Section: Research Policy & Development

A Peer Review of Moldova’s Research and Innovation system took place from November 2015 to April 2016, at the request of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. The review was implemented under the EU’s Horizon 2020 Policy Support Facility. It was carried out by a Panel of high-level independent experts (Poland, Greece, Austria, Romania and Netherlands) and senior officials from EU governments (Austria, Estonia). For ZSI senior researcher Manfred Spiesberger participated as co-rapporteur of the report.

The review report presents key policy messages and operational recommendations to help modernise the research and innovation system of the country. It covers long-awaited national reforms in structure, governance and functioning of the R&I system, and a careful nurturing of the human resource base. The report was presented officially on 12 July 2016 in Chisinau, Moldova. The Peer Review report provides seven policy messages addressed to the Moldovan authorities:

1. Embed Research and Innovation (R&I) policy in the overall economic policy strategy of the country.

2. Improve the governance of the national R&I system by strengthening the political responsibility for R&I with a dedicated Ministerial responsibility.

3. Create an independent, transparent and accountable R&I implementation Agency which concentrates and allocates all available R&I funding on the basis of international standards.

4. Redress the binary research and education system of Moldova, whereby universities are mostly concentrated on "teaching" and institutes on "research". Incentives for cooperation between universities and research institutes should be a driving force of the reforms.

5. Safeguard the public R&I capacity of Moldova by ensuring that the physical, intellectual and human capital of its research institutions is maintained and eventually reinforced. In return, systematic evaluation procedures for public research organizations and higher education institutions should be set up. In addition, the share of competitive funding allocated to R&I needs to be increased to stimulate competition.

6. Take resolute action to improve the employment and funding opportunities, working conditions and career perspectives of researchers, including notably young and female scientific talents.

7. Urgently review the framework conditions for innovation by putting in place a coherent set of policy measures to create and stimulate a supportive environment for business engagement in R&I activities. Abolish the artificial administrative barrier of accreditation for allocating R&I funds to the business sector.

The Review Panel has recognized the need to increase the R&I expenditure as a capital necessity. The implementation of the reforms proposed can only work in practice if they are accompanied by adequate funding.

The report presents the rationale for each of those messages and discusses in detail the twenty-four operational recommendations proposed by the panel, which are clustered into thematic areas. It is the country's responsibility to ensure the follow-up to the Peer Review and implement the recommendations.

Final report of the Peer Review of the Moldovan R&I: https://rio.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/library/horizon-2020-policy-support-facility-peer-review-moldovan-research-and-innovation-system

Authors: Spiesberger, M., Toivo Räim, Brigitte Weiss, Krzysztof Gulda, George Bonas, Daniel Funeriu, Francien Heijs

Downloads:

Related Articles:

• News: Recommendations to modernise Research and Innovation in Moldova presented
• Project: PSF Peer Review of the Moldovan Research and Innovation System
• Publication: S&T Policy Mix Peer Review Moldova. Report on the review of the Moldovan S&T Policy Mix
• News: S&T Policy Mix Peer Review site visits to Moldova and Kazakhstan successfully concluded
• Publication: PSF Background Report: Peer Review of the Moldovan Research and Innovation System
• Project: Horizon 2020 Policy Support Facility

Tags: Eastern Partnership countries, innovation systems analysis, Moldova, peer reviews, policy analysis, policy recommendations