Ministry of Science: EU funds for research should focus on selected topics

During the meeting of the permanent subcommittee for the economics of education and science, the subcommittee members discussed EU funds spent in 2007-2013 on research and innovation, as well as the conclusions drawn for the perspective 2014-2020.

Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Włodzisław Duch admitted that it would be difficult to settle funds from the previous financial perspective at this point, because a large part of the largest, most important projects were still in progress. "Some of them will be completed only at the end of the year" - he said. He stated that a comprehensive summary of the entire program could not be prepared before the middle of next year.

According to the documents submitted to the subcommittee by the Ministry of Science, support for research and innovation in the period 2007-2013 was mainly implemented under the Operational Programme Innovative Economy (IE OP - 8.7 billion euros from the EU budget), Infrastructure and Environment (OP I&E - 28 3 billion euros from the EU) and the Regional Operational Programmes (17.3 billion euros from the EU budget).

Włodzisław Duch admitted that thanks to the OP IE funds, the share of expenditure on research and development in GDP amounted to 0.89 percent in 2012, and without these funds it would constitute only 0.7 percent. He mentioned that funds from the IE OP provided an opportunity to create 51 thousand new jobs in the funded projects. 12 thousand scientists were involved in the projects. Companies supported by the program introduced 4.8 thousand new products and services to the market, and implemented 1.4 thousand new technologies.

In turn, the OP I&E has already allowed to upgrade 75 buildings (out of 122 planned), of which 36 have been modernised from the ground up (out of 61 planned). Eastern Poland Development Programme, implemented within the framework of the Regional Operational Programmes provided 100 research jobs. In addition, more than 160 institutions benefit from research equipment purchased within the framework of the programme.

Włodzisław Duch also summed up the ministry conclusions from the implementation of EU programs. He admitted that support for innovative processes should be more focused thematically, and it should support areas that are crucial for Poland. He reminded that in the new EU perspective smart specialization was emphasised. In addition, the support should be targeted at developing the research potential of companies and strengthening the relations between business and science. At the same time, support for implementations should decrease.

Deputy Minister said that in the new period, support for infrastructure should only supplement and complement the infrastructure built in the previous period, and greater emphasis should be placed on staff development for R&D sector in companies and scientific institutions. It was also noted that the processes of submission and evaluation of applications should be faster and easier.

Jerzy Żyżyński (PiS) drew attention to the rational use of foreign funds. He explained that "money is the right to purchase" and "EU funds are the right to purchase something for euros". In his opinion, a program should be instituted that would allow rationally use foreign means of payment. In his opinion, instead of immediately converting them into zlotys in banks, they could be more efficiently used. He pointed out that euros are very useful in science - for example to finance foreign travel of scientists or buy research equipment, which is not manufactured in Poland.

The subcommittee members drew attention to an insufficient - in their opinion - share of expenditure on research and development in the GDP. Janusz Igras of the Central Council of Science and Higher Education addressed the issue of private sector involvement in R&D. In his opinion, increased budget funding for science would result in companies being more willing to invest in R&D. "We should fight for the budget. This is a key issue to increase the participation of businesses in the research" - he said. Włodzisław Duch agreed with this statement. Speaking about the increase of funds for science from the state budget, he stated that in the fight for it divisions should be put aside.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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