Research - Slovakia

Updated 04. 2010

Legal requirements

According to the Lisbon Strategy, EU spending on research and development (R&D) should reach 3% of GDP by 2010. Slovakia is therefore encouraging businesses to invest in research and innovation, and thereby to promote growth and employment.

The reform steps of the Slovak Republic in the process of transformation to a knowledge-based society and economy and towards sustainable development are set out in the Modernisation Programme - Slovakia 21 and the National Programme of Reforms for the period 2008-2010.

Modernisation Programme Slovakia 21 [263 KB]
National Programme of Reforms for the period 2008-2010 [529 KB]
List of action plans in the National Programme of Reforms [772 KB]

Compared with other EU countries, R&D expenditure in the Slovak Republic is one of the lowest. EU funds will therefore be used to support science and technology and ensure a successful, long-term national science and technology policy.

National science and technology policy

R&D bodies

Research is a responsibility of the Ministry of Education, which is the managing authority for the operational programmes 'Education' and 'Research and Development' under the Act on the Organisation of State Support for Research and Development.

Slovak Ministry of Education
Act on the Organisation of State Support for Research and Development

The Slovak Academy of Sciences focuses on the development of science, education, culture and economics.

Slovak Academy of Sciences

Incentives

The conditions for providing R&D incentives to businesses with the aim of raising the level of research and development are governed by the Act on Incentives for Research and Development

Act on Incentives for Research and Development [81 KB]

The aim of providing the incentives is to:

provide businesses with state support to boost their R&D efforts,
increase the numbers of people working in R&D,
increase the volume of spending on R&D by the business sector.

Incentives may be:

Direct - grants from the state budget for:

supporting fundamental research, applied research or experimental development,
drawing up project feasibility studies,
protecting intellectual property,
temporary assignment of highly-qualified R&D staff.

Indirect - income tax relief.

The incentives are provided by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance.

Slovak Ministry of Education
Slovak Ministry of Finance

VAT refunds

The Ministry of Education has drafted a proposal on the possibility of VAT refunds from the state budget for projects in the Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration.

Possibility of VAT refunds - Proposal

Alongside R&D, innovation is essential for businesses to develop and stay competitive.

New ideas — Slovakia

Intellectual property must be protected to encourage research.

Intellectual property — Slovakia

Administrative procedures

Applying for incentives

Under the Act on Incentives it is possible to provide R&D incentives to business legal entities for up to three years.

micro-businesses,
small businesses,
medium-sized businesses with less than 250 employees, with annual turnover less than EU 50 million, or with assets worth less than EUR 43 million,
medium-sized businesses with more than 250 employees, with annual turnover more than EU 50 million, or with assets worth more than EUR 43 million.

The conditions for providing incentives

Applicants for incentives must fulfil the following conditions:

to fund from their own sources the establishment of a new workplace, which will continue to focus on R&D activities for at least 5 years after the provision of incentives comes to an end,
to fund from their own sources the expansion of an existing workplace which will continue to focus on R&D activities for at least 5 years after the provision of incentives comes to an end, and without reducing pre-incentive spending levels for at least five years.

The minimum authorised costs for a fundamental research project are:

EUR 1 million for a large business,
EUR 0.5 million for a medium-sized business,
EUR 0.25 million for a small business or a micro-business.

The minimum authorised costs for an applied research or experimental development projects are:

EUR 3.5 million for a large business,
EUR 2.5 million for a medium-sized business,
EUR 1.5 million for a small business or a micro-business.
Everything about incentives for research and development
Applications for incentives - form
Sample of application for R&D incentives [137 KB]

Obtaining certificates

The provision of targeted funding from the state budget for organising research and development is conditional upon obtaining a certificate.

The assessment committee assesses fulfilment of the following requirements:

R&D qualification structure and infrastructure,
R&D results achieved and put into practice, including publishing and artistic activities,
sustainable development.
Certificate of competence
Act amending the Act on the Organisation of State Support for Research and Development
Application for assessment of competence [151 KB]
Application form

Registering as a private researcher or scientific institution

On the basis of a competence assessment, legal entities or individuals obtain a certificate of competence to perform R&D and thereby also authorisation to apply for funding from the state budget. Certificates are issued or withdrawn by the Minister of Education based on a proposal from the assessment committee.

Tendering

The VEGA scientific grants agency ensures a mutually coordinated approach in the selection and assessment of fundamental research projects taking place at universities and SAV scientific institutions.

Scientific Grants Agency (VEGA)

Financial instruments in Slovakia support research and are based on bilateral cooperation managed by the Slovak Research and Development Agency. Guidelines on each invitation as well as an online system for submitting projects are available on the Agency's website.

Invitations to submit projects to the Slovak Research and Development Agency

Project proposals or applications are submitted electronically. Proposals or applications may be submitted only after an invitation has been published.

Submitting an application

Resources

The Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information offers a specialised scientific library and focuses on all branches of technology as well as selected areas of natural, economic and human sciences. The Centre operates a central information portal for research, development and innovation (RD&I).

Scientific and Technical Information Centre

Research is also closely connected to educational institutions and the development of cooperation and mobility between educational and scientific institutions.

Slovak Academic Association for International Cooperation
Slovak Academic Information Agency

Programmes

State assistance - entrepreneurial entities involved in research and/or development or legal entities looking to cooperate on research with a research organisation may apply. The link below contains a form for applicants who may require assistance.

State assistance for research

Other financial instruments are linked to support for university research, in-house research and various science and technology awards.

Support for research at universities

The Operational Programme 'Research and Development' aims to make the support system for R&D more effective, increase the R&D potential of the Slovak Republic and promote the application of R&D results in practice.

Operational Programme 'Research and Development'
Programme manual for Operational Programme 'Research and Development'

The National Agency for Handling EU Structural Funds is the intermediary body for the R&D and Education operational programmes.

Slovak Ministry of Education Agency for EU Structural Funds

The European Science Foundation (ESF) has created the European Collaborative Research Scheme (EUROCORES) programme. It supports collaborative research and cooperation in diverse scientific branches. The Research Networking Programmes endeavour to increase the level of home-grown research through intensive European cooperation.

European Science Foundation (ESF)
European Collaborative Research Scheme
EUROCORES

Check also the legislation on this topic in:

Research - Slovakia