At the workshop “Challenges of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy and Evaluation of Its Effects”, held on November 6 at the Institute of Economics, Zagreb, Dr. Jakša Puljiz, Director of the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), participated as a lecturer and panelist.
In his presentation titled “Cohesion Policy and the Promotion of Private Investment in Research and Development in Croatia”, he highlighted that Croatia has increased its investment in research and development since joining the European Union, but that financial support to the private sector from the state budget remains low. He also pointed out the strong dependence of state aid for research and development on EU sources and emphasized several challenges Croatia may face in the context of launching the new European Competitiveness Fund after 2027.
The workshop was organized by the Institute of Economics, Zagreb, with a thematic focus on the implementation of cohesion policy in innovation and industrial policy, strengthening the absorptive, research, and strategic capacities of Croatian stakeholders, and assessing the potential effects of upcoming EU policy changes on Croatia.
The workshop gathered policymakers, the academic community, professional evaluators, as well as representatives of civil society and entrepreneurs.
The conference program is available here.
