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Along with the development of public scientific base, another task is to provide incentives for companies which take advantage of new knowledge and technologies. Among companies, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as important engines of economic growth with the highest expected potential should be engaged in research and technological development (RTD) activities, possibly in cooperation with other companies, technology centres, universities and public research institutions.
While preparing instruments for SMEs, large companies, which account for seventy per cent of all industrial RTD expenditure, should nevertheless be overlooked. In order to support both SMEs and large companies in their RTD endeavour in Slovenia tax allowances were introduced in 2006.
The aim of this instrument was to streamline the RTD expenditure by not offering only the form of subsidies obtained through calls for proposals. The latter require a great deal of preparatory work, while the total cost of the project had to be kept as low as possible due to the limited financial resources available, and the results were difficult to predict. Tax allowances offer a somewhat lower level of state aid, which covers all RTD expenditures, not only those that would otherwise be comprised within individual projects.
In 2006, the government approved the working programme of the Slovenian Technology Agency (TIA). The TIA's main task is to foster technological development, innovation and technological entrepreneurship. The agency supports and stimulates the developmental endeavours of the business sector through financial aid for the technological developmental programmes of firms, particularly those resulting from the clustering of companies and their cooperation and knowledge exchange with research institutions, both nationally and abroad.
Slovenian Technology Agency - www.tia.si