European Recovery and Resilience Funds – Together towards the goal: boosting research, development and innovation

SLOVENIA, July 1 - Measured as a share of GDP, Slovenia's public investment in research, development and innovation (RDI) has, in recent years, been approaching the levels of the more advanced EU Member States. The country's innovation performance has improved to approximately 94.7% of the EU average, placing Slovenia among the top performing countries within the Moderate Innovators group. 

Catching up with the most advanced countries and further advancing the RDI field requires sustained efforts to strengthen private investment, improve knowledge transfer from the research sector to the business sector, enhance conditions for attracting and retaining top talent, increase the internationalisation of research and ensure stable, efficient and predictable funding.

Slovenia also promotes the RDI sector through its Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) by implementing reform and investment activities.

The implementation of these measures involves the Ministry of the Economy, Labour and Sport, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Youth, the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, SPIRIT Slovenia and the Slovenian Research Agency.

Operation and management of the RDI system – reform

The goal of the reform measure is to increase the effectiveness of public investment in RDI and to create an efficient, results-oriented research and innovation environment based on the green and digital transition.

The following has been achieved in the context of the reform:

• Adoption of the Scientific Research and Innovation Activity Act, which forms the basis for the improvement of management and coordination of the RDI field. Among other things, the Act addresses the stable funding of public research organisations, provides for greater autonomy of research organisations and regulates the rewarding of outstanding researchers as well as open access to scientific publications. It also facilitates stronger integration into the European and global research area;
• Establishment of an inter-institutional Programme Committee for the Operational Coordination of Scientific Research and Innovation Policy to ensure the coordinated planning and implementation of policy in the field of RDI. It coordinates programmes and financing of different institutions and monitors their results. It proposes improvements, connects actors and activities in the system and develops tools for monitoring and evaluation. It also facilitates the exchange of information and cooperates with the Development Council of the Republic of Slovenia.

The achievement of reform goals is also supported by implementation projects, for which EUR 14.70 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (the Facility) has been allocated. The funds are earmarked for the implementation of nine projects aimed at:

• Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the research and innovation ecosystem,
• More effectively integrating researchers and the business sector into the European Research Area,
• Establishing an RDI hub,
• Monitoring and evaluation and
• Strengthening the support environment of project offices to improve application, implementation and project reporting within the framework of centralised EU programmes.

The state has so far disbursed EUR 8.2 million to project implementers for completed project activities.

The two milestones relating to the implementation of the reform were included by Slovenia in the second request for payment, which was disbursed by the European Commission (EC) in December 2023.

Co-financing of research innovation projects in support of green transition and digitalisation – investment

The goal of the investment is to foster longer-term collaboration in the areas of the green and digital transitions among companies engaged in research and development activities, as well as among research organisations, large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Under the RRP, EUR 51.64 million from the Facility have been earmarked for co-financing research and innovation projects in support of the green transition and digitalisation. All 125 entrepreneurial projects have been completed. The government has already disbursed EUR 35.35 million to the project implementers.

The investment goals will be included in the final request for payment of funds from the Facility, which Slovenia must submit to Brussels no later than 30 September 2026.

Supporting the international mobility and (re)integration of researchers – investment

The goals of the investment are to support scientific excellence and research capabilities and to promote the transfer and circulation of knowledge through increased international mobility and the reintegration of researchers into the Slovenian RDI environment.

A total of EUR 5.77 million from the Facility has been earmarked for international mobility projects involving Slovenian researchers, of which the state has already disbursed just under four million euros for project activities that have been carried out.

The goal is to support 33 researchers participating in projects led by Slovenian public research organisations. The goal will be included in the final request for payment of funds from the Facility.

RDI demonstration and pilot projects in the field of green transition – investment

The goal of the investment is to improve Slovenia’s innovation performance by increasing investment in RDI. The investment promotes technology transfer, thereby strengthening the innovation ecosystem, and encourages business investment in the green transition, particularly in relation to the circular economy.

A total of EUR 21 million from the Facility has been earmarked for the investment, of which the state has already disbursed just under EUR 20 million for project activities that have been carried out. All 21 demonstration or pilot projects have been completed.

The state will include the investment goal in the final request for payment of funds from the Facility.