S&T Country Report - Albania - WBC-INCO Net

1.3 Specific Programmes and Instruments
Following national programmes supporting technology development are defined
(in alphabetical order):
- Cluster Development Programme;
- Competitiveness Upgrading Programme (KonCro);
- Complex Technology Projects (STIRP);
- Education in Entrepreneurship Programme;
- JEZGRA Projects;
- Regulatory Guillotine Initiative (HITROREZ - hitro.hr programme);
- R&D Programme (IRCro);
- Seed Capital Programme (RAZUM);
- Stimulating Croatia’s Entrepreneurial Activities and Technology Transfer in
Education (CREATE);
- Stimulating Productivity and Introducing New Technologies and Products;
- Technology Infrastructure Development Programme (TehCro);
- Technology-Related Research and Development Programme (TEST); and
- Venture Capital Programme (VenCro).
- The Technology-Related Research and Development Programme (TEST) is
administered by the Croatian Institute of Technology (CIT). The programme is
targeted at academia and research institutions, and provides financial support to the
development of new technologies, as well as complex projects for technological
development such as prototype, pilot solution, accredited laboratories and intellectual
products. Projects related to industry application are encouraged, as well as those
leading to new approaches in fundamental and applied research.
Besides Technology Projects, further sub-categories of this programme are Complex
Technology Projects (STIRP), which are focusing on multidisciplinary,
precommercial and cooperative research, and JEZGRA Projects, aiming at creating
centres of excellence in research and technology, based on public-private
partnerships.
- Seed Capital Programme (RAZUM), which is administered by BICRO, aims to
ensure a sustainable increase in the number of knowledge-based enterprises. It
serves as a seed fund for development of knowledge-based private or largely private
enterprises that are using traditional technology and/or are technology based
companies, which can be expected to have a significant favourable impact on
economic development. The programme’s operation is based on public support and
other sources of financing (such as the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and
Development – HBOR; the Ministry of the Economy, Labor and Entrepreneurship –
MELE; the Fund for Development and Employment - FDE, and a World Bank loan),
contributing 70% of project costs in the form of conditional grants, and the remaining
30% is contributed from the private sector. The programme is expected to combine
EUR 86 million of financing, with EUR 20 million coming from the private sector.
- To enable the right technology infrastructure to support commercialization of
research outputs and development and growth of knowledge-based enterprises, the
Government has initiated, with support from the World Bank, the Technology
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