Our company was growing gradually and the profits were invested in development. Investing in human capital is key to success.
Željko Goja is a co-founder and co-owner of HSTec, an innovative product development and production company that has long experience in the field of high-speed spindles, industrial automation and robotics. Although he has recently retired from the position of executive officer, he is still engaged in the activities of HSTec and as the president of its Supervisory Board continues to encourage further growth of the company.
The story of HSTec started in a ruinous hall in Zadar in 1996 during the Croatian War of Independence (Homeland War). The company focuses on developing innovative solutions, on small production runs of sophisticated motors and the implementation of robots in the machine tool industry. Over the years, HSTec has received the Zlatni ključ (Golden Key) and Zlatna kuna (Golden Marten) awards four times.
“We were growing gradually and the profits were invested in development. Investing in human capital is key to success,” said Željko Goja. HSTec has two staff members with PhDs, the company finances their doctoral students and its employees are encouraged to pursue continuing professional development. “Today we have three main goals – to develop new generation products on the principles of Industry 4.0, to ensure continuing professional development of our employees and to invest in new production plants and equipment.” Željko Goja also stressed that the toughest period for the company was in 2009, the year of the international financial crisis. “Many of our German partners ceased their operations in 2009. We are extremely proud of the fact that, despite the crisis and the hard times, no employee was laid off.”
Željko Goja was born on the island of Ugljan. Interesting lectures delivered by his math teacher in high school in Zadar made him fall in love with mathematics and he decided to study mechanical engineering in Zagreb. Upon graduation, for 12 years he was teaching assistant at the Faculty, for several years he was also a lecturer at the Faculty of Forestry and the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Zagreb and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Slavonski Brod. “I loved Zagreb but I was drawn back to Zadar, the sea and the sun. It was 1989 when calamari, olives and olive oil began to smell nicer and inviting and I decided to return with my family to Zadar. I got a job at SAS-ZADAR first as a development designer, then I became head of the development department and then head of the design department.”
Goja said that he never felt sorry for leaving FSB although he liked working at the Faculty very much. “I enjoyed working with students, we worked on very good projects, too. I learned a lot from professors Alfirević, Husnjak and academician Jecić, but I wanted to work on something concrete too, not just with equations and theory.”
“We are always returning to our roots. So I got back south a long time ago. I am very happy that this successful story of HSTec is taking place precisely in Zadar. I have retired but I’m still very active, every day I can go to my Ugljan, go fishing and catching squid, do some gardening. Ideas often come to me when I’m at sea. I have always been good at drawing and developing an idea in my mind, it comes naturally to me. Nowadays at sea I explore ideas and think about business, and my boat is my ‘field office’.”
What makes a good mechanical engineer? Željko Goja says it is love for engineering and what you do. “If you do not love what you do, there is no future in that. I have always been interested in engineering, I was feeling fulfilled by engineering, and mechanics and vibrations in particular. I am happy how HSTec based its growth on innovations and development of new solutions and that we succeeded in transforming the knowledge of individuals into the knowledge of the company. Our team survived and I believe that the pleasant and stimulating working environment has an impact on this success. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate.”
