The annual RIO Country Report offers an analysis of the R&I system in Croatia, including relevant policies and funding, with particular focus on topics critical for EU policies. The report identifies the main challenges of the Croatian research and innovation system and assesses the policy response.

The report offers an analysis of the R&I system in Croatia for 2015, including relevant policies and funding, taking into account the priorities of the European Research Area and the Innovation Union. The report was prepared according to a set of guidelines for collecting and analysing a range of materials, including policy documents, statistics, evaluation reports, websites, etc. The quantitative and qualitative data is, whenever possible, comparable across all EU Member State reports. The report contents are partly based on the RIO Country Report Croatia 2014 (Račić, Domagoj and Švarc, Jadranka, 2015).

Chapters:

1. Overview of the R&I system

2. Recent Developments in Research and Innovation Policy and systems

3. Public and private funding of R&I and expenditure

4. Quality of science base and priorities of the European Research Area

5. Framework conditions for R&I and Science-Business cooperation

6. Conclusions

The identified challenges for Croatia's R&I system are:

1. Lack of coherent and integrated R&I policy framework

2. Strengthening private sector's R&I capability and improving the business innovation environment

3. Strengthening public R&I capacity