For the boost and the prestige he has brought to Rijeka in the fields of science and business, Ivo Usmiani was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. A member of the JGL Board of Directors, he received the award from the Rijeka City Council, following the recommendation of the Public Recognition Committee, which reviewed 27 eligible nominations and proposed a total of 14 awards for 2025 − 12 annual awards and two for lifetime achievement.
This marks Ivo Usmiani’s fourth Lifetime Achievement Award. The City Council’s official statement highlights the reasons for this recognition, stating:
“Over the course of his five-decade career, Ivo Usmiani has made a significant impact through his dedication, expertise, and engagement, strengthening entrepreneurship in Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, and Croatia. By building JGL into the most successful domestic pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rijeka, he has reinforced the role of pharmacy and pharmaceutical production as integral to the city’s health, scientific, economic, and cultural identity.”
Through his business and scientific collaboration with the University of Rijeka, Ivo Usmiani has played a key role in enhancing the quality of education, fostering the development of biotechnology and pharmacy studies with his passion, expertise, and leadership.
As President of the Council of the Faculty of Health Studies in Rijeka, he has been actively involved in improving the institution’s quality management, teaching, and research since its founding. Among his many contributions, he initiated the integration of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics coursework into the University Graduate Study in Nursing – Management in Nursing, conducted in cooperation with JGL at the company’s production facilities in Svilno. In 2020, he enriched Rijeka’s cultural and educational landscape by establishing the JGL Pharmacy Museum for both residents and visitors.”
Alongside Ivo Usmiani, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rijeka City Council was also awarded to Zrinka Kolak Fabijan for her lifelong contribution to and advancement of theatrical art and creativity.
The awards will be presented at a ceremonial academy in celebration of City of Rijeka Day.