MINISTARSTVO ZNANOSTI, OBRAZOVANJA I MLADIH

Their core work

Croatia's Ministry of Science, Education and Youth is the national authority responsible for research and innovation policy, funding coordination, and alignment with European research frameworks. In H2020, the Ministry acted primarily as a funding agency representative — joining ERA-NET Cofund actions to co-finance transnational research calls in health, materials, and blue bioeconomy, and organizing high-visibility events like European Researchers' Night and MSCA Presidency Conferences. Their role is to connect Croatian researchers to European funding opportunities and shape national R&I strategy, not to perform research themselves.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early participation (2017–2019) focused on establishing Croatia's position in European funding networks — aligning national funding agencies with EU structures, popularizing science through public events, and promoting Croatian research identity. From 2019 onward, the Ministry shifted toward thematic depth: joining ERA-NETs in neuroscience, advanced materials and batteries, and engaging in education reform (digital pedagogy, school mentoring). This reflects a move from broad R&I visibility-building to targeted sectoral funding commitments aligned with EU priorities like the Green Deal and brain health.

The Ministry is deepening its ERA-NET commitments in Green Deal-aligned sectors (materials, batteries, neuroscience), signaling Croatia's growing willingness to co-fund targeted transnational research.

How they like to work

The Ministry primarily joins large multi-country consortia as a participant (5 of 7 projects), which is typical for national funding bodies in ERA-NET actions where each country sends its funding agency representative. Its two coordinator roles were for nationally hosted events (Researchers' Night and MSCA Conference), not for research management. With 113 partners across 39 countries from just 7 projects, their network is exceptionally broad — a natural consequence of ERA-NET participation, where every member state's funding body sits at the table.

Remarkably wide network of 113 partners across 39 countries, driven by participation in large ERA-NET consortia where national funding agencies from across Europe and beyond collaborate. This gives the Ministry direct connections to funding bodies in virtually every EU member state.

What sets them apart

As Croatia's national ministry responsible for science and education, they are the gateway to Croatian public R&I funding. For consortium builders, partnering with them means direct access to national co-funding commitments in ERA-NET calls — the Ministry doesn't just participate, it brings budget authority. This makes them a valuable partner for any ERA-NET or coordination action that needs a committed national funding body from the Western Balkans / newer EU member states.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MSCA2020.HR
  Coordinated the MSCA Presidency Conference during Croatia's 2020 EU Council Presidency — a high-profile policy event on researcher mobility and the future European Research Area.
• M-ERA.NET3
  Their largest-funded project (EUR 102,795), joining the major ERA-NET on advanced materials and battery technologies aligned with the Green Deal — signals strategic commitment to this sector.
• NEURON Cofund2
  Long-running commitment (2021–2026) to co-funding neuroscience research across Europe, covering brain diseases, mental health, and neurological disorders.