Transcript Slide 1

SCIENCE POLICY IN CROATIA
Franjo Ranogajec
Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Facts about Croatia
 Geopolitics
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the
Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Slovenia (45 N,
15,5 E)
Area:
56,542 km2
Population: 4,44 mil. (2001)
Capital: Zagreb,
970.000 (region)
Capital Zagreb
City of Zagreb is cultural , scientific,
economic, political and administrative
center of the Republic of Croatia.
The Research and
Development (R & D) sector
R & D and higher education sector in Croatia
consists of:
• 26 public institutes,
• 13 private scientific institutions,
• 6 technology and research development centers,
• 11 research centers in industry,
• 1 military research center,
• 7 universities
• 16 public colleges and polytechnics.
The Ministry of Science, Education and Sports and
the National Science Council monitor the
development and quality of R & D sector.
The Research and
Development (R & D) sector
Research potential (Sept 2006):
•
•
•
3232
5780
1989
Masters of Science,
Doctors of Scinece,
other researchers,
Industry and private companies employ
• 2705
• 976
Masters of Science,
Doctors of Science
Main objectives of science
policy
● Increasing investments into research and
development, and their efficiency
● Restructuring Croatia’s science system
● Strengthening
cooperation
between
science, government and industry in the
creation of new knowledge and goods
● Increasing participation of Croatian
scientists and other bodies in EU
Framework Programmes
Increasing investments into
R&D and their efficiency
● preparation of a national action plan based on
3% allocation at GDP level
● refinement of the structure of existing funds’
use
● annual increase of funds for R&D at the rate of
at least 25%
● ensure conditions for constant funds inflow to
the National Foundation for Science, Higher
Education and Technological Development
(NFS) and focus NFS investments into most
prominent research
Increasing investments into
R&D and their efficiency-2
● new expert systems for evaluation of projects and
programmes, based on the model of European
countries, which would enable greater
transparency of scientific research to the public
● increase of investment into capital and medium
equipment, renewal of the research infrastructure
● establishment of legal framework as well as
financial / tax regulations that would encourage
investment into science, research and human
resources
● establishing financial and tax regulations that
would stimulate public & private partnerships
Restructuring Croatia’s science
system
● programmes for raising awareness on the significance
and influence of science and research to society
development (through educational system, media and
special activities)
● interlinking of the research infrastructure with the
purpose of more efficient use of potential (centers of
excellence)
● clustering of existing scientific projects into integrated
scientific programmes with the aim of creating
internationally recognized and competitive centers of
excellence - to join the European network of scientists
and businesses
Restructuring Croatia’s science
system-2
● scientific profiling and integrating of universities, mainly
ones outside of Zagreb, according to the needs of
balanced regional development of Croatia
● reform of doctoral studies into efficient 3rd cycle
research studies, which in a given period (3-5 years)
promote the student to a science doctorate (Ph.D.)
● redefining the mission, role and manner of institutes’
management, and reform of institutes with the aim of
stronger orientation towards national research priorities
● refining the system of transfer and application of
scientific results
● education of youth in the spirit of creativity, curiosity and
desire to attain new knowledge
Strengthening cooperation
between sicence, government and
industry in the creation of new
knowledge and goods
● creating financial instruments to encourage
collaboration between researchers and R&D institutions
with the public sector and business
● Creating a legal frame that would enable flexibility and
appeal of the science labor market, enable tighter
cooperation of higher education institutions, institutes,
industry and public administration bodies, as well as
employment of foreign scientists in the system and of
Croatian scientists from abroad, respectively facilitate
transfer of knowledge from top-level foreign S&T
institutions
Strengthening cooperation
between sicence, government and
industry in the creation of new
knowledge and goods-2
● Systematic stimulation to gradually increase R&D
personnel share in industry and public administration
bodies
● Positive legal and financial measures with the purpose
of increasing the number of junior researchers and
highly specialized experts in the enterprise sector
Croatian scientists and EU
Framework Programmes
Goal: Increasing participation
● Developing measures of co-financing and stimulating
bonuses for cooperation in EU programmes (points for
promotion, assigning of extra resources – early stage
researchers and equipment, stimulative co-financing of
project preparation and bonuses for accomplishments)
● Active support for establishing and operating of national
technology platforms and their integration into European
technological platforms
● Establishing an agency for European programmes and
significantly increasing the nubmer and competence of
professional staff for helping clients
Croatian scientists and EU
Framework Programmes-2
Goal: Increasing participation
● Development of strong departments for
international cooperation within universities and
institutes
● Intensive programmes of knowledge transfer and
training for a broad user base
● Upgrade of the existing database of Croatian
scientific potential
National inovation system
The strengthening of the national innovation
system can be achieved through:
● Competent human resources and continuous
