Support for science and research below EU average

Slovakia spends four times less on research and development than other EU countries, TASR learnt from the Supreme Audit Office's (NKU) spokesman Marek Papajcik. The NKU's analytic section in its ten-year international comparison confirmed a low level of public money invested in science and research, as well as shortcomings in its management. Higher expenditure on science and research failed to reflect in results and quality. Although the number of employees in science and research has grown moderately, Slovakia lags behind in the number of patents in proportion to GDP, as well as in the number of scientific institutions per capita. Research and Development is of key importance for the further sustainable development of Slovakia. Therefore, the NKU ranked the field of education, research and development among the key areas of focus for its top-priority inspection activities in the upcoming years.