The stone was laid by Regional Development and European Union Funds Minister Branko Grcic, Science and Education Minister Zeljko Jovanovic, the head of the IPA service for accession negotiations at the European Commission, Elena Grench, Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic, and Zagreb University rector Aleksa Bjelis.
The Biocentar project is being implemented as part of the EU's IPA Regional Competitiveness Operational Programme.
Jovanovic said the project was worth HRK 140 million (approx. EUR 18.7 million), adding that it was within the remit of the science and education ministry and that the end user was the RH BICRO business and investment agency.
Grcic said about EUR 2.5 million of that amount went for the preparation of the project, which was financed via the science and education ministry's budget and a World Bank technology development project.
He said over EUR 16.3 million was envisaged for Biocentar, of which nearly 85 per cent came from the EU.
Grech said the EU was working towards ensuring sustainable economic growth by 2018.
Biocentar is the first such centre in Croatia. Its premises cover 4,500 square metres. The project is aimed at providing conditions for the operation of developing small and medium enterprises that deal in bioscience and technology. Biocentar will open its doors in 2015.