New Slovenian award to boost Western Balkan ERA participation

Press release from the The Slovenian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology

14th January 2008, Ljubljana. Slovenia sees building integration of Western Balkan research into the European Research Area (ERA) as a key priority for its six-month Presidency of the European Union. Modernisation and renewal of R&D infrastructures in the region is one of the most urgent needs in the Western Balkan region if the research base is to be improved.

The Slovenian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology therefore announced today in Ljubljana that it is launching a new call for donations from the private sector to help the Western Balkans improve its science base, with a particular emphasis on laboratory facilities.

Donations can take the form of little-used laboratory equipment, or funds that will help Western Balkan countries to purchase the necessary equipment new. The call is being supported by the Ministries of Science from countries across Europe and the Western Balkans, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Romania.

Mojca Kucler Dolinar, Slovenian Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, states that, ‘The EU is striving to promote the European Research Area. Slovenia is following these endeavours, while at the same time desiring to create its own national research area which extends beyond Europe, as Slovenian researchers and scientists live and work on all continents of the world.’

The donations and donors will be recognised at an award ceremony on the 13th June 2008, at a special event planned by the Slovenian Presidency. The award will be named after the famed Slovenian space travel theoretician Herman Potočnik Noordung.