Research in Slovenia

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Research in Slovenia
Albin Babic Slovenian Research Agency January 2007
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Constitution Parliamentary democracy Population
density 98.0 per km2 Capital Ljubljana
(population 330 000) GDP 13.807 /capita
(2005) GERD as of GDP 1.52 (2003) by
government sector 0,54 by business sector
0,90 other 0,08
SLOVENIABasic data

• Area 20 273 km2
• Population 2 mio.

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Characteristics of Slovenian RD System

• Small RD system
• RD in public sector of relatively high quality
  with well established international cooperation
• Negligible brain drain
• Modest cooperation between the research,
  education and business spheres, as well as within
  those spheres
• Academic research not enough driven by joint
  goals of understanding and use

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Institutional organisation of public RD system

• Science
• Technology
• Council of the
• Republic of
• Slovenia

Government of the Republic of Slovenia
Ministry of Higher Education, Science and
Technology
Ministry of Economy Sector for technology developm
ent and innovation
Other ministries
Part funding of RD and Innovation actions
Slovenian Technology Agency
Slovenian Research Agency
Technology networks Technology parks Technology
centres Slovenian business innovation network
Funding
Funding
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Research Policy / Funding System

• Government sector
• Ministry of Higher Education, Science and
  Technology
• Ministry of Economy
• Other ministries (Ministry of Defence)
• Agencies (established in 2004)
• Slovenian Research Agency
• Slovenian Technology Agency
• Foundations
• Slovenian Science Foundation
• Ad Futura
• Business Sector

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Strategical / policy documents

• Research and Development
• Activities Act 2002
• Single Programming
  
• Document 2004-2006
• Strategy for the development
• of Slovenia 2005 National RD
  Programme 2006-2010
• (adopted in October 2005)
  

information and communication technologies advance
d materials and nanotechnologies complex systems
and innovative technologies technologies for
sustainable development health and life sciences
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Government RD budget as a of GDP, 1998-2004
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GERD by sector of performance, 2003
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Research Topics of Special Interest to
Slovenia(NRRP Resolution 2006-2010)

• 1. Information and Communication
• Technologies
• 2. New Materials and Nanotechnologies
• 3. Complex Systems and Innovative
• Technologies
• 4. Technologies for Sustainable Development
• 5. Health and Life Sciences

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Research budget of the Ministry by main
instruments, 2004Research budget of the
Ministry in 2004 132 MGovernment budget
appropriations for RD in 2004 168 M
Source SRA
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Research budget of the Ministry by main fields
of science, 2003
Source MHEST
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National funding instruments

• Research and infrastructure programs (IP
  like projects) 5 years
• - 262 research programs (2004 to 2008)
• Research projects 2-3 years
• basic / applied / targeted research projects
• Postgraduate education
• Research infrastructure
• Institutional funding
• International co-operation
• Scientific communication

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Research programme

• It is a research field expected to be relevant in
  the next 10 years and important for Slovenia
• Every 5 years there is a public call for a new
  round of research programmes according to
  National RD Programme
• Preparation, implementation, and evaluation by
  Slovenian Research Agency
• The decision to start the research programmes is
  taken by the Government

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Research programme cont.

• Implemented by programme groups in public
  research institutes, universities, higher
  education institutions and private and/or public
  legal entities with research activities
• Minimum 5 researchers (Ph.D), plus professional
  and technical staff, doctoral students from one
  or different institutions
• Slovenian Research Agency administratively
  support the research programmes
• Evaluated by annually reports, final evaluation
  conducted at the end by indicators as scientific
  excellence, social and economic relevance, human
  resource development, and international
  cooperation

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National RD Programme 2006-2010

• Evaluation criteria not oriented enough toward
  object driven research
• Independent evaluation difficult to achieve in a
  small country
• No thematic priorities and systematic
  encouragements for emerging areas
• Control over public financing RD activities not
  efficient enough
• Too few opportunities for reintegration of
  Slovenian researchers from abroad
• Not enough survey of transfer of research results
  

• Definition of thematic priorities
• Definition of priority instruments
• Increase of RD financing and change of its
  structure
• Improvement of conditions for RD activities
• Enlarge the transfer of research results
• Improvement of the control system
• Monitoring of the implementation of the National
  RD Programme
• Encouragement of international cooperation

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Research Institutions

• 17 public research institutes
• Jožef Stefan Institute http//www.ijs.si
• ZRC SAZU The Scientific Research Centre of
  SASA http//www.zrc-sazu.si
• National Institute of Chemistry http//www.ki.si
• National Institute of Biology http//www.nib.si
• Institute of Metals and Technology
  http//www.imt.si
• National Institute for Geology http//www.geo-zs.s
  i
• Agricultural Institute of Slovenia
  http//www.kis-h2.si
• Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics
• Institute for Ethnic Studies http//www.inv.si
• Institute for Economic Research http//www.ier.si
• Slovenian Forestry Institute http//www.gozdis.si
• Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of
  Slovenia http//www.urbinstitut.si
• Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering
  Institute http//www.zag.si
• Educational Research Institute http//www.pedagosk
  i-institut.si
• Institute of Contemporary History
  http//www2.arnes.si/ljinz15
• Institute for Hydraulic Research
  http//www.hidroinstitut.si
• Science and Research Centre Koper
  http//www.zrs-kp.si

