Hungary

The National Research, Innovation and Science Policy Council was set up in December 2010 to coordinate government decisions on science, technology and innovation policy. The council has four major tasks:

1. Make decisions on STI policy issues of strategic relevance and related major projects, on financing STI, on the utilisation strategy of the Research and Technological Innovation Fund (KTIA in Hungarian), on the evaluation strategy of STI policy tools, on the report on the use of the National Scientific Research Fund (OTKA)
2. Give opinion on the report on the use of KTIA, on the drafts of major STI policy documents submitted to the government, and on the utilisation strategy of the OTKA
3. Make proposals to the government on legislation and regulation concerning STI issues
4. Take part in the co-ordination of the governmental tasks concerning STI (in devising the STI budget and monitoring the implementation)

The National Research, Development and Innovation Office is responsible for creating a stable institutional framework for the governmental coordination of the national research, development and innovation ecosystem, provide predictable funding and implements an efficient and transparent use of available resources. Their main responsibilities include:

• discussing all the decision preparatory documents relevant to development policy
• decision-making on (i) major action plans and proposals to be submitted to the European Commission, (ii) high priority development projects, and (iii) project proposals seeking public support over HUF1bn (~EUR3.3m)
• providing opinion on the rules and procedures guiding the support schemes
• monitoring the major development projects and actions

At sectoral level, research and development (R&D) is managed by the specific ministries. The key ministries with responsibilities for various domains of science, technology and innovation policies are:

• The Ministry of National Economy (the Minister also supervises the National Research, Development and Innovation Office)
• The Ministry of National Development (the Minister oversees the Research, Development and Innovation Fund and the National Development Agency that manages measures co-financed by the EU Structural Funds)
• The Ministry of National Resources (the Minister supervises all levels of education, including higher education, and coordinating science policy)

Transport and infrastructure policies are developed and implemented by various ministerial departments. One such one department is the Deputy State Secretary for Transport, which comes under the Ministry of National Development. Transport-related projects require close interaction with the Ministry of Rural Development (with regards to urban planning), the Ministry of National Economy (with regards to long-term national strategies and sectoral plans), and the Ministry of Interior (with regards to transport safety and security).

 As with any research in Hungary, transport research can be funded in three ways:

1. State funding
2. Private funding
3. EU funding sources

Up until 2012, the main national source for funding research, development and innovation policy was the Research and Technological Innovation Fund, managed by the Research and Technological Innovation Council. Research is now largely funded by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH).

All research projects financed by the state budget are included in the Hungarian Current Research Information System, which is a free access database. All Ministries and Public Offices are required to contribute to this database.

Research Infrastructures in Hungary is a document that introduces the situation and vision of the Hungarian research infrastructures. It aims to present Hungary’s plans around important RDI resources (namely the research infrastructures) to the European Union.

Projects co-financed by the EU Structural Funds are managed by the National Development Agency. The major sources of EU funding are the EU Cohesion Fund and ERDF.

The Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) is a policy tool that has been used in the European Union since the 2014-2020 period. In the EU financial programming cycle 2021-2027, smart specialisation strategies are expected to contribute in their implementation to the EU’s “Smarter Europe” policy objective, as well as to the development of regional economies and the strengthening of structural adjustment to industrial transformation and digitalisation.

(Last updated: 01/09/2023)