1. Projekt jednako razvoj d.o.o. www.pjr.hr
EU funds for Research and Development – Experience of the Republic of Croatia
Projekt jednako razvoj d.o.o.

2. R&D – Preconditions Preconditions:
EU level – Europe 2020 strategy - improving the conditions for R&D by increasing combined public and private investment in R&D to 3 % of GDP by 2020
Smart specialization strategy for R&D – 2020.
Priority areas:
Health and Quality of Life
Energy and Sustainable Environment
Transport and Mobility
Security
Food and Bioeconomy
Horizontal areas: Key enabling tehnologies (KET), ICT

3. R&D – EU level basic data
 GDP on R&D in the EU around 2.03 %.
Main source of financing for R&D activities in the EU: business sector (less resilient to economic fluctuations compared to HEI and government sectors)
R&D expenditure: highest in northern and western European countries (also characterised by predominantly business-financed R&D)
EU increased its output of tertiary graduates in science and technology by 23%
Employment in knowledge-intensive activities increased in almost all EU Member States.
Countries with large financial and ICT sectors relative to their GDP report the highest employment in knowledge-intensive activities in the EU.
Share of R&D personnel in labour force: 1.2 % in 2015 (more than half in business sector)
Almost 50% of EU’s enterprises reported innovation activity in 2014 (higher in MS with higher GDP per capita)
1/3 of innovative enterprises were engaged in some form of co-operation with other enterprises or institutions during 2012–2014
High-tech exports to outside EU doubled

4. GDP on R&D 2005 and 2015 (% of GDP) *Source: Eurostat

5. GDP on R&D by sector, EU28, 2005-2015 (% of GDP) *Source: Eurostat
Croatia – private investments in R&D structure
Large enteprises
More than 60%
Medium enteprises
around 30%
Small enteprises
Less than 10%

6. Research and development in Croatia
Problems:
Outdated/inefficient research infrastructure
lack of resources for conducting research
underperformance of knowledge and technology transfer activities
Objective: to increase private RDI investments covering support both for
in house R&D activities of enterprises (including SMEs) and
for purchasing R&D services to launch new or fundamentally changed processes and products
Prepreke:
weak innovation capacity of companies and R&D potential
limited interest for collaboration between industry and R&D institutions
inadequate institutional support system to foster innovation

7. R&D – State Aid
State Aid in R&D sector is considered as horizontal state
Categories:
Fundamental research, industrial research, experimental development, feasibility studies (for applied and development research)
Covering the costs of industrial property rights for SMEs
Aid for newly-established SMEs in innovation
Process innovation and business organization in services sector
Consultancy services on innovation for SMEs
For R&D projects
personnel costs: researchers, technicians and other supporting staff to the extent employed on the project (also for SMEs)
Aid for innovation clusters fostering collaboration, networking and learning

8. R&D – sources of funding
Republic of Croatia:
National funds – 4 million EUR (2015.; 0,31 % total national aid; 18 million in 2013 and 2014)
0,9 million EUR – subsidies and interest subsidies
0,57 million EUR - RAZUM – Program of development knowledge-based businesses
0,33 million EUR – IRCRO – Cooperation R&D Programme
3,1 million EUR - tax exemptions, deductions, exemptions, etc.
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)

9. R&D – sources of funding
Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion (ERDF)
Priority:
Restructuring R&D sector through organisational reform and investments in modernisation of R&D infrastructure
Supporting projects of national Centres of Research Excellence as a way of strengthening research excellence
Creating conditions for business sector to invest into R&D&I by directing research organizations to focus towards applied research projects which correspond to the needs of economy
Supporting R&D spending in enterprises to increase overall level of R&D spending
Creation of joint interest in implementation of R&D projects between R&D institutions (including academic sector), public authorities and enterprises
Creation of favourable environment for enterprises in the area of RDI.

10. R&D – sources of funding
Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion
Investment areas:
Competence centres
Development of products and services
Technology transfer, social innovation, eco-innovation
Networking
Clusters and fostering innovation through smart specialization
Supporting technological and applied research
Pilot lines and early product validation actions
Advanced manufacturing capabilities and first production, in particular in key enabling technologies and diffusion of general purpose technologies

11. Funds allocation - ERDF
Allocation : 665 M. EUR
Title
Allocation (m EUR)
002. Research and innovation processes in large enterprises
95,0
056. Investment in infrastructure, capacities and equipment in SMEs directly linked to research and innovation activities
60,0
057. Investment in infrastructure, capacities and equipment in large companies directly linked to research and innovation activities
25,0
058. Research and innovation infrastructure (public)
163,2
059. Research and innovation infrastructure (private, including science parks)
63,0
060. Research and innovation activities in public research centres and centres of competence including networking
171,3
061. Research and innovation activities in private research centres including networking
15,4
063. Cluster support and business networks primarily benefiting SMEs
15,5
065. Research and innovation infrastructure, processes, technology transfer and cooperation in enterprises focusing on the low carbon economy and on resilience to climate change
40,0
070. Promotion of energy efficiency in large enterprises
5,0
121. Preparation, implementation, monitoring and inspection
11,4

12. Indicators Description Value (2023.)
Research, Innovation: Number of researchers working in improved research infrastructure facilities
1215
Number of R&D&I infrastructural projects 6
Number of Centres of Research Excellences supported projects
Number of R&D projects conducted by research organizations 75
Scientific publications published in journals indexed in the platform Web of Science (core collection)
6070
Description
Unit
Value (2023.)
Increase of patent applications, trademarks and industrial design in Croatia
Number of applications
870
Sales of new-to –market and new- tofirm innovation as % of turnover
Percentage
3,9
Business expenditure on research and development
M EUR 29
Productive investment: Number of enterprises receiving grants
400.00
Research, innovation: Number of new researchers in supported entities
30,00
Research, Innovation: Number of enterprises cooperating with research institutions
100,00
Research, Innovation: Private investment matching public support in innovation or R&D projects
210,000,000.00
Research, Innovation: Number of enterprises supported to introduce new to the firm products
Number of R&D projects supported
600.00

13. Rural development programme
Strenghtening cooperation between agriculture, food production, forestry and R&D
Fostering innovative technologies and research, partnerships
Promotion of cooperation between sectors for development, testing, implementation of innovatin and knowledge
Promotion of innovation and applied research related to new technologies and procedures for greenhouse gases reduction.
Measures:
Aid for establishing Operational groups under European innovation partnership (EIP) zfor agriculture productivity and sustainability (e.g. energy efficiency, reducing environment impact, improvement of measures for implementation of innovations related to animals health (aid up to EUR)
Operational goups in agricultural and food sectors – research activiy financing (aid up to EUR)
Aid for pilot projects and new products development, process and technologies (Manufacturers, Cooperatives, Operational Groups) – financing of R&D costs: laboratory testing, field testing, market research, feasibility studies, packaging production for new process and products, up to EUR).

14. R&D – projects for enterprises
Operational Programme Competitiveness and Cohesion
Most relevant Calls for Proposals:
Strenghtening of capacities for R&D&I (07-13) – 9,3 M EUR (0,2-1 M EUR per project)
Development of new products and services based on the R&D activities – 100 M EUR ( ,47 M EUR per project)
Support to the development of Centres of competence – 105 M EUR (up to 15 M EUR per project)
IPA:
SIIF 1 & SIIF 2 – 5 + 6,7 M EUR ( per project)
25 projects

15. Thank you for the attention!
Ivan Serdarušić Projekt Jednako Razvoj d.o.o.