Source: MMPI
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković presented today, May 12, 2026, in Zagreb, contracts for the award of grants for the purchase of STCW equipment to secondary maritime schools and maritime faculties in the Republic of Croatia.
There are a total of 27 projects worth 635,941.72 euros, of which 13 projects of secondary maritime schools received 199,688.96 euros, while 14 projects of maritime faculties received 436,252.76 euros. The grants were awarded within the framework of public calls by the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure for equipping secondary and higher maritime academies with mandatory equipment in accordance with the provisions of the STCW Convention.
STCW Convention
The STCW Convention defines international standards that establish minimum requirements that states and educational institutions must meet to ensure an adequate level of expertise and competence of seafarers. Accordingly, the Republic of Croatia has been allocating grants to secondary maritime schools since 2018, and to maritime faculties since 2025, with the aim of harmonizing education with STCW standards and strengthening the quality of maritime personnel.
This year, the funds were allocated to secondary maritime schools in Mali Lošinj, Bakar, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Korčula and Dubrovnik, and to maritime faculties in Rijeka, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik, and are intended for the purchase of modern simulators, specialized equipment and other teaching aids necessary for the implementation of practical education of future seafarers in conditions as similar as possible to the real working conditions on board a ship.
Tradition in maritime affairs
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Butković emphasized on this occasion that Croatia is traditionally a maritime country, and Croatian seafarers have enjoyed a reputation for being professional and high-quality personnel on the international labor market for decades. “That is why it is extremely important to continuously invest in an educational system that will enable future generations of seafarers to acquire knowledge and skills in accordance with the highest international standards,” he added, emphasizing that projects worth a total of almost 3 million euros have been implemented within the framework of this model since 2018.
“I believe that these funds will contribute to the further development of your institutions, better education of future seafarers and preserving the competitiveness of the Croatian maritime sector,” emphasized the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Butković, who concluded his address by thanking everyone who participated in the preparation and application of projects and congratulating all institutions that were awarded funds, with wishes for much success in the implementation of the equipment procurement and its application in teaching.
