When the first Smart Bench arrived in Zagreb last month, it was an immediate success. So it's little surprise that the innovative invention is taking off worldwide - the latest order comes from Australia.
The Steora smart bench is the clever creation of young entrepreneur Ivan Mrvoš. It can charge smartphones and serve as street lighting, while also acting as a wifi hotspot - and runs solely on solar energy. Even more impressive is its inbuilt cooling system, which keeps it a comfortable temperature even at the height of summer.
So far, the Include company that manufactures the benches have struck up a deal with Australian renewable energy company - a total of 2,700 benches will be delivered, and the deal is worth 5.3 million Euro.
The young inventor thanked the "20 young people who gave their 100% for this company, with some working 24 hours a day for 0 bonuses and stayed with us regardless of the fact that others said this would never be a large project.”
“Judging by everything, this will not be the only such contract this year, next week we are sending first test benches to Qatar, USA and Switzerland,” he added.