SCIENCE POLICY IN CROATIA

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SCIENCE POLICY IN CROATIA Franjo
Ranogajec Ruder Boškovic Institute, Zagreb,
Croatia
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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)
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Capital Zagreb
City of Zagreb is cultural , scientific, economic,
political and administrative center of the
Republic of Croatia.
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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.

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The Research and Development (R D) sector

• Research potential (Sept 2006)
• 3232 Masters of Science,
• 5780 Doctors of Scinece,
• 1989 other researchers,
• Industry and private companies employ
• 2705 Masters of Science,
• 976 Doctors of Science

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Main objectives of science policy

• Increasing investments into research and
  development, and their efficiency
• Restructuring Croatias 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

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Increasing investments into RD 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 RD 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

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Increasing investments into RD 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

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Restructuring Croatias 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

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Restructuring Croatias 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

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Strengthening cooperation between sicence,
government and industry in the creation of new
knowledge and goods

• creating financial instruments to encourage
  collaboration between researchers and RD
  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 ST institutions

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Strengthening cooperation between sicence,
government and industry in the creation of new
knowledge and goods-2

• Systematic stimulation to gradually increase RD
  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

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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

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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

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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
  early-stage financing to knowledge-based companies

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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
  RD
• 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

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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
   knowledge-based SMEs and technology-based
   start-ups
3. Stimulate demand for RD from business
4. Manage intellectual property
5. Diversify funding sources for RD, attract
   private sector investments and create risk
   capital industry
6. Promote public confidence in science and
   innovation awareness

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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
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Long-term Priorities of Croatian ST

• 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
• EnergyAlternative and Renewable Energy
  Resources, Transport, Security
• Social and Human Sciencies
• Social Integration, Pedagogics and Education,
  Lifelong (Permanent) Learning

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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

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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.

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Ruder Boškovic Institute Zagreb, Croatia
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The name of the Insitute

• Josip Ruder Boškovic
• (1711, Dubrovnik 1787, Milan)
• Working and living all around Europe (Rome,
  London, Paris, Vienna)

Ivan Meštrovic, Croatian-American 1883 - 1962
Activities physicist, mathematician,
astronomer and philosopher
Theoria Philosohiae Naturalis 1763, Venice
Influence on Davy, Faraday, Maxwell, Thomson,
Bohr
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IRB campus
Arial view of the IRB campus
IRB was founded in 1950.
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IRB today
Academic staff 296 researches 189 Ph.D.
Students 28 - postdoctoral fellows
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IRB today

• RBI Mission
• The mission of IRB is to provide the science
  expertise indispensable for the development,
  prosperity and well being of Croatia.
• 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)
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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
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IRB today
The organisational structure of the RBI
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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
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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
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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
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RADIATION DOSIMETRY
Adequate infrastructure
Various dosimetry systems TL, RPL, chemical
Irradiations SSDL, panoramic 60Co source, etc
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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