300 Research units in the business sector
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Higher Education Institutions (99.600 HE
students in 2004/05)

• 4 Universities
• University of Ljubljana
• 22 faculties, 3 art academia, 1 college
• University of Maribor 12 faculties, 1 college
• University of Primorska, Koper (from 2003) 3
  faculties, 2 colleges
• University of Nova Gorica (from 2006)
• 10 independent HE institutions

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Other HE institutions

• Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School
• Management and Business Administration
• School in Novo mesto
• Postgraduate School of Humanities in Ljubljana
• Faculty of Postgraduate State and European
  Studies
• Colleges
• College of Entrepreneurship
• College of Business, Maribor
• Commercial College Celje
• College of Drawing and Painting in Ljubljana

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Research Infrastructure   Institute of
Information Sciences IZUM The Institute is an
information infrastructural service for Slovenian
science, culture and education   Academic and
Research Network of Slovenia (ARNES) The main
task of ARNES is development, operation and
management of the communication and information
network for education and research
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2000 young researchers ( since 1985)

• Goals
• Renewal and rejuvenation of research personnel in
  research institutes and universities
• Education of highly skilled RD personnel for
  business sector
• General support of (post) graduate study in
  Slovenia

• Benefits for candidates
• Temporary employment
• Funding of materials expenditures
• Cost covering of graduate study

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2000 young researchers (ctd)

• So far 5300 participants
• 4084 finished, 942 running, 247 (5) to be at a
  standstill (16/2/2005)
• 45 PhD, 40 MSc, 15 Specialists training
• Enrollment around 250 candidates/p.a.

Fields of science distribution Natural sciences
25 Engineering sciences 35 Medical sciences
10 Agricultural sciences 10 Social sciences
10 Humanities 10
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RD International bilateral co-operation

• EU member countries
• Neighbouring countries
• West Balkan countries
• Non-European ST leading countries
• (US, Japan, etc.)
• Regionally important countries

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RD International bilateral co-operation

• 42 concluded agreements, memoranda, joint
  declarations with different countries
• 706 projects in 2005 (between
  two institutions)

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Number of bilateral research projects 1994
2005
25
RD International bilateral cooperationNumber
of projects by country 2000 - 2005
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RD International multilateral cooperation

• EU programs (5th, 6th and 7th Framework Programs
  and EURATOM)
• Other European research and development programs
  (COST, EUREKA)
• NATO Science Programs
• Co-operation with international organisations (
  ICGEB, ICS, CERN, ICPE, ICTP, ICSD, EMBC, IIR)
• Special attention paid to Western Balkan (ERANET
  WESTBALKAN)

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Number of multilateral projects 1991-2006
RD International multilateral cooperation
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FP5 SI contracts (Source EC 26/04/2004)
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FP5 SI contracts (EC 26/04/2004)
Specific Programme   Number of SI participations Number of contracts with at least one SI participation EC financial contribution to partners from SI ()
Quality of Life (QOL) QOL 61 13 52 14 5.387.371
Information Society (IST) IST 100 21 80 21 8.657.949
Sustainable Growth (GROWTH) GROWTH 110 23 93 24 7.534.024
Environment and Sustainable Development (EESD-ENVIRO) EESD-ENVIRO 65 14 46 12 5.622.492
Environment and Sustainable Development (EESD-ENERGY) EESD-ENERGY 52 11 35 9 4.130.124
EURATOM EURATOM 16 3 16 4 409.208
International Role (INCO II) INCO II 16 3 15 4 769.053
Innovation - SME (INNO) SME-INNO 17 4 6 2 3.257.336
Human Potential (IHP) IHP 43 9 41 11 3.666.458
Not defined N/A 1 0 1 0 167.000
Total   481 100 385 100 39.601.015
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Number of projects in FP 6 per million
population, 2003
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SI Contracts in FP 617.7.2006

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Source EC 11/03/2005
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SI in FP6 contractsOverall figures
EU27 population 490 mio.  
SI population 2 mio. 0,41
Total no. of contracts   6.654   100
No. of SI contracts 360 5,4
All participants 51.304 100
No. of SI participants   429 0,84
Total EU funding 12.122   100
For SI participants 56.5 0,47
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SI in FP6 contractsERANET projects
Supporting cooperation coordination of
national or regional research funding programmes

• 195 ERANET projects (were submitted in 4 calls)
• 90 projects were selected
• SIovenia is participating in 20 projects
• Ministry (MHEST) is participating in 16 projects
• Slovenian Research Agency in 2 projects

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FP7 ADOPTED in December 2006

• First Calls for proposals published on 22
  December 2006
• Calls for evaluators (from organisations and
  individuals) published on 14 December 2006