Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering (72.190)

• Research and Development Act

The Research and Development Act as the fundamental act on the relevant field determines principles and objectives and arranges the implementation of research and development activity being (co-)financed from the state budget. The services of research and development, which are (co-)financed from public funds are conducted by research and development providers:

• research organisations (public research institutions and other research organisations entered in the register of research and development actors kept by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) and
• private researchers (entered in the Private Researcher Register kept by the ARRS).

In addition to the aforementioned Research and Development Act, these research and development actors are also regulated by the following executive acts:

• Rules on the content of, and method for, keeping a register of R&D institutions and the
• Rules on the Register of private researchers.

Anyone has the right to conduct research in the sense of conducting market research development services, and may implement these also if they are not entered in the register of research organisations (legal entities) or if they are not private researchers (natural persons).

Some further normative definitions:

• Research and development activities may be implemented by research organisations in the form of programmes and projects and by private researchers in the form of projects deriving from the Research and Innovation Strategy of Slovenia.
• To conduct research and development activities, research organisations must ensure suitably qualified researchers organised in research teams, project or programme managers, research equipment, premises and infrastructure to support the activity (Article 27 of the Research and Development Act).
• Public service in the field of research and development activity is implemented in the form of research programmes of a programme team in public research institutions and higher education institutions established by the Republic of Slovenia and on the basis of a concession granted to a programme team organised by legal entities in private and public domain (indent 8 of Article 5 of the Research and Development Act).
• A research organisation is a legal public or private entity meeting the conditions laid down in this Act and regulations issued on the basis of this Act for the implementation of research and development activities (indent 6 of Article 5 of the Research and Development Act).
• The ARRS keeps a database on research and development actors (hereinafter: RO Records) as per the Rules on the contents of, and the method for, keeping a register of R&D institutions (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, nos. 40/13 and 51/14) issued by the ARRS.

As per the Rules on the Researcher Titles, researchers in research organisations are classified according to the following researcher titles:

• scientific titles: - assistant, - assistant with a master's degree, - assistant with a doctor's degree, - research associate, - senior research associate, - research counsellor.
• professional research titles: - assistant, - senior assistant - senior professional research assistant, - professional research associate, - senior professional research associate, - professional research counsellor.
• development titles: - developer, - senior developer, - independent developer, - development associate, - senior development associate, - development counsellor.

A third-country researcher is a citizen of a third country with suitable higher educational qualifications enabling the enrolment into doctoral study programmes, who conducts research or development activity and who is selected to do a research project by a research organisation as per the Research and Development Act.

Public service in the field of research and development activity is implemented in the form of research programmes of a programme team in public research institutions and higher education institutions established by the Republic of Slovenia and on the basis of a concession granted to a programme team organised by legal entities in private and public domain. Programme financing is financing of public service programmes implemented in the form of research programmes and infrastructural programmes. After a preliminary procedure for the selection of a concessionaire conducted by the agency in the field of research activity, the concession for implementing public service in the field of research activity is granted by the minister responsible for science with a decision.

    Source: Ministry of Education, Science and Sport

This include:

• research and experimental development in the field of natural sciences (mathematics, physics, mechanics, geophysics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, geology, physical geography etc.);
• multidisciplinary research and experimental development;
• research and experimental development in the field of medical sciences;ž
• research and experimental development in the field of agricultural sciences;
• research and experimental development in the field of technical sciences (mining, metallurgy, applied geology and applied geophysics, electrotechnics, electronics and automation, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, construction, geodesy, architecture, food technology, chemical technology, textile technology, transport, informatics etc.).

Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia

Activities/services added under the questions and answers table (SURS):

• development activities in the field of natural sciences and technology;
• development of products in the field of technology;
• development and manufacture of prototypes.

Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia