Slovenian scientists have added many inventions to the global body of knowledge. The country has a tradition of science, with many Slovenian scientists and other talented individuals having won international acclaim. Equally important are scientific institutions, the driving force of Slovenian science.
Slovenian scientists of today are known to continue Slovenia’s strong scientific tradition. They stand on the shoulders of giants who worked in a time with no internet connections, studying by candlelight and travelling to bigger centres such as Vienna and Ljubljana on foot or horseback. Just a few to mention: Baron Jurij Vega, the author of logarithms, Jožef Stefan with his new law of physics; Edvard Rusjan, the pioneer of flying; and Herman Potočnik Noordung, a rocket engineer, and author of the book The Problem of Space Travel – The Rocket Motor, a work that was key to the later development of astronautics, geostationary satellites and space stations.
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Slovenia has a clear development vision in the field of R&D and as stated in the National Development Plan 2001-2006: a society based on knowledge with an internationally competitive economy and sustainable, regionally balanced development. To accomplish this vision Slovenia currently dedicates around 1.5% of its GDP to science, research and technological development.
Over the next decade, Slovenia needs to develop a research and development system that will exceed in relative terms the level of efficiency characteristic of the current mid-ranking EU member states, according to the key European Union R&D indicators (Barcelona declaration on 3% investment in R&D, human resources, productivity, economic efficiency). Slovenia intends to develop the basic scientific disciplines necessary for high quality graduate and postgraduate education and the creation of new knowledge.
