Oracle, along other representatives of the academic and research community, the government and the local SME community, participated at the 7th international scientific and professional conference “Challenges of Today,” (COT) organized by a prominent Oracle Academy member institution, Šibenik University of Applied Science, Croatia.
The 7th bi-annual international scientific and professional conference took place from September 11–13, 2025 in Šibenik, the first coastal city established by Croats in 11th century at the mouth of the Krka River in the Adriatic Sea. This year’s conference focused on the synergy of the blue and green economy and new approaches to sustainability.
Šibenik University of Applied Sciences (Veleučilište u Šibeniku, or VUŠ in Croatian) is a prominent Croatian higher education institution established in 2006 and focused on applied sciences and professional studies. It offers undergraduate and professional programs in tourism, maritime studies, information technology, business, and environmental sustainability. VUŠ actively participates in international projects, like Erasmus+ and Interreg, leading initiatives that foster innovation, cross-border cooperation, and regional development. By emphasizing hands-on learning and combining practical training with research, global partnerships, and industry cooperation, it equips students with the skills and experience they need to meet contemporary economic, technological, and environmental challenges, thus strengthening both the local community and the broader region.
The university’s focus on industry cooperation is reflected in its active involvement in the Oracle Academy program. It led two Erasmus+ projects in cooperation with Oracle so far (CodeIn, which ended in early 2024 and was focused on cloud computing during the pandemic, and EcoMinds, which is still ongoing and started late 2024, focused on creating innovative courses in machine learning and database design while addressing environmental and climate challenges at both local and European levels. The university also participated in the EverGreen project, which created new courses and learning and teaching materials on environmental data analytics.
Playing an active role in connecting academia and industry to address local and broader, regional challenges, it also leads an ongoing project as part of the Interreg Italy–Croatia 2021–2027 cross-border cooperation program. The project, with its consortium of partners from Italy and Croatia, named MareSkill in short and officially titled “Smart and innovative blue skills for competitive blue economy,” aims to align educational programs in the Adriatic region with the evolving skill demands of the blue economy, fostering innovative teaching modules, cross-border training programs, and practical upskilling initiatives for students and professionals in maritime industries.
Throughout its COT conference, VUŠ provided its participants a platform where insights from Interreg and Erasmus+ projects (like MareSkill and EcoMinds) were actively shared and discussed, complemented with contributions from industry partners, including Oracle.
Morana Butković, Senior Manager, Account Cloud Engineering, Database Platform, Oracle Croatia, and Darko Jureković, Senior Marketing Manager, Oracle Academy EMEA, spoke on Thursday, September 11, about driving sustainability in an organization with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and explained how Oracle Academy supports its members across CEE on their EU-funded projects.
Boris Petrušić, Country Representative, Oracle Croatia, and Cluster Leader, Database Platform for Croatia and Hungary, participated on Friday, September 12, in a panel discussion, “Synergy Of Blue and Green Economy – Sustainability In Focus.” Joining him were representatives of the government (the Ministry of the Environment and Green Transition), the academic and scientific community (the University of Zadar, the Economic Institute, and the Institute for Tourism) and the local SME community, discussing how Oracle technologies can support local objectives of sustainable tourism, marine resource management, and digital transformation.
Frane Urem, Vice Dean for Financial Affairs at VUŠ, college professor with tenure and an Oracle Academy instructor, said that the conference provided an “excellent networking opportunity for students and young professionals to engage directly with industry experts, but also for partners working on different projects to meet in person and discuss potential future joint projects.”
For Boris, representing Oracle, the conference also provided an opportunity to engage in “productive discussions with academia and the government on emerging trends in the blue and green economy and how our offerings, namely AI, could help them achieve their specific objectives.”
The conference, with its densely packed three-day long program, again served as a potent hub for dialogue on pressing global and regional challenges, ranging from sustainability and climate action to digital transformation and sustainable tourism.