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
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State-of-the-art
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4.284.889 inhabitants
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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
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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 Economypublic 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:
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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!
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