Giant data centre and innovation campus, codenamed Pantheon – to be built at Topusko, south of Zagreb – is expected to turn Croatia into a regional hub for digital infrastructure.
Vuk Tesija
The planned AI center should be ready by 2029. Photo: Illustration of the Pantheon project
A huge Artificial Intelligence Development and Innovation Centre in Croatia, known as Project Pantheon, valued at €50 billion, was presented on Tuesday as part of the Three Seas Initiative Business Forum in Dubrovnik. The project involves a state-of-the-art data centre with a total capacity of 1 GW, meeting availability standards above the highest “Tier 4” level applied in the European Union.
Construction of the centre at Topusko is scheduled to begin in 2027, with operations expected to start in early 2029.
In collaboration with its strategic partner, the Koncar Group, the centre will build its own electrical substation and 280 kilometers of new transmission lines. Another strategic partner, Greenvolt, will construct a 500 MW photovoltaic power plant dedicated exclusively to the centre’s needs.
Investments in Croatia’s transmission grid will enhance the security and stability of the entire system. At the same time, increased capacity will enable the integration of up to 5.2 GW of currently unused renewable energy sources into the national power system. The project is also expected to increase the number of private electricity producers in Croatia, potentially lowering electricity prices.
The centre will rely on its own wells and will not be connected to the existing water supply or sewage systems. Water used for cooling will undergo evaporation, meaning its chemical composition will remain unchanged. Significant investments are also planned for the expansion and improvement of road infrastructure, as well as the installation of optical fiber infrastructure.
Total infrastructure investments benefiting the state, society, local community, and county, covering electrical, road, and optical systems, are estimated at around €500 million. The project is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs during construction, 1,500 permanent positions once operational, and indirectly support the creation of an additional 6,000 jobs.
Jako Andabak, the Croatian partner and co-owner of the centre, said the project positions Croatia among the leading countries in the European and global technology industry. “We entrusted the project to domestic experts. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of highly skilled professionals capable of designing it, and in cooperation with Croatian industry, most of the project will be implemented locally,” he said.
“By building a robust and high-quality network, we have created the conditions for a stable and secure electricity supply without environmental impact, as confirmed by the study. The municipality of Topusko and Sisak-Moslavina County will certainly benefit from this,” he added.
Ryan Rich, executive partner of Pantheon AI and representative of American institutional investors, said Croatia is recognised as a safe and politically stable country with a well-educated workforce and strong work ethic.
“In our Croatian partner, Jako Andabak, we have found a reliable, technologically proficient, and goal-oriented collaborator, fully aware of the challenges and ready to overcome them with us,” Rich said. He added that the combination of American investment strength and Croatian expertise will ensure the project’s success.
“I have no doubt that this investment will be followed by others. It is now clear within international investment circles that Croatia is an attractive destination for investments,” he said.
Koncar CEO Gordan Kolak highlighted the company’s role in the project. “We are signing a letter of intent between the investor and Koncar, expressing a serious commitment to concluding a series of contracts for the project’s implementation. We are gradually transforming Croatia’s economic landscape and moving toward a significant shift from hydrocarbons to domestic renewable energy sources,” he said.
