Industry, as a driver of development and growth, is very important for an economically stable, rich and independent European Union, so attention is focused on this branch of economy. Industrial production accounts for more than 20% of the total economy of the European Union. Industrial policy is one of the key initiatives of the Europe 2020 and 2030 strategies, and its roots date back to 1992, when the Maastricht Treaty gave industrial policy its name. Under the new Article 130, "the Community and the Member States must ensure that the conditions necessary to ensure the competitiveness of the Community exist". The European Union seeks to contribute to the creation of a modern industry with industrial policy measures in which technologically advanced solutions are used in the production process. It is also committed to supporting entrepreneurship, including small and medium-sized enterprises. Additionally, it is important to highlight the advantages and promote the competitiveness of the European Union industry towards the rest of the world. Measures are adopted at the level of the European Union, but also at national levels. Both the entire global industry and the development of the industry of the European Union, as well as the Republic of Croatia, are significantly affected by individual economic crises. Global economic crises, when they occur, strongly influence many economies within the European Union. Consequently, it is necessary to create a single competitive market and deregulate the business environment, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. It is also necessary to encourage their internationalization and simplify legislation and administrative procedures so enterprises can dedicate themselves to the development of products and services and thus become more competitive, which is necessary because they are the bearers of each individual economy. Special attention is paid to additional education so that economic growth can be based on knowledge and innovation.