušić, Director of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics Lidija Brković and Dr. Anja Barešić.
The conference participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with the possibilities of applying business analytics and AI in public administration, examples of using the data platform and the role of the government cloud in the secure exchange of data.
The event brought together representatives of the state administration, academia and the IT sector and provided an overview of the results of the implemented investment aimed at establishing a modern data platform for the efficient management and use of data in the public sector.
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