professional development
● Strong scientific and research base at the universities
and research institutions
● Availability of appropriate technology and business
infrastructure to support creation of knowledge-based
enterprises
● Targeted support programmes which provide earlystage financing to knowledge-based companies
National inovation system-2
The strengthening of the national innovation
system can be achieved through:
● A strong intellectual property regime to provide
incentives for invention
● Stimulative tax policy to spur investment into R&D
● Positive business environment with low regulatory
barriers for enterpreneurs and investors, which equals
lower costs and a faster road to markets
● Promotion of public confidence in science and
technology as well as innovation awareness
Objectives
for Promoting Business Innovation and
Technology Development
The Government has identified six priority objectives:
1. Promote creation and growth of knowledge-based
enterprises
2. Create technology infrastructure to support knowledgebased SMEs and technology-based start-ups
3. Stimulate demand for R&D from business
4. Manage intellectual property
5. Diversify funding sources for R&D, attract private sector
investments and create risk capital industry
6. Promote public confidence in science and innovation
awareness
Scientific Projects in Croatia
Financed by the MSES (2005) Fields
Field
No of projects
%
Kn
%
Natural sciences
317
17.6
30,915,000
24.5
Engineering
345
19.1
22,889,000
18.1
Biomedicine
437
24.2
35,580,000
28.1
Biotechnology
174
9.7
12,208,000
9.7
Social sciences
260
14.4
12,188,000
9.6
Humanities
270
15.0
12,639,000
10.0
Total
1,803
100
126,419,00
100
Long-term Priorities of Croatian
S&T
● Knowledge-driven Basic Research
● Environment Protection and Economy, Develompment
of Karst Regions, Adriatic Coast, Sea and Islands
● Agriculture, Biotechnology, Food
● Health
● Information and Communication Technologies
● Nanoscience, New materials, Constructions and New
Production Processes
● Energy:Alternative and Renewable Energy Resources,
Transport, Security
● Social and Human Sciencies
● Social Integration, Pedagogics and Education, Lifelong
(Permanent) Learning
Evaluation of Programs /
Projects
●
●
●
●
●
Number and quality of scientific articles
Contribution of Program / Project to the
Development of Domicil Institution
Greater Support to Interdisciplinary Programs /
Projects
Better Financing for the Programs / Projects
Between Universities and Public / Private
Institutes, Among Institutes
Greater Financing for the Inter-regional and
Multi-regional Pograms / Projects
Sixth Framework Programme
(2002 - 2006)
● Represents the main framework of activities in science,
research and innovation on European level, and is the third
largest item in EU budget: € 17.5 billion.
● 2002-2005 Croatia participates as a “third country”.
● Till now Croatian scientists participate in 68 projects, of
approx. value of € 5.9 million.
● 1 January 2006: Croatia became full member of FP6.
Membership fee for 2006 is ca. € 6.6 million (around 50% was
covered by pre -accession funds PHARE.
● Croatia direct participation was ca. € 3.2 million).
● Seventh Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013)
- Focus is on excellence, budged of € 67.8 million.
Ruđer Bošković Institute
Zagreb, Croatia
The name of the Insitute
Josip Ruđer Bošković
(1711, Dubrovnik – 1787, Milan)
Working and living all around Europe
(Rome, London, Paris, Vienna)
Activities:
physicist, mathematician,
astronomer and philosopher
Theoria Philosohiae Naturalis
1763, Venice
Influence on: Davy, Faraday, Maxwell,
Thomson, Bohr
Ivan Meštrović,
Croatian-American
1883 - 1962
IRB campus
Arial view of the IRB campus
IRB was founded in 1950.
IRB today
EMPLOYEES
Academic staff
296 – researches
189 – Ph.D. Students
28 - postdoctoral fellows
academic staff
513
63
maintenance and
tech. services
Computing /
Engineering
4%
Biomedicine
14%
Oceanography
15%
Biology
16%
Chemistry
30%
Physics
21%
62
administration
185
others in
divisions
IRB today
RBI Mission :
The mission of IRB is to provide the science
expertise indispensable for the development,
prosperity and well being of Croatia.
1. Excellence in fundamental research
Scientific output in 2005:
578 – research articles
391 – papers in CC journals
48 – B.Sc.
33 – M. Sc. And Ph.D.
(5% of the total number of scientists in the country contribute
27% of all Croatian articles in CC journals)
IRB today
RBI Mission :
2. Substantial contribution in high education
80 undergraduate courses
180 graduate courses
Mr.sc. thesis
Ph.D. thesis
3. Development of new competitive
technologies
11 applied and technological projects (World bank, MZOS)
Every year IRB is the host
of several important
international conferences
IRB today
The organisational
structure of the RBI
Division of Materials
Chemistry
● Laboratory for synthesis of new materials
● Laboratory for precipitation processes
● Laboratory for radiation chemistry and dosimetry
● Laboratory for solid state chemistry
● Laboratory for complex compounds chemistry
Laboratory for Radiation
Chemistry and Dosimetry
2 projects – Ministry of Science, Education and Sport
Several international projects: IAEA, EU, Bilateral –
Germany, Hungary, Japan, Slovenia, USA, etc.
Radiation
Chemistry
Dosimetry
Protection
Processing
Laboratory for Radiation
Chemistry and Dosimetry
RADIATION DOSIMETRY
Dose range: Gy-kGy
Radiation: electromagnetic, electron, neutron,
proton, heavy ions
Various methods: TL, RPL, various chemical
dosimeters
based on chlorobenzene : developed in LRKD
ISO/ASTM Standard 51538
RADIATION DOSIMETRY
Adequate infrastructure
Various dosimetry systems: TL, RPL, chemical
Irradiations: SSDL, panoramic 60Co source, etc
Laboratory for Radiation
Chemistry and Dosimetry
Laboratory staff:
8 scientists
5 Ph.D. students
5 technicians
The author is grateful to Chiyoda Technol
Corporation, Japan for the support of participation