ERA Country Report 2023

Kosovo

Edited by Bujar Gallopeni

as part of the project “POLICY ANSWERS: R&I Policy making, implementation and Support in the Western Balkans” funded by the HORIZON EUROPE programme of the European Union under Grant agreement ID: 101058873

Table of contents

ERA Country Report 2023: Kosovo

1.    National context
1.1.    Overview of the ERA policy agenda implementation
1.2.    Policy context
2.    Implementation of the ERA policy agenda
2.1.    ERA Priority 1: Deepening a truly functional internal market for knowledge
2.2.    ERA Priority 2: Taking up together the challenges posed by the twin green and digital transition and increasing society’s participation in the ERA
2.3.    ERA Priority 3: Enhancing access to research and innovation excellence and enhancing interconnections between innovation ecosystems across the EU
2.4.    ERA Priority 4: Advancing concerted research and innovation investments and reforms
3.    Country-specific drivers and barriers
4.    Final remarks
5.    Bibliography
6.    Annexes

ERA Country Report 2023: Kosovo

Key takeaways:

Kosovo is gradually aligning to the ERA Priorities.
The participation of research and innovation (R&I) actors from Kosovo in international R&I programmes (Horizon Europe, COST, Erasmus+) is increasing, but could still be improved.
Kosovo is developing a Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) to guide R&I priority setting and excellence.
The lack of financial incentives to strengthen R&I performers’ collaboration within the country and internationally remains a challenge.
Currently, there is minimal collaboration between academic institutions and industrial actors. Therefore, the government should encourage joint initiatives in the form of triple and quadruple helix collaboration to stimulate private sector investments in R&I.

1. National context

1.1. Overview of the ERA policy agenda implementation

Kosovo’s alignment with the European Research Area (ERA) is slowly progressing. The country’s commitment to ERA integration is primarily based on the bilateral agreements between Kosovo and the European Union (EU) on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and the association to Horizon Europe (HE). In 2016, Kosovo signed the SAA with the EU, agreeing on bilateral collaboration in the fields of education, training, research and technological development (articles 107 and 118). Following the SAA implementation, Kosovo signed an agreement with the EU for the association to the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, HE, in 2021, which became retroactive effective from 2021.

Kosovo’s present policy framework on R&I partially aligns with the ERA Policy Agenda; ERA actions are not explicitly referenced in any official policy document. However, connections to ERA Actions may be found in various objectives and measures of the policies, which include R&I support.

The Law on Scientific Research Activity was adopted in 2013 and includes provisions to align research activities in Kosovo with the ERA objectives. The approved National Research Programme (NRP) 2023-2028 aims at aligning its objectives with those of the ERA and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In addition, at the beginning of 2023, the Government revised the Economic Reform Programme (ERP) 2023-2025 by making some key changes with regard to ERA alignment. The key R&I measures of the ERP objectives stipulate membership in the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), the development and adoption of a Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3), the drafting of a Law on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the drafting of a law for the foundation of an Innovation Fund and other measures supporting R&I activities and infrastructure. Nonetheless, all these initiatives lack a clear implementation roadmap to both align with the ERA Actions and to define a joint inter-ministerial approach towards an integrated R&I framework.

Key efforts related to these planned measures include the further development of a S3 which had started in 2018. In 2022, the S3 development reached the 5^th step according to the JRC (Joint Research Centre) methodology for S3 development; however, progress was very low. So far, the S3 development includes the development of a S3 portal and the identification of key priorities, which include:

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Green Energy
Creative Industry
Food Processing
Wood Processing

Kosovo participates in the R&I policy dialogue with the EU through a few initiatives. First, being associated to the HE programme, Kosovo has established a committee of delegates and correspondents for the participation in the HE Programme Committees at the beginning of 2022, in addition to the already established National Contact Points (NCP). This enables Kosovo to closely observe and accompany the progress of ERA integration through the implementation of HE actions, as well as to provide input and feedback regarding Kosovo’s needs as a widening country. Second, Kosovo participates in the Western Balkans Steering Platforms on Culture & Research and Innovation & Education and Training, a discussion forum among EU Member States, the European Commission (EC), European and international organisations and the Western Balkans. This forum enables Kosovo and other WB economies to discuss and undertake joint efforts with regard to strengthening cooperation in relation to the Western Balkans Agenda on Innovation, Research, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport which was launched in October 2021 ^ .

1.2. Policy context

R&I governance in Kosovo includes various governmental institutions and agencies, with specific roles for legislation, policy making, financing and development of R&I activities. Responsibility for R&I is primarily with central governmental institutions, while it is almost non-existent in local governmental institutions. The mandate for R&I lays predominantly at the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), with some areas related to business and industrial sectors being under the responsibilities of the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade (MIET), of the Ministry of Economy (MoE) and of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD).

There were no major changes recently in the legal framework to support R&I, regardless the government’s initiative towards its advancement. The existing framework of the R&I sector is setting the scope, the responsibilities and financing mechanisms and includes the Law No. 04/L-135 for Scientific Research Activity endorsed in 2013, the Law No.04/L-037 on Higher Education of 2011 and the Law No. 06/L-049 on Scientific Innovation and Transfer of Knowledge and Technology endorsed in 2018. During 2021 and 2022, MESTI initiated the review of the Law on Higher Education which has been approved by the Government and is currently in the process of ratification in the parliament. The main issues covered in the higher education law revision include the strengthening of the autonomy of universities, of research in comparison to teaching in the universities (through criteria for scientific promotion and research ethics application) and of the university performance-based funding. In addition, at the beginning of 2023, the Government initiated a process to review the Law on Scientific Research Activity, as well as the Law on Scientific Innovation and Transfer of Knowledge and Technology. A working group established by MESTI is currently drafting a concept document with suggestions to consolidate the research law and the innovation law into a common law for R&I . If adopted by the Government, the new law would promote R&I in a more integrated approach, which would facilitate Kosovo’s alignment to the ERA Policy Agenda.

The main policy document for R&I, in addition to the ERP 2023-2025, is the NRP 2023-2028 developed in autumn 2022 and approved by the Government in June 2023 ^ , which is currently awaiting endorsement by the parliament. The NRP outlines the following strategic objectives:

Development of an effective system of scientific R&I;
Development and training of human capacities for research-scientific activities;
Development of scientific research infrastructures;
Internationalisation of research activities;
Inter-relation between science, economy and society;
Excellence in research activities in specific fields.

In addition, the NRP focuses on four main (Health, Society, Energy, Environment and Agriculture) and two cross-cutting scientific priorities (Green Deal and Digitalisation).

The budget indicated in the NRP notes a considerable increase of public funding for investment in the research sector. For example, for 2023 the funds for research are designated to be around 0.32% of the GBARD (EUR 10.27 million) . However, such allocations have not been implemented because the NRP has not been ratified in the parliament yet. Thus, research still remains underfunded at 0.1% of the GBARD, which is about EUR