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Governance of RDI
Published 8 November 2024
The current status of competences in the field of research, development and innovation (RDI) at the national level is regulated by the Act on the Organisation of State Support for Research and Development (R&D) and the Act on the Organisation of Government Activities and the Organisation of the Central State Administration. A new draft Law on Research, Development and Innovation is currently in the legislative process. The main objective of the forthcoming law is to consolidate competences and to separate policy-making from the provision of funding.
Strategic and methodological coordination in RDI is the responsibility of the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic through the Research and Innovation Authority (VAIA). Its task is to define the direction and coordination of central government bodies and research institutions in the field of RDI.
In order to improve the coordination of competences in the field of RDI, the Council of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Science, Technology and Innovation (RGSTI) is an advisory, expert and coordinating body of the Government of the Slovak Republic for research and innovation policies. The Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic is responsible for most of the strategic documents and legislation in the field of research and development. The Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic (MH SR) is responsible for innovation policies.
Schema of governance of RDI
Policy making
RDI policy-making involves strategic planning, formulation and implementation of measures to promote scientific research, technological progress and innovation.
Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic
The Ministry is responsible for the preparation of strategic documents and legislation in the field of research and development at the national level, regulations and decrees, proposals for grant schemes and their implementation. An important competence of Ministry is the cooperation and coordination of central bodies, subordinate departmental organisations and agencies, cooperation with universities, the Slovak Academy of Sciences and public research institutions, with departmental research institutions, the non-profit and private sectors.
It ensures the development and implementation of state, scientific and technical policy and a coordinating role in science and technology in relation to the APVV, government organisations, the Academy of Sciences and universities. It prepares the Annual Report on the State of R&D and participates in the initial stages of the legislative process in this area. A large part of the agenda is international scientific and technical cooperation, membership of international R&D organisations, international research infrastructure organisations and cooperation with the OECD, EU Council bodies, the EC and the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic in Brussels. The Section also has a Space Office – Space Policy Unit, whose main task is to ensure bilateral cooperation with ESA and to coordinate space policies and activities at national and international level.
It formulates policies mainly through the Research Programming Unit and the Methodology Unit.
It is responsible for the most important conceptual issues, in particular the Long-Term Plan for Educational, Research, Development, Artistic and Other Creative Activities in the Field of Higher Education, the evaluation of creative activities in universities and the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the introduction of performance contracts, the methodology for the distribution of subsidies to universities and, in cooperation with other sections, for legislation and other tasks.
Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (SCSTI)
SCSTI fulfils the role of the National Reference Point for Open Science, the National Centre for Technology Transfer of the Slovak Republic, whose mission is to provide support to scientific research institutions in Slovakia in the implementation of the individual steps of this process and in the establishment and development of their own technology transfer workplaces, and the National Centre for the Popularisation of Science and Technology in Society. Since 2007, the Centre has been organising a number of events, supporting the communication of scientific information through its website and cooperating with the media to inform the widest possible public about the results of Slovak research and development. SCSTI also produces conceptual and strategic materials in the fields of science and technology. It provides information and advice to entrepreneurs and the general public in the field of intellectual property and cooperation with academia in the field of research and development.
Research and Innovation Authority (VAIA)
VAIA is the central body for strategic and methodological coordination of the Slovak Republic’s RDI, operating within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which is not managed by the Ministry. In the field of policy-making, it is mainly engaged in the creation and updating of strategic documents: the National Strategy for Research, Development and Innovation 2030 (in slovak), the Smart Specialisation Strategy (in slovak), the implementation of a number of measures from the strategic documents and the monitoring of the implementation of measures imposed on other entities. Participates in the preparation of strategic and legislative materials of other public administration entities. The second pillar of the agenda is the preparation and implementation of the mandatory methodology for the management, funding and evaluation of RDI support. The third pillar is the preparation of the Preliminary Funding Plan. Closely related to this is the role of the implementer of reforms and investments under the the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the preparation of call intentions.
National Implementation and Coordination Authority (NICA)
The Recovery Plan Section within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which is not managed by the Ministry, performs the function of the National Implementation and Coordination Authority (NICA) according to the law. The role of the NICA is to ensure the preparation and transmission of the views of the Slovak Republic on draft legally binding EU acts, strategic and other EU documents on the performance of the POO. It manages its drafting, submission to the EU and ensures communication. The NIKA guides the actors in the implementation of the ODA and controls the potential overlap of expenditure from different mechanisms.
Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic
The activities of the MInistry directly influence the draft budget of the institutions creating the RDI policies, as well as its own tax and control policies.
In addition to audit work, it is responsible for audit and control legislation. It is a key player in the drive to simplify the administration of grant schemes.
It influences the research and innovation ecosystem through the setting of tax instruments in legislation.
Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic
In the case of the Ministry of Economy, the topic of innovation is part of a larger policy package.
It addresses, among other policies on the business environment, start-ups, innovation, the digital economy and industrial policy. Within the framework of international cooperation in RDI, he represents Slovakia in EU and OECD councils, working groups and committees and the Danube Strategy Working Group. It coordinates the activities of SIEA, SBA and SARIO in the topics of its competence and manages the activities of the Innovation Fund.
It manages the policy for the provision of regional investment aid, acts as an intermediary body for the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and guides the SIEA.
Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic
The Ministry main focus in the area of RDI is on digital innovation and smart cities.
It develops and implements the Strategy for Smart and Sustainable Mobility in Slovakia, the Smart Cities and Regions Policy, the preparation of the intentions of the challenges in these areas as well as the direction of the Fair Transformation Fund.
It develops and implements the Digital Transformation Strategy of Slovakia and prepares plans for digital innovation challenges.
It is dedicated to the concept and promotion of regional innovation centres.
It is the managing authority for the Programme Slovakia 2021-2027 itself. It carries out tasks related to programming, implementation and approval process for the programme management documentation, coordinates and supervises the programme’s intermediary bodies
Ministry of Health
It prepares plans for calls from the Programme Slovakia .
It develops a long-term strategy for the development of R&D in healthcare, especially in the field of biomedicine, directs and coordinates research activities in the field of healthcare and sets the substantive focus, priorities and objectives of research in this area.
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic
It coordinates, methodologically guides and creates conditions for RDI in the field of agriculture, biotechnology in plant and animal production, forestry and research to support the quality of food safety.
Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic
It performs tasks in the field of R&D aimed at ensuring the defence and security of the Slovak Republic, mainly through the Modernisation Section. The Department also exercises competences in relation to the State University of the Slovak Armed Forces Academy.
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
The Ministry is responsible for European policy-making through the Permanent Representation in Brussels, namely the Second Secretary for Research, Innovation and Space.
Other ministries
The Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic coordinate, methodologically guide and carry out research in the field of their competence with cooperating organisations.
Regulation
Regulation in this area is the establishment of legal and conceptual frameworks that must govern scientific and technological activities. The aim is to ensure safety, protection of rights, transparency and efficiency in research and innovation projects.
It is the central authority for industrial protection of intellectual property. It carries out state administration in the field of protection of inventions, utility models, topographies of semiconductor products, designs, trademarks, designations of origin of products and geographical indications. It represents Slovakia in international organisations, namely the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the European Patent Organisation (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The IPO also prepares legislation in the field of intellectual property protection and related methodologies and guidelines.
It performs the role of the central state administration body for technical standardisation, metrology, quality, conformity assessment and accreditation of bodies. It prepares the State policy concept, carries out methodological work and supervises the implementation of tasks in this area.
It is a coordinator in the field of state aid, cooperating with aid providers in the preparation of measures to support RDI, in particular by assessing proposals for aid schemes, ad hoc aid measures and those not subject to state aid rules. The Antimonopoly Office coordinates the preparation of comments by the Slovak authorities on EU RDI legislation.
Ensures the accreditation of the provision of higher education. It also sets the “minimum standard” for the delivery of degree programmes. SAAHE assesses the internal quality assurance systems of HEIs, supervises the fulfilment of the standards and monitors the compliance of the delivery of study programmes with the standards and the submitted applications for accreditation of study programmes. It also carries out methodological, consultancy and training activities related to accreditation processes.
Control and audit
Control and audit is the independent assessment and verification of the processes, financial expenditure and results of R&D&I projects. The aim is to ensure efficient use of resources, compliance with legal standards, transparency and achievement of set objectives.
It is a budgetary organisation of the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, whose task is to perform government audits, to decide on breaches of financial discipline in the management of funds and the related imposition and enforcement of levies and fines.
Supervises compliance with the obligations of contracting authorities. It issues opinions on compliance of documents, decisions and may impose sanctions for offences in public procurement.