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Towards a profile of the NIS in Croatia. Domagoj Račić Knowledge Network domagoj.racic@mrezaznanja.hr. Overview. Overview of the NIS Education / Research System Enterprise / Industrial System Framework conditions. Overview of the National Innovation System.
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Towards a profile of the NIS in Croatia Domagoj Račić Knowledge Network domagoj.racic@mrezaznanja.hr
Overview • Overview of the NIS • Education / Research System • Enterprise / Industrial System • Framework conditions
Overview of the National Innovation System • The composition of GERD: Business 40.7%, HEI 33.7%, Government 25.5% • Less than 10.000 FTE researchers • R&D activities heterogeneity & lack of funds • Slow restructuring of the public institutions • Secondary role of innovation in business strategies (less than 0.2% business employees engaged in R&D) • Low base of research with a commercial potential • Technology transfer procesess and institutions are being developed • Solid, but underfunded innovation support measures
Education / Research System (1) • 7 universities + public research institutes + polytechnics / colleges (public & private) • Fragmentation of university departments – effects on quotas, labour market outcomes, research, technology transfer, entrepreneurship • The education / research system is currently in a flux • Reliance on government funding coupled with low accountability vs. market-oriented reforms
Education / Research System (2) • Public debate regarding the new laws related to research, higher education and the organisation of universities The key challenges include: ▪ defining strategic priorities ▪ redefining institutional setup (accountability) ▪ securing sources of funding ▪ opening up to ERA ▪ increasing mobility of students and researchers ▪ opening up to the business sector
Enterprise / Industrial System (1) • Traditional R&D performers have largely downsized their R&D activities • SMEs have not been able to compensate for these losses • The lack of greenfield FDI with strong technology capabilities has reduced the role of technology spillovers from abroad • Larger companies take advantage of R&D tax incentives, whereas the most innovative SMEs seek subsidies & conditional loans (through BICRO)
Enterprise / Industrial System (2) • SME policy focused on infrastructure (business zones) and small subsidies • Challenges for companies: • Economic crisis, lack of liquidity and access to credit • Industrial policy is limited in scope • Innovation policy is underfunded and is not integrated into the mainstream of regional development • Public administration and business climate • Workforce education / lifelong learning
Framework conditions • Generic infrastructure for SMEs: 50 entrepreneurship centres, 30 incubators, 280 business zones • Technology infrastructure is being developed (incubators, R&D/competence centres, technology parks) • Limited availability of financial instruments (credit, guarantees, VC funding) • The lack of industrial policy at the national and regional levels is likely to slow down the development of NTBF and attraction of technology-based FDI
Concluding remarks • The collapse of the traditional industrial sectors has not been adequately compensated by new domestic enterprises and foreign investments • R&D activities are predominantly performed in the public sector, whereas innovation mostly depends on market incentives • The lack of industrial policy and weak business climate cannot be compensated by innovation policy measures which are well-designed, but insufficient