The National Centre for Research and Development

The aim of the study was to evaluate the course of the implementation of the 'Applied Research' Programme – the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 from the point of view of ensuring the effective implementation of the Programme's objectives.

The implementation of the "Applied Research" Programme to date indicates that its assumed results in the form of increased effectiveness of Polish applied research and closer cooperation between entities involved in the Programme from beneficiary and donor countries will be achieved. Thanks to the Programme, several dozen partnerships have been established with Norwegian entities, which foster mutual exchange of knowledge and experience. The supported projects are also pro-business oriented and there is a high probability that the results will be implemented. Although companies are present in a large number in such projects, their financial participation is moderate. Although the participation of companies in the Programme did not translate into a strong orientation of projects towards higher levels of technological readiness, this should not be judged negatively. Industrial research has much more potential to generate completely new knowledge than experimental development.

Interest in the individual thematic areas of the Programme was very high, with project managers from 36 out of 49 scientific disciplines submitting applications. This interest, however, corresponded to varying degrees to the potential of Polish scientific institutions. The most interesting thematic area of the Programme was the one covering energy, transport and climate, with the emphasis on energy. The area initiated synergies between several other strong growth areas, i.e. digital and industrial technologies, food and natural resources, welfare, health and care, and CO2 capture solutions.

The Programme mainly contributed to the formation of new consortia, but consortia included at least one partner with experience from the 2nd edition, indicating the sustainability of the institutional experience of project promoters and partners. In contrast, the continuity of project teams in the 3rd edition is poorly visible, as only 4% of the researchers working in these teams applied in both editions.