Craig Turp-Balazs

2 days ago | emerging-europe.com | Craig Turp-Balazs |Craig Turp

While tourists still flock to Croatia and Slovenia’s picturesque coastlines, a less visible invasion is underway. Data centres—the factories of the digital age—are staking their claim along the Adriatic. The gentle lapping of Adriatic waves against ancient stone harbours now increasingly competes with the hum of server fans. Croatia and Slovenia, countries better known for tourism and picturesque coastlines, are strategically positioning themselves as emerging digital infrastructure hubs.

3 days ago | emerging-europe.com | Craig Turp-Balazs |Craig Turp

Ministers clink glasses every time a multinational lands in Central and Eastern Europe. But it’s time the region stopped chasing headlines and started backing the family bakeries, tool shops and start-ups that truly keep the lights on. In Târgoviște, a small town 80 kilometres northwest of Romania’s capital Bucharest, best known as the site of the princely court of 15th century ruler Vlad Țepeș (the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Maria Sandu’s workshop hums with activity.

1 week ago | emerging-europe.com | Craig Turp-Balazs |Craig Turp

Demographic decline—an increasing problem across much of CEE and the Baltics—need not signal permanent retreat. Rather, it offers the perfect moment for reinvention. It’s no secret that demographic decline is quietly reshaping much of Central and Eastern Europe. Bulgaria’s population, once nine million strong, is now below seven million, shrinking as swiftly as Latvia’s, which has seen a fifth of its people vanish since 1991.

1 week ago | emerging-europe.com | Craig Turp-Balazs |Craig Turp

While remittances, hydropower schemes, and fields have long defined Tajikistan’s economy, the writing on the wall is clear—reinvention is needed. Bold investments in technology and innovation could provide a promising alternative to traditional revenue streams. Landlocked and mountainous, Tajikistan’s economy is as rugged as its topography.

1 week ago | emerging-europe.com | Craig Turp-Balazs |Craig Turp

In warehouses and tech parks from Kyiv to Kraków, entrepreneurs once building apps and software are now designing drones and cyber defences. Russia’s invasion forced a swift pivot, and in doing so, turned Central and Eastern Europe into the unexpected frontier of military-tech innovation and economic renewal. Russia’s war in Ukraine has not only shattered Europe’s decades-long peace but also reshaped economic geography, security, and investment flows across Central and Eastern Europe.