Innovation Europe > News > Innovation EU Vol1-1 > Ministry of Science, Education and Sports

For better implementation of the programmes, the Government of Croatia established two agencies: the Croatian Institute of Technology (for scientists) and the Business Innovation Center of Croatia (for entrepreneurs).

The Business Innovation Center of Croatia – BICRO Ltd – was founded by the government in 1998. BICRO is the key organisation within the national innovation system whose basic role is development and implementation of government support programmes aimed at strengthening technology development as the main generator of sustainable economic growth.

BICRO’s PROGRAMMES

In accordance with the Government Guidelines for Support to the National Technology and Innovation, BICRO is responsible for implementing “The support for entrepreneurship based on innovation and new technologies programme”, which comprises five complementary sub-programmes: RAZUM, TEHCRO, VENCRO, IRCRO, and KONCRO. These programmes fund innovative technology projects with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of Croatian SMEs and creating other conditions which are necessary for the successful flow of knowledge between the scientific community and the business sector. The support includes: initial funding, funding for research and development of new products or services in existing companies, development of technology parks and other innovation centres, establishement of venture capital funds and industry, stimulation of co-operation between industry and technology institutions and increase in SMEs’ R&D activities, as well as co-funding of consultancy services for increasing competitiveness.

BICRO is currently in the preparation process for accreditation by the European Commission as an intermediate body for future EU structural funds on behalf of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports (MSES).

BICRO is a lead partner for technology transfer and innovation in Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), the most significant European support initiative. BICRO is the national office for the EUREKA and Eurostars programme co-ordination.

In co-operation with the MSES and the University of Zagreb, BICRO has created and is now implementing the project “Incubation Center for Bioscience –BIOCenter”, financed by the EU (IPA Pre-accession Fund).

The Croatian Institute of Technology – CIT Ltd – was founded by the government in 2006 as a central institution of the Croatian technological network responsible for encouraging active co-operation between knowledge, technology and entrepreneurship. CIT provides support to the innovation created by the Croatian academic and scientific community through funding technology-oriented research, supporting and advising on the technology transfer and intellectual property issues, encouraging and assisting Croatian participation in European and international R&D projects, monitoring and forecasting global technological trends, as well as providing business intelligence services in the field of the new technologies development.

The main instrument for funding technologyoriented research available to CIT is Program TEST. Through this programme CIT finances selected research activities of the Croatian academic and research institutions.

Together with the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, CIT is the host of the Croatian office of the National Contact Points of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), and as such serves as Croatian partner of the Enterprise Europe Network responsible for the dissemination of information about FP7.