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Croatian Research, Development and Innovation system and its challenges

2014-2020

Kristina Ferara Blašković, dipl. ing, MBA

Head of Sector for Development of Science and Technology Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Croatia

e-mail: Kristina.FeraraBlaskovic@mzos.hr

State-of-the-art

• 4.284.889 inhabitants

• Only 0.75% of GDP goes to R&D sector (55% from public funds)

• 93% of all companies are micro-companies with an average of 1.9 employees

• in the last 5-6 years in absolute terms the sum of money devoted to scientific activities is constant at about 75 million Euros per year

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• Croatia: a moderate innovator with a below-average impact

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State-of-the-art

•Universities (10)

•Colleges (15)

•Polytechnics (30)

•Public research institutes (25)

•Other legal R&D institutes

•1200 higher education study programs

•Quality Assurance - Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE)

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State-of-the-art

•System grew in no. of employees by 26% in 5 years (2006/07: 9’457 employees (FTE) with 4’656.7 D. Sc. → 2011/12: 12’000.5 employees with 6’100.7 D. Sc. but also 4’085 non faculty staff)

•Almost 81.5% of the MSES budget is allocated for salaries, with an annual growth rate for salaries in science and HE of more than 5%!

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State-of-the-art

•Excellent scientists and smaller groups (ca. 40% more money from FP7 than our contribution (70.5 vs. 42.6 M €)!)

•Large no. (2’000) of small projects (<2.5 researchers and < 50’000 HRK per project) and <1 scientific publication per researcher and year; small impact (6 citations per publication, H-index of 132)

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• Small percentage of international (<400 per mil. inh.) and public-private co-authorships (<30 per mil. inh.)

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Done so far

•Changes to Croatian Science Foundation act:central independent financing authority for competitive S&T (larger projects, excellent individuals, set-up of national user labs, matching funds for EU projects, young scientists career enhancement, …) new call for national scientific projects launched in October 2013.

•multiyear performance-based contracts signed for study fees and part of scientific activities of ~ 5.500 FTE scientists @ public universities and public research institutes.

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Done so far

•Establishment of the Business Innovation Agency of the Republic of Croatia (BICRO)

•Scientific Centres of Excellence (in Act since 2003): ”Scientific organisation, its part or a group of scientists that for the originality and importance of its research activities is at the international forefront in the respective scientific field.” → criteria defined (at last!) by National Council for Science, based on international evaluation max. 3-5 to be established in spring of 2014

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Done so far

•National strategy for education, science and technology (January 2014)

•Western Balkans Regional R&D Strategy for Innovation

•Infrastructure Roadmap Strategy (next week – public consultation)

•Work on Smart Specialization Strategy (Ministry of Economy)

•Work on National Innovation Strategy (Ministry of Economy- public consultation)

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Done so far

•IPA/SCF (BioCenter ZG, SIIF I&II, …)

•MSES currently the most efficient ministry in Croatia in terms of percentage of usage of EU funds as well as in terms of total sum of used allocation;

•13 projects worth > 400 M € are on indicative list for EU structural funds and being prepared & several ERIC MoU signed

•2 calls for research infrastructure published on 4 December 2013 through RCOP 2007-2013 worth ~30 million € (ERDF)

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• overall goal: increase R&D expenditure form 0.75 to 1.4% of GDP;

• STP II with WB – 24 M € until the end of 2017 → increase level of absorption capacities for EU funds and for TT;

• EU Marie Skłodowska Curie COFUND grant - 7 M € for development of young scientists’ careers;

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• collaboration with StartUp Croatia, CRANE, ZIP, … on development of innovative entrepreneurial activities

• science attaché in Brussels → active participation in Horizon 2020 set-up + national AP for absorption capacities

• activities aimed at associate membership of Croatia in CERN

• Croatian Qualifications Framework Act adopted: harmonization of Croatian with European qualifications, synergy between education and business sector, recognition of informal and non-formal education, importance of LLL

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• Act on Science and Higher Education:

new National Council for Science, Higher Education and Technological Development

procedures for advancement in scientific and teaching ranks, as well as regarding employment

additional selection for postdocs through public tender clearer definition of study programmes minister given the authority to introduce official procedures that

regulate student standard rights obligation of HE institutions to keep records and databases role and authority of the Board for Ethics in Science and HE

strengthened

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Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!