en
Slovenščina
Italiano
The KRPAN project, funded through the Recovery and Resilience Plan and national funds, brought together five Slovenian public research organisations under the coordination of the University of Ljubljana – the University of Ljubljana, the University of Maribor, the Jožef Stefan Institute, the University of Primorska and the Science and Research Centre Koper – and has successfully concluded, significantly strengthening their research support and substantially exceeding the objectives initially set.
The KRPAN project (Strengthening Research Support and Activities for Progress in European Research Projects), which officially concluded in June, delivered excellent results. During the project, the partners strengthened their project offices, improved support for researchers in the preparation and implementation of European projects, and further enhanced cooperation within Slovenia’s research support environment. The project was funded through the Recovery and Resilience Plan and Slovenian national funds under the public call “Activities for Strengthening the Project Offices of Public Research Organisations”.
One of the project’s most significant achievements is the 479 new Horizon Europe projects secured by the partner organisations, more than three times the originally planned target of 150 projects. The success rate of project proposals also improved: compared with Horizon 2020, the success rate of applications submitted under Horizon Europe increased by 4.34 percentage points.
A strengthened research environment
The results achieved were significantly supported by additional staffing in project offices, expert advice for researchers preparing proposals for calls under centrally managed European programmes, numerous training and networking events, exchanges of good practices, and working or study visits to successful research organisations abroad. The project also enabled closer cooperation between project offices and the National Contact Points for Horizon Europe, knowledge transfer and intellectual property management offices, as well as other stakeholders in the research and innovation environment.
Another important result of the project is the long-term strengthening of research support. Most partners retained the additional professional staff hired during the project after its completion or secured continued funding for their positions. Within KRPAN, new models of researcher support were developed, internal project-support processes were standardised, and support materials and information resources were prepared or updated, ensuring that they remain available to researchers and project offices in the future.
The project also made an important contribution to strengthening links within Slovenia’s research and innovation landscape. The consortium worked closely with National Contact Points, while partners connected through joint training sessions, events and meetings, exchanging knowledge and good practices. In this way, KRPAN also contributed to the implementation of measures set out in the Resolution on the Slovenian Scientific Research and Innovation Strategy 2030 and to the promotion of the principles of open science and citizen science.
Lasting results
The results of KRPAN will continue beyond the formal conclusion of the project. The 479 European projects secured are expected to generate approximately 600 high-quality open-access scientific publications and at least 200 new intellectual property outputs. The new projects will also contribute to further international research cooperation, new employment opportunities and the strengthening of research capacities within the partner organisations.
The projects secured also include Horizon Europe projects within the EU Missions, addressing some of society’s major challenges – from tackling cancer and adapting to climate change to protecting oceans, developing climate-neutral and smart cities, and improving soil health and food systems.
KRPAN therefore concludes not only with excellent quantitative results, but above all with sustainably strengthened project offices, new expertise, more effective ways of supporting researchers, and stronger cooperation among Slovenian public research organisations within the European Research Area.
The KRPAN project (Strengthening Research Support and Activities for Progress in European Research Projects) was co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (MVZI), and the European Union – NextGenerationEU, in accordance with the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
