On 1 September 2011 the National Centre for Research and Development took over from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education tasks related to the implementation of European Funds allocated for the development of science and higher education sectors in Poland.
Via European Funds available to Poland since 2004 significant financial resources are spent not only on necessary infrastructure elements but also on the stimulation of enterpreneurship driven by innovative ventures and discoveries made by Polish scientists. In 2007-2013, under three operational programmes: Innovative Economy, Human Capital and Infrastructure and Environment, our country has gained access to over EUR 4.1 billion, allocated i.a. for: extension and revamping of Polish universities, research infrastructure, R&D projects, strengthening cooperation of Polish businesses with the research sector as well as for the maintenance of high educational standards and increase in number of students majoring in disciplines considered strategic for the sustainable development of the Polish economy. Most of those funds have already been granted. By November 2011 close to 1800 contracts whose value exceeds PLN 15 billion were signed under three operational programmes. Under the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme all available funds have already been granted, under the Innovative Economy one – 95 % of them, while under the Human Capital Programme – 81 %!
Before August 2011, it was the Ministry of Science and Higher Education that acted as a Intermediate Bodies for the aforementioned programmes within the field of science and higher education. Since September 2011 those tasks have been performed by the National Centre for Research and Development. Within the framework of those tasks, the National Centre for Research and Development must, among others, aptly transfer and settle granted funds and provide information-related support for beneficiaries carrying out projects funded by the UE. Polish students and scientists have already been offered access to modern research centers and equipment.
It is the National Centre for Research and Development is mission to encourage the development of Polish research entities, universities and businesses in order to stimulate innovation in the country.
This purpose can be accomplished through the reinforcement of relations between the public and private sector, paying more attention to the protection of intellectual property and supporting attractive ways of educating students and improving the academic staff’s skills. The results of most of the projects carried out currently shall become apparent to the society within the following few years.
National Cohesion Strategy
Structural funds for science and higher education
The aims of the Cohesion Policy for 2007-2013 are closely associated with the implementation of the key priorities of the renewed Lisbon Strategy, outlined in the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs. They include support for innovation, entrepreneurship and knowledge-based economy, through development of research and innovation capabilities, new ICTc as well as supporting investment in human capital.
These aims of the Cohesion Policy in Poland have been specified in the National Cohesion Strategy (National Strategic Reference Framework 2007-2013), a document outlining the use of EU funds granted to Poland for 2007-2013 under EU structural funds programmes (European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund) and the Cohesion Fund.
The strategic objective of the NCS is to create the conditions for the improvement of competitiveness of Poland’s economy, which should be based on knowledge and entrepreneurship, provide more jobs and ensure a higher level of social, economic and spatial cohesion. The detailed objectives of the NCS are:
- Improving human quality capital and enhancing social cohesion (Objective 2),
- Improving the competitiveness and innovativeness of enterprises, including in particular the manufacturing sector with high added value and development of the services sector (Objective 4).
The objectives of the National Cohesion Strategy are implemented, inter alia, through operational programmes managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and by Voivodeship administrations.
These targets are achieved with participation of the National Centre for Research and Development, which on the 1st of September 2011 took over tasks related to implementation of three operational programmes managed by MRR from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and acts as an Intermediary Institution for these programmes. The programmes are:
- Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment
- Operational Programme Innovative Economy
which implement Priorities supported by the ERDF, and
- Operational Programme Human Capital
co-financed by the ESF.
Investments in the R&D sector and in higher education are essential for creating favourable conditions for the development of knowledge-based economy. It is particularly important to support research in areas of major significance for the economic and social development of the country, to stimulate involvement of entrepreneurs in R&D activities, to modernize and expand research and university education infrastructure as well as to improve university teaching standards and adjust university education to the needs of the economy and the labour market. These are the focus areas of the aforementioned operational programmes with regard to science and higher education.
Out of the total amount of euro 85.6 billion (including euro 67.3 billion from the EU budget) for the implementation of the National Cohesion Policy, euro 4.15 billion (including euro 3.53 billion from the EU budget) has been allocated for science and higher education under the programmes for which the Ministry of Science and Higher Education is an Intermediate Body. This amount is split as follows between individual Priorities and Measures:
Operational Programme – Innovative Economy
Priority 1: Research and development of new technologies – EUR 1 299 270 589
Measure 1.1: Support for scientific research for the development of a knowledge-based economy – EUR 465 000 613
Measure 1.2: Improvement of the human potential of science – EUR 70 037 029
Measure 1.3: Support for R&D projects benefiting entrepreneurs and implemented by research centres – EUR 373 880 771
Measure 1.4: Support for goal-oriented projects – EUR 390 352 176
Priority 2: R&D infrastructure
Measure 2.1: Development of research centres with high potential – EUR 691 423 530
Measure 2.2: Support for the development of shared research infrastructure – EUR 349 117 647
Measure 2.3: Investments related to the development of science’s ICT infrastructure – EUR 258 729 412
Operational Programme – Infrastructure and Environment
Priority 13: Higher education infrastructure – EUR 588 235 294
Operational Programme – Human Capital
Priority 4: Higher education and science – EUR 960 366 839
Measure 4.1 Strengthening and development of didactic potential of universities, and increasing the number of graduates from faculties of key importance for knowledge-based economy – EUR 898 866 839
Measure 4.2. Developing staff qualifications in the R&D sector and increasing the awareness of the role of science in economic growth – EUR 61 500 000
On 1 September 2011 the National Centre for Research and Development took over from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education tasks related to the implementation of European Funds allocated for the development of science and higher education sectors in Poland.
Via European Funds available to Poland since 2004 significant financial resources are spent not only on necessary infrastructure elements but also on the stimulation of enterpreneurship driven by innovative ventures and discoveries made by Polish scientists. In 2007-2013, under three operational programmes: Innovative Economy, Human Capital and Infrastructure and Environment, our country has gained access to over EUR 4.1 billion, allocated i.a. for: extension and revamping of Polish universities, research infrastructure, R&D projects, strengthening cooperation of Polish businesses with the research sector as well as for the maintenance of high educational standards and increase in number of students majoring in disciplines considered strategic for the sustainable development of the Polish economy. Most of those funds have already been granted. By November 2011 close to 1800 contracts whose value exceeds PLN 15 billion were signed under three operational programmes. Under the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme all available funds have already been granted, under the Innovative Economy one – 95 % of them, while under the Human Capital Programme – 81 %!
Before August 2011, it was the Ministry of Science and Higher Education that acted as a Intermediate Bodies for the aforementioned programmes within the field of science and higher education. Since September 2011 those tasks have been performed by the National Centre for Research and Development. Within the framework of those tasks, the National Centre for Research and Development must, among others, aptly transfer and settle granted funds and provide information-related support for beneficiaries carrying out projects funded by the UE. Polish students and scientists have already been offered access to modern research centers and equipment.
It is the National Centre for Research and Development is mission to encourage the development of Polish research entities, universities and businesses in order to stimulate innovation in the country.
This purpose can be accomplished through the reinforcement of relations between the public and private sector, paying more attention to the protection of intellectual property and supporting attractive ways of educating students and improving the academic staff’s skills. The results of most of the projects carried out currently shall become apparent to the society within the following few years.
