Science committee okays funding increase, sustainable development academy

The government-proposed changes to the Scientific Research and Innovation Activity Act are designed to provide the foundation for the overhaul of Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS), whose powers will be expanded to include both science and innovation.

The changes affect the funding of basic and applied research and innovation, aiming to increase the funds to 1.25% of Slovenia's GDP. 1% of GDP will go into research and the rest to innovation. The increase will be gradual, at a rate of 0.08 percentage points a year until the final rate of 1.25% is reached.

Presenting the changes, State Secretary Jure Gašparič highlighted the expansion of funding to include other ministries and additional funds, above all EU funds.

Moreover, the changes also introduce a new project valuation system, while the funding distribution key will change so that previous successes of individual institutions will play a more significant role.

The National Council, the upper chamber of parliament, supports the changes but regrets that the increase in funds was coming so late, councillor and former rector of Ljubljana University Radovan Stanislav Pejovnik told the committee.

Miroslav Gregorič, an MP from the ranks of the senior coalition Freedom Movement party, expressed support for the changes, yet called them not ambitious enough.

Tatjana Greif of the junior coalition Left also expressed support but criticised the fact that the development council, an advisory body to the government, also included the Defence Ministry. The party filed an amendment to strike out this provision, but the motion was voted down.

Meanwhile, Jožef Lenart of the largest opposition faction, the Democratic Party (SDS), praised the changes for increasing funding and expanding the funding to include other sources.

The committee also approved a bill to establish an academy of sciences for sustainable development, proposed by a group of MPs led by the deputy group leaders of the Freedom Movement and the Left, Nataša Avšič Bogovič and Matej T. Vatovec.

The new academy would be created from the Academy of Sciences for Sustainable Development of Slovenia (AZTRS), a civil society association launched in 2023.

Bringing together experts from different fields, the new academy would not encroach on the role of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU), said Freedom Movement MP Gašper Ovnik.

While coalition MPs expressed support, MPs on the other side of the isle were critical. Franc Kepa of the SDS wondered who was behind the bill, while his party colleague Alenka Helbl questioned whether there was actually a need for such an institution.

She believes the bill was to benefit and repay some academics for their role in helping the incumbent government seizing power in 2022.