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Enhancing Bulgaria’s Competitiveness through Innovation TA. Experience and Lessons of Utilizing National and EU Funds for Innovation in Bulgaria. Ruslan Stefanov Coordinator Innovation.bg Group. Outline. Strategic underpinning Available instruments
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Enhancing Bulgaria’s Competitiveness through Innovation TA Experience and Lessons of Utilizing National and EU Funds for Innovation in Bulgaria Ruslan Stefanov Coordinator Innovation.bg Group
Outline • Strategic underpinning • Available instruments • Performance assessment: strengths vs. weaknesses • National Science Fund (NSF) • National Innovation Fund (NIF) • OP Competitiveness (OPC) • Conclusions and recommendations
Strategic framework • European dimension: Europe 2020 => draft national goal R&D expenditures = 1.4 ~ 2% of GDP • Draft National R&D Strategy and National Innovation Strategy => targets not met + update needed for 2020 • Legal framework: Law on Encouragement of Scientific Research […] => outdated and patchy • Financial underpinning => annual national planning vs. 7 year EU / roughly EU – BG sources parity
Position of the National Science Fund and National Innovation Fund Along the Science to Market Axis
Annual Financial Weight of National Instruments in Million €
Innovation not a priority in 2007 - 2013 % of total amount allocated for both Convergence and Competitiveness objectives, compared to the total Community allocations in all themes Source: Strategic Report of Republic of Bulgaria for 2009, Annex 3 Financial Progress by Priority Themes
Low Absorption: Identified Problems and Implemented Measures
Capacity of absorption of EU funds • State administration and managing authorities:Complicated and prolonged the rules and proceduresGradually build up their capacity and information systemsCurrently trying to improve the procedures • Beneficiaries: Capacity of beneficiaries varies. Lesser experience of Bulgarian firms; not eligible under the pre-accession instruments. • Consultants: Developed consultancy market (Bulgarian and foreign firms) Different levels of professional expertise. Some problems with quality. Capacity to absorb EU funds
Conclusions & Recommendations • Most serious issue: lack of strategic coordination and policy underpinning • Problems with absorption similar to all national instruments, incl. operational programs • No stable national R&D financial framework • Performance can be improved by leveraging national instruments and EU framework programs