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A new chapter is being written in the story of Central and Eastern Europe by technology entrepreneurs and investors excited about the potential of the region both as a market and as a centre for the development of groundbreaking technologies. SOUNDBITE: Berislav Lopac, Web Start conference organiser saying (English): "There are significant changes happening and I'm amazed at the pace of those changes." It may be a small example of a bigger and more complex trend, but Berislav Lopac says the web start conference he has organized in Zagreb for two years running has changed beyond all recognition between the first and second years. SOUNDBITE: Berislav Lopac, Web Start conference organiser saying (English): "The changes are tremendous in terms of the number of startups appearing (from) Croatia and neighbouring countries. The quality of the startups is improving tremendously. The options which are available to startups in terms of funding, support, advisory - the pace is so rapid that if the growth continues at this pace we might really become a Silicon Valley of this part of Europe at least." Some, like Poteza Ventures managing director Jonathan Cooper are even throwing around words like renaissance. SOUNDBITE: Jonathan Cooper, Managing Director, Poteza Ventures saying (English): "The changes are tremendous in terms of the number of startups appearing (from) Croatia and neighbouring countries. The quality of the startups is improving tremendously. The options which are available to startups in terms of funding, support, advisory - the pace is so rapid that if the growth continues at this pace we might really become a Silicon Valley of this part of Europe at least." The world's largest software manufacturer Microsoft has been making big investments in the region in recent years as well - establishing a software development centre in Serbia, a global customer service centre in Romania and more recently an eGovernance Centre in Slovenia. Microsoft's chairman for Central and Eastern Europe Goran Radman says these developments simply reflect the great strides the region has made over the past decade. SOUNDBITE: Goran Radman, Chairman, Central and Eastern Europe, Microsoft saying (English): "Central and Eastern Europe in general is the fastest growing region in the world if you take the last 10 years combined, it grows faster than India and China together so it has to be taken into consideration. Southeast Europe as a fraction of Central Europe is growing even faster." Radman makes the point that the region's current tech success does owe a debt to the past - specifically the public education that existed here saying that, per capita, Microsoft has more certified engineers in this region than anywhere else in the world. Matt Cowan, Reuters COMPANIES MENTIONED: SYMBOLS: