Slovakia: A New Path Towards Modern Policy Making in Research and Innovation
Through its international network, the Swiss Science Council is in regular contact with fellow European Science, Technology and Innovation Councils. This provides important insights into the reality of other research and innovation ecosystems. The case of Slovakia is of special interest, as this country has an ambitious plan to profoundly transform its R&I policy in order to become more attractive and competitive. In this blog article, Michaela Kršková, Chief Innovation Officer at the Government Office of the Slovak Republic, provides an overview of the latest developments.
Slovakia, once seen as a promising contender in catching up with Western European economies, now finds itself at a critical crossroads after two decades of relying heavily on foreign investments for its economic growth. Recognizing the limitations and risks associated with this model, Slovakia has embarked on an ambitious mission to foster domestic productivity and attract high-value foreign investments. The nation has set its sights on research, development, and innovation as the driving forces behind its efforts to reshape its economic trajectory and enhance the quality of life for its citizens.
Looking towards the future, Slovakia has established a clear vision for 2030 that serves as the foundation for its transformation strategy, developed based on analytical reports on past inefficiencies, as well as a robust participatory exercise that involved hundreds of stakeholders. This vision encompasses three key objectives to be achieved within the next decade. First, Slovakia aspires to move ten places in the European Innovation Scoreboard, a benchmark that measures innovation performance across EU member states. This ambitious goal reflects the country’s determination to enhance its innovation capabilities and competitiveness on a European scale. Secondly, Slovakia aims to significantly increase private expenditures on research and development (R&D) from the current 0.5% of GDP to 1.2% of GDP, recognizing the crucial role that private sector investment plays in driving innovation and technological advancements. Together with public expenses Slovakia has committed to investing a minimum of 2% of its GDP in research and development initiatives, signaling its firm belief in the transformative power of research and innovation.
However, Slovakia faces substantial challenges in the realm of research, development, and innovation. The nation currently ranks among the „emerging innovators“ in the European innovation assessment, indicating a significant gap in performance and investment compared to its more advanced counterparts. Unpredictable and insufficient financing, fragmented policy management, and brain drain have all impeded progress in this area. Despite the availability of EU structural funds aimed at supporting innovation, high amount of local “gold-plating”, high administrative burden connected to project management and high turnover among agency staff have limited the overall impact on the innovation ecosystem.
Streamlining funding – fostering talents – identifying key sectors
Recognizing the urgent need for change, the Slovak government approved the National Strategy for Research and Innovation in March 2023 as part of a bigger reform package within Slovakia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. This comprehensive strategy focuses on three core areas. The first area aims to significantly increase overall funding while revamping the system for distributing and utilizing research, development, and innovation funds. By streamlining processes and improving coordination, Slovakia aims to optimize the allocation of resources and encourage efficient investment, ensuring that funding reaches the most promising projects and initiatives. Early structural achievements include the mandatory engagement of international reviewers in all grants above 200 thousand euro – gold standard for small countries to avoid conflicts of interest – and the establishment of a reformed Science, Technology and Innovation Council. It is chaired by the prime minister and includes four ministers with the power to distribute funds, as well as ten independent research and innovation experts. This hybrid political-expert format aims to ensure that high level decision makers are not just advised but personally invested in the proposed changes. As a result, the whole of government approach embraced by the strategy flows all the way from the top. In addition, the coordination and high-level policymaking of research and innovation has been entrusted to a new entity, the Research and Innovation Authority, which reports directly to the prime minister.
The second area places a strong emphasis on talent development and retention. Slovakia acknowledges that a thriving research and innovation ecosystem heavily relies on attracting and nurturing quality talent, both domestically and internationally. Select interventions include fostering domestic talent through targeted educational programs, incentives for collaboration between academia and industry, and initiatives to promote a culture of innovation. Additionally, Slovakia aims to attract and retain existing talent by providing an attractive environment for researchers and innovators to live and work, with a particular focus on improving the quality of life in Slovak cities, where the majority of research and innovation activities are concentrated.
The third area of the strategy aims to establish a comprehensive framework for prioritizing support in research, development, and innovation. Given Slovakia’s extensive industrial base and the limited concentration of resources, the strategy focuses on ways to identify key sectors for development. Leveraging on its Regional Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization (RIS3), Slovakia is currently setting up its first missions. These challenge-based financing vehicles will focus funding on areas that concurrently solve Slovakia’s big problems and push applied research and innovation forward. The plan also involves developing transformative and innovative consortia that bring together different stakeholders to collaborate on cutting-edge projects. Additionally, mapping domestic value chains to identify new economic segments and utilizing social innovation tools to address critical societal issues are integral components of this framework.
Slovakia’s commitment to economic transformation rests on building trust and fostering collaboration in research, innovation, and modern policymaking. By acknowledging the challenges and limitations of past approaches, Slovakia is taking proactive steps to address long-standing issues and implement strategic reforms. Through these efforts, Slovakia aims to position itself as a dynamic and competitive player in the global innovation landscape. By embracing trust, competence, and integrity, Slovakia is laying the foundation for a prosperous future driven by research, innovation, and modern policy making.