(Editor’s note: This post about the new Rimac complex is part of our Tech Tuesday series. Dispatches covers tech because so many of our highly skilled internationals are engineers and entrepreneurs.)
Spanning 75,000-plus square metres (about 1 million square feet) and costing an estimated 200 million euros, the Rimac Campus is the largest automotive complex in not only Croatia, but this part of Europe. You won’t find it in the main city of Zagreb, however. To see this sci-fi-like construction, you’ll need to travel to a slightly obscure village called Kerestinec about 16 kilometres west of the center city.
The name Rimac will be familiar to many, as it belongs to the man who unchained Croatia from its “sunshine and sea” shackles and allowed it to ascend to the international stage as a country of innovation and automotive genius. Indeed, the country that once had zero car industry to speak of is now the country where the fastest electric vehicle on Earth – Rimac’s own Nevera R – was born.
That’s certainly apt for the country of Nikola Tesla’s birth.
Doing the impossible
Mate Rimac is known for somehow managing to do the impossible. He has proved his dogged determination multiple times, going from tinkering with cars in his garage to being worth more than $2 billion.
Naturally, when he first mentioned his desire to construct a huge campus in the aforementioned rural village, where he’d produce not only batteries and powertrains but also supercars, most were convinced it was impossible. There are many “impossibles” that can be applied all over Croatia, but it’s worth remembering that Mate Rimac has become the master of the impossible.
The Rimac Campus is gargantuan, and Croatia’s Business Diary reports that despite being so enormous, it’s already fully occupied. Around 70 percent of the space is currently dedicated to Rimac Technology (primarily large-scale production lines for battery systems for electric cars from world–renowned manufacturers), and the rest by the Bugatti Rimac, which produces the incredible hypercars we see today.
The aforementioned Nevera (suggested price a mere $2.2 million) is produced here, making it an entirely Croatian product. The Bugatti Tourbillon ($4.6 million) and Mistral ($5 million) also begin their journeys here, before being completed in Molsheim, France.
New tech, Old World craftsmanship
More than 200 million euros will be invested in the Rimac Campus, transforming Kerestinec, a village few had ever paid attention to on the outskirts of Zagreb, into the home of a state-of-the-art global HQ. The main axis of the Rimac Campus, which runs through its very heart, is internally known as Stradun, named after the famous Dubrovnik street, often cited as the most beautiful on Earth. “Stradun” is the entrance to various production units, also serving as a connection to eateries, rest areas, offices and warehouses.
Owing to this giant new complex, Bugatti Rimac has been able to take over some of the work that was previously done by external suppliers. The new production experience gained on the Concept One and Nevera models is combined here with the centuries-old craftsman traditions cherished by Bugatti, thus giving Croatia and its talent a chance to show that textile, leather, metalworking and many other professions are far from dead.
The finest leather for these expensive vehicles is processed here, all according to the demands of a highly select clientele. Those engaged in this know exactly which car their product will be going into, and rarely are two the same. They often communicate with the end customers during the fitting process, making sure things are right, down to the tiniest of details.
In this sense, Croatia is seamlessly bringing together mind-boggling new technology and the type of ancient art that has largely been lost to oblivion in many places elsewhere. Proving that tech and tradition belong together is another thing that makes the Rimac Campus special.
Open campus
With no fences and open to all who want to visit it, there is so much that can be said about the remarkable Rimac Campus, and this story just keeps on unfolding. Mate Rimac has succeeded in bringing in talent from across Croatia and abroad. Big names from BMW now work for Rimac here in Croatia, and with his vision to create the world’s most exciting and powerful electric sports cars and electrified performance components, it’s likely he will just keep on bringing in great minds.
In a mere decade, Rimac Automobili has grown from one man tinkering in his garage to an impressive technology powerhouse that has everyone talking about Croatia, and finally because of something other than the beaches and the colour of the sea.
By the way, Rimac Technoloyog currently has 88 open positions, which you can see here. Bugatti Technology has 67 open positions, which you can see here.
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Lauren Simmonds
Lauren Simmonds is the editor of Total Croatia News, the largest English language portal in Croatia. She lives in Zagreb, Croatia, and is a translator, content writer, interpreter and the co-author of "Croatia - A Survival Kit for Foreigners," which was published in 2022.
