On March 20, 2026, five researchers gathered over a video call to officially launch what may be one of the most unconventional research projects in recent Croatian science. The project is called AGENT — The Algorithmic Entrepreneurial Process: Reshaping the Dominant Paradigm — and its ambition is nothing short of rewriting the playbook on how new businesses are born, by harnessing the power of quantum computers and artificial intelligence.
Where entrepreneurship meets the quantum world
Entrepreneurship — the process of discovering opportunities, designing ventures, and bringing them to market — has traditionally been studied as a deeply human endeavour, shaped by intuition, experience, and a fair amount of “luck”. But what if the earliest and most critical stages of building a business could be formulated as computational problems? And what if some of those problems are so complex that only a quantum computer can solve them efficiently?
That is the central question driving AGENT. The project sets out to establish the scientific foundations of algorithmic entrepreneurship — a concept recently proposed by leading international scholars who have called for pioneering work at this frontier.
Funded by the Croatian Science Foundation under grant UIP-2025-02-7375, the project carries a total budget of 201,632.95 euros and will run until February 2031.
The team bridging two worlds
The project brings together researchers from across disciplines. Alongside Principal Investigator Robert Kudelić, whose research spans randomized algorithms, combinatorial optimization, and quantum computing, the core team includes Assistant Professor Tamara Šmaguc, who works at the intersection of ICT, AI, and quantum computing in the context of entrepreneurship; Associate Professor Mladen Turuk from the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Economics and Business, an expert in digital entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial strategies, and SMEs; Maja Cerjan, a research assistant specializing in databases, business intelligence, and data warehouses; and Ana Novak, a doctoral student focused on digital transformation and small business.
From kickoff to quantum leap
The kickoff meeting, held on March 20, 2026, covered the project's funding structure, key milestones, methodology, and potential collaborations. The principal investigator presented the team with a comprehensive overview of what has thus far been accomplished, e.g., the project website is live, a conference paper planned for the first project year has already been accepted for publication, the project promotional materials have been created. Looking ahead, the team discussed upcoming activities including a qualitative research workshop, laboratory formation, and procurement of software and equipment needed to push the research forward.
Why it matters?
The project is firmly aligned with the European Union's strategic priorities in quantum technologies and digital transformation. But beyond policy alignment, AGENT addresses a genuinely fundamental question: as algorithms and AI become more capable, can they reshape the very essence of how entrepreneurship works?
If the AGENT team succeeds, the implications could be far-reaching. Imagine a future where aspiring entrepreneurs can consult quantum-powered tools that help them evaluate opportunities, design business models, or optimize their launch strategies — not through generic advice, but through solutions to computationally hard problems that no classical computer could efficiently crack. The project ranked first in its evaluation panel at the Croatian Science Foundation — a testament to the scientific community's recognition of its potential.
For now, the journey from the entrepreneurial drawing board to the quantum circuit has officially begun. The researchers in Varaždin and their international collaborators have five years to bridge two worlds that have never been formally connected. If they do, they won't just have built an algorithm — they will have helped build the foundations of an entirely new scientific discipline.
*Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in project materials are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Croatian Science Foundation.
