President of the Board of Directors of the European Innovation Council (EIC), dr. Michiel Scheffer met with the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr. Igor Papic.

A meeting of the EIC Board of Directors was held in Ljubljana, and as part of his visit to Slovenia, Dr. Scheffer met with the Minister. On Thursday evening, he also attended a reception, where he met informally with representatives of science, research, higher education and business.

While Slovenian applications for tenders of the European Research Council (ERC) are increasingly successful, our country is less successful in applications for EIC programs. "Of course, we want to be more successful in applying to the EIC, so I'm glad that Dr. Scheffers an opportunity to exchange views on how to improve the performance of Slovenian applicants. We found that the number of applications alone is satisfactory, but the success of the applications is not. That's why we want to help applicants. These are complex applications and if institutions do not have their own adequate support, such as knowledge transfer offices, then they need external help to prepare a successful application. The Chamber of Commerce of Slovenia can also successfully take on this role. So, I would provide some kind of professional advice in the preparation of applications for EIC tenders," said the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr. Igor Papic. The EIC is the leading European program for innovation, aimed at identifying, developing and upgrading breakthrough technologies and groundbreaking innovations. EIC programs are intended to support the most pervasive (disruptive) innovations or innovation projects. Their purpose is to provide appropriate forms of financing and support services for the efficient transition of innovations into marketable products. The programs are aimed at very risky projects, which precisely because of this cannot obtain other forms of financing on the market, but show great potential for success on a global level. The Minister also presented to Scheffer the growth of public funding for science, research and innovation: "Here comes the question of the relationship between funding for science and funding for innovation." We have a satisfactory situation in the field of basic research, but we want to increase the effectiveness of investments in the field of innovation, which would mean raising Slovenia in the ranking of the European Innovation Index. The weak point of innovation financing in Slovenia is also the limited resources of venture capital funds, and we are also preparing appropriate solutions in this area.'

President of the Board of Directors of the European Council for Innovation, dr. Michiel Scheffer pointed out that the EIC is crucial for encouraging private investment and supporting breakthrough technologies. "At the meeting of the EIC board of directors in Ljubljana, we emphasized the importance of greater participation of the widening countries in EIC programs. To achieve this, the committee proposed several measures, including the EIC (English Pre-accelerator) "pre-accelerator" scheme. The scheme is aimed at early-stage start-ups from enlargement countries. It helps them improve their business plan and technological readiness, so that they then have more chances to successfully apply to the "accelerator" scheme or to obtain other investment funds. We also talked about successful applications to our schemes from the neighboring countries of Slovenia and looked for possibilities of synergy with other initiatives, such as the Seal of Excellence. funds are not co-financed by the EIC. Achieving the Seal of Excellence allows the project, although it did not receive EIC funding, to receive national funding. Seal of Excellence recipients also have access to the EIC's business accelerator services and assistance in building the local ecosystem. During our visit to Slovenia, we also connected with Slovenian ecosystems and strengthened our cooperation." Minister dr. Papic has already announced the financing of Seal of Excellence recipients with domestic funds.

Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Slovenia, dr. Jerneja Jug Jere emphasized that Europe has more emerging technology startups than any other region in the world: "European innovations in the field of deep technologies, which have the potential to provide breakthrough solutions in facing global challenges, are also on the rise. Investments in deep technologies have reached record levels and the EIC is increasingly recognized as one of the most important sources of such investments in Europe, also stimulating private investment. The EIC also plays an important role in the implementation of important breakthrough technologies, as it finances them already in the earlier stages of technological development." Slovenia actively participates in EIC programs, especially when it comes to these earlier stages. "Increasing the intensity of research and development in Slovenia and the clear goals defined in the Slovenian Strategy for Scientific Research and Innovation 2030 are welcome. The Act on Scientific Research and Innovation Activity and the establishment of the Public Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation Activity prove the state's commitment to solving challenges in the field of research and innovation," says Dr. Jug Jera and adds: "By focusing on smart specialization, developing the Slovenian innovation ecosystem and providing targeted incentives with the help of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, Slovenia can successfully overcome the so-called valley of death."