Defining the strategic and developmental goals of research and development activities in Slovenia for 2008: the new National Research and Development Programme (NR DP) 2006-2010, adopted by the National Assembly in December 2005, contains clearly defined goals and measures in Slovenia’s research and development (R&D) sector. It also emphasises priorities in research areas, giving emphasis to natural and applied sciences, and biomedical research, and research of the natural and cultural heritage of Slovenia in the area of the humanities. The Ministry publishes guidelines for the medium-term and long-term work of public research institutes in accordance with the NR DP, and determines the ratio between block financing, national project funding and other public tenders, concessions and “external” funds (the commercial sector, EU projects).

Efforts are being made in the Government budgets for 2008 and 2009 to secure an increase in funds for R&D. New criteria have been defined for co-financing research groups that carry out EU projects or projects in collaboration with the commercial sector. Ten research Centres of Excellence (CoE’s) have been set up with the support of the commercial sector and European Structural Funds in selected priority areas of research and technological development. In the 2007-2013 Programming Period, the further development of Centres of Excellence in priority domains of research and technology development is envisaged, with increased support for the existing CoE’s and the establishment of 3 to 4 new CoE’s. It has already been decided to support a Centre of Excellence for sustainable use of energy.

Harmonising higher education with the Bologna guidelines:
the Ministry monitors and supports the Bologna reform of study programmes. In 2006 the amended Higher Education Act and the Professional and Academic Titles Act were adopted. In accordance with the guidelines of the Government of the RS, priority goals include changing and harmonising the ratio of enrolment numbers offered at different faculties in favour of technical, life and health sciences, and increasing investment in equipment and laboratories at faculties for natural and technical sciences. This will be facilitated by the adoption of relevant regulation acts.

Promoting R&D activity and innovation through financial support for companies working in the field of technological development is one of the main priorities of the Ministry. In line with European trends, special emphasis will be placed on supporting strategic R&D projects and subject matters that have been identified in the framework of national technological platforms. In 2008, technological centres intended for small and medium-sized enterprises will also be supported, because it is these companies that cannot easily afford expensive research equipment and adequate R&D personnel. In line with the Lisbon Declaration, greater emphasis will be placed especially on R&D activities and specific objectives such as increasing investment by the commercial sector in R&D, increasing the proportion of innovative companies, and increasing the proportion of personnel trained to carry out R&D in the commercial sector.

A partnership of companies, research institutions and the government will in the next three to five years draw up detailed strategic R&D programmes reflecting the needs and priorities of the Slovenian economy i.e. especially in fields which could offer possibilities for being globally competitive and for achieving technological breakthroughs. While Slovenia takes over the one-year chairmanship of the international technological development program EURE KA, the Ministry will also emphasize the promotion of the international development cooperation of enterprises in order to acquire foreign knowledge to increase the competitiveness of Slovenian products and services. In 2007 the Technological Development Agency (TIA) assumed a number of operational tasks in the field of promoting technological development. These activities will continue in 2008.

In the area of the information society, the Ministry has a coordinating role. The coordination contributes towards general growth based on the information society, supporting the development of eServices, eContent and eBusiness within the framework of the national interoperability network. Assuring a positive financial climate for investment in information technologies and co-financing research and development projects to develop and grow remain important activities for the further development of programmes, based on an open code. E-Inclusion and crossing the digital divide will be assured with the creation of newly developed digital content, with accessibility for all strata of the population. Special programmes within the concepts and programmes of e-Inclusion are promoted. Fast internet hot spots and ICT equipment for users of academic networks of Slovenia remain priorities. In the focus of the development of Slovenian strategy for developing the information society, SI2010 is a further development of digitally supported business, services, open code accessibility, and inclusion in the digital society for all new and innovative approaches in ICT, with the wide use of the internet and basic security for all participants in the information society. General efforts are directed towards fast economic and social development, employment and the growth of society.

In accordance with the Metrology Act, the Metrology Institute of the RS draws up and implements the strategy of the metrology system in the RS, and works to ensure the development of this system. On the basis of all the factors determining the future development of the metrology infrastructure in Slovenia, it has drawn up a new strategy for the metrology system of the RS for the period 2006-2010.

The implementation of key development activities in the metrology system of the RS for 2008: the main objectives of this strategy are European cooperation; the balanced development of the distributed metrology system; the further development of legal metrology; knowledge transfer and closer cooperation with other sectors of the technical infrastructure and business sectors. In 2008, one of main areas of activity will be the re-selection of the distributed metrology system in the field of scientific metrology, based on new rules for the selection and evaluation of partners which would provide traceability in Slovenia for the standard units of measure. Another activity will be collaboration on R&D projects in the field of metrology, especially within the European Measurement Research Programme (EMR P). To support this, the Metrology Institute of the RS will hold a launch event for the EMRP on 12th of February in Bled, Slovenia.