Bernard Ivezic

Bernard Ivezić is the Co-founder and President of HISPACE, the Croatian Space Industry Association, where he leads efforts to position Croatia as an emerging hub for space technology and innovation. Under his leadership, HISPACE connects industry, academia, and government, fosters collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), and drives national outreach and education about space. The association organizes Say HI to SPACE, the largest space conference in Croatia, along with a series of specialized meetups that bring together researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Through HISPACE, Bernard is committed to strengthening Croatia’s role in the European and global space economy. His work emphasizes the development of space-critical technologies, the growth of aerospace startups and companies, and building pathways for Croatia’s participation in international space missions and programs.

Beyond HISPACE, Bernard co-founded Nucleus Aerospace, Croatia’s first rocket startup, as well as Unicorn Underground (^UU), a research and data initiative mapping startups, scaleups, and unicorns across the region. He also co-created the AI-Native Academy, an initiative dedicated to advancing the knowledge and application of artificial intelligence — a technology increasingly vital to space systems, satellites, and data processing.

With more than 25 years of experience in market research, media, and technology, Bernard is recognized as one of the leading voices in Croatia’s innovation ecosystem. He has moderated panels at major tech events such as Infobip Shift, mentored startups at ZICER and Voogle, and served as a jury member for investment and startup competitions including CVCA BestInvest, GameChanger, and Invest in Zagorje.