Slovenian and Croatian researchers have 49 million euros available

For innovative research in Slovenia and Croatia, 49 million euros will be available, including from the European Investment Fund.

Ljubljana – The European Investment Fund (EIF), together with the national development banks of Slovenia and Croatia and private investors, has provided 49 million euros for a technology innovation fund that will promote innovative research in both countries. The funds will be allocated for the commercialization of research projects and the protection of intellectual property.

The fund, named Vesna, is the first of its kind in Slovenia and Croatia. The EIF, together with the Croatian Development Bank HBOR and the Slovenian SID Bank, will contribute 40 million euros, with the remaining nine million provided by private investors.

The Vesna Technology Innovation Fund will invest in technology transfer, intellectual property protection, and the commercialization of research projects at universities and research institutions in Slovenia and Croatia. It will invest in up to 80 projects in both countries.

“The fund represents a long-term solution for financing research projects, protecting intellectual property at Slovenian and Croatian universities and research institutes, and crucially – for financing technology transfer,” said EIF Executive Director Marjut Falkstedt.

SID Bank Chairman Borut Jamnik emphasized that the Vesna Technology Innovation Fund highlights the value of the technology transfer initiative in Central and Eastern Europe and promises to strengthen the Slovenian economy.