15.07.2021.
The three-day event entitled “Tesla&friends 2021” marked the eighth National Day of Nikola Tesla – Day of Science, Technology, and Innovation, and 165th birthday anniversary of the national hero and world-class genius Nikola Tesla.Tesla’s accomplishments were marked by laying a wreath at the foot of Tesla’s monument, presenting the annual Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future award, demonstration of Tesla’s inventions in the Technical Museum, light show at the fountains on the lawn in front of the National University Library, and the conference “Tesla in Zagreb”.
Nikola Tesla left an indelible mark in the world, and he is considered to be one of the greatest inventors ever. A story of a young man from a small village Smiljan in Lika who lit up the world is the story about knowledge, work, endeavour, and success. The Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future Association strive to promote Nikola Tesla and his innovation work, and to contribute to the promotion of the Republic of Croatia as the homeland of this brilliant man.
The legend says that Nikola Tesla was born on a stormy July night, when the sky above Smiljan was ablaze with the bolts of hundreds of lightning. His mother Georgina uttered the prophetic words: “This child will be the man of light!”
As part of the event, a panel discussion was held on the topic of “Innovation as the Driving Force of the Society” at the Hotel Esplanade, where project manager Nirvana Franković Mihelj, PhD, participated on behalf of the Environmental Protection and Energy Fund. The importance of innovations in today’s society was pointed out by other participants, such as Đuro Horvat, owner and director general of the company Tehnix, deputy president of the Economic Council of the Croatian Chamber of Economy and general manager of the company Altpro Zvonimir Viduka, vice-chancellor for innovation, technology transfer and communication at the University of Zagreb, and president of the Union of Croatian Inventors Miljenko Šimpraga, PhD. The panel discussion was an introduction for the conference “Tesla in Zagreb” that was held on Monday 12 July at the Hotel International, with the topics related to innovation in entrepreneurship, successful and ethical business, climate change, sustainable development and green energy, environmental protection, and entrepreneurship in the scope of Tesla’s work.
