The level of research and development (R&D) investment in Slovenia in recent years has been under 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with a slight increase in 2006 to 1.59% (SURS, February 2008), followed by a decline again in 2007 to 1.45% (SURS, February 2009). In nominal terms this relative decline was actually the increase of €16.5m in 2007. The business sector share of total investment in R&D is 59.2%, followed by government sources (29.0%) and sources from abroad (5.8%). Slovenia introduced the Lisbon and Barcelona targets into its R&D policy and was hoping to achieve 3% investment in R&D by 2010, yet the current trends, particularly the inability to increase public sector financing at the rate of growth of GDP (6.1% in 2007), are not so optimistic. This led to official postponement of the target to 2013. Both times the target was set more as a mobilisation target then a realistic one, since its achievement isn’t only the issue of financial resources, but the lack of human resources and absorption capacity as well.

This analytical country report is one of 33 reports for EU Member and Associated States prepared as part of ERAWATCH. ERAWATCH is a joint initiative of the European Commission's Directorates General for Research and Joint Research Centre. For further information on ERAWATCH see http://cordis.europa.eu/erawatch. Analysis of policy mixes to foster R&D investment and to contribute to the ERA. Comments on this report are welcome and should be addressed to Mariana Chioncel (Mariana.Chioncel@ec.europa.eu).