Unanimous support for key development legislation: Slovenia secures EUR 71 million in EU funding

SLOVENIA, July 22 - The Act enables Slovenia to access EUR 71 million in EU funding that it would otherwise forfeit, while at the same time reducing the burden on the state budget and opening up new development opportunities for Slovenian science, research and the economy.

"I am pleased that we garnered the unanimous support of all deputy groups for this key piece of development legislation. This demonstrates that we are capable of finding common ground on projects that are important for Slovenia’s future. I would like to sincerely thank all the deputy groups for their support. This legislation will accelerate Slovenia’s development in areas that will shape the future of science, research and the economy. It enables Slovenia to access EU funding, reduces the burden on the state budget and creates the conditions for the development of artificial intelligence, supercomputing and quantum technologies. This is an investment in knowledge, innovation and Slovenia’s future," said Borut Rončević, Minister of Education, Science and Youth, following the adoption of the Act.

The Act was unanimously supported by all deputy groups, demonstrating its significance for Slovenia’s future development. The Act enables Slovenia to access EUR 71 million in funding under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) for the development of artificial intelligence, supercomputing and quantum technologies, which Slovenia would otherwise have lost without the timely adoption of the necessary legal framework. It also significantly reduces the burden on the state budget, as these projects will not need to be financed from national funds to the same extent.

With the adoption of the Act, the Ministry has established the legal basis for:

• the purchase of a new high-performance supercomputer,
• the establishment of Slovenia’s artificial intelligence infrastructure,
• the upgrade of the supercomputing infrastructure,
• the development of quantum technologies,
• access to cutting-edge European research infrastructure for Slovenian researchers, universities, companies and start-ups,
• strengthening the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy and research sector.

The adopted Act also represents an important step towards implementing the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence to 2030, the Resolution on the Scientific Research and Innovation Strategy of Slovenia 2030, and Slovenia’s long-term commitment to developing modern research infrastructure and a high-value-added economy.