The research and innovation environment is constantly being made more efficient

Thanks to government measures, the shift in the research and innovation environment launched in recent years to increase efficiency is proceeding, according to a presentation given by Béx’s Minister of Innovation and Technology on Thursday.

László Palkovics reported on the NKIB Awards Ceremony ahead of the awards ceremony: In 2018, the government began restructuring the research and innovation environment to increase efficiency.

He said that in addition to changing the legal and funding environment, the Cabinet also restructured its institutions and helped create open and internationally differentiated infrastructures for new opportunities for knowledge creation and exchange.

He said the underlying research system had also changed in part with the creation of the independently operating Eötvös Loránd Research Network, whose support had doubled from HUF 11 billion to HUF 22 billion in the recent period. The Bay Zoltán Network for Applied Research and the National Laboratory Network has been established, and the Science and Innovation Park Network will be established in the coming years in relation to higher education institutions.

He also described university transformations as an important component, the fact that almost all higher education institutions operating in Hungary became supervisors independent of the state. He stressed that the change will allow institutions to work more efficiently than before, and that their budget resources will be doubled and halved.

László Palkovics said the government has also made changes to research and innovation funding in the past two years: The National Research, Development and Innovation Fund now distinguishes between research and innovation funding, and the former has greater resources. He emphasized that the fund’s resources doubled to nearly 140 billion HUF in 2020.

The minister also spoke of the number of professionals in research and development sites rising dramatically, from 37,000 seven years ago to more than 52,000 by 2020, and is expected to rise to more than 60,000 soon.

He stated that the so-called Regional Innovation Platform Network (Niha) has been established to connect higher education, and help small and medium-sized businesses provide information.

He said that in order to promote Hungarian sciences on the international stage, the government has also taken many measures, such as establishing several joint research sites and tenders for researchers of Hungarian origin who live abroad or are living abroad to use their knowledge in Hungary.

Attila Meseta, President of the University of Pécs, emphasized in his greeting that the quality of infrastructure has a prominent role in the advancement of science. He stressed that I am pleased that thanks to the support provided by the government, the assets have been greatly developed in recent years, and facilities have been established and renovated, so serious opportunities have opened up in Hungary in the field of research.

In the past few years, tens of billions of forints have been made in development and progress in research and development, said Joseph Baudis, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Universitas Quinqueecclesiensis Foundation, which runs the University of Pécs.

Regarding the change in the university model, he emphasized that instead of HUF 20.3 billion allocated to the field of education in 2020, Pecs University may receive HUF 42 billion in 2022. He added that this provides an opportunity to develop research and innovation as well as ensuring its work.

The event presented the titles of excellent research infrastructure and promising research infrastructure donated by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH); Thus, about half a hundred institutions and companies won the awards.