Croatian Makers

According to European Commission data cited by IRIM, 44% of the EU population and 37% of its labour force lack sufficiently developed digital skills, at a time when automation is expected to create 21 million new jobs over the next 10-15 years, 90% of which will require at least some digital competency. IRIM (the Institute for Youth Development and Innovativity, branded Croatian Makers) works to build STEM competencies in children across Croatia and the wider region.

IRIM's STEM Revolution project was financed largely through Croatia's largest-ever crowdfunding campaign, raising over $300,000 from more than 2,500 individual and organisational donors, and delivered more than 25,000 coding devices to over 1,000 educational institutions — schools, universities, NGOs and orphanages — alongside teach-the-teacher workshops. Building on this, IRIM partnered with Croatia's Ministry of Science and Education to introduce micro:bit coding devices to all Grade 6 pupils nationally, training over 2,000 teachers, with additional support from a $250,000 Google grant to turn public libraries in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo into digital-innovation centres.

IRIM has grown into a national-scale STEM programme with strong corporate, philanthropic and government backing — partners include the Croatian Employers Association, Rotary clubs, and corporations such as Croatian Telecom, Croatian Post, Tele2 and the national oil company INA — sustained by successful national and EU grant applications alongside its crowdfunding and Google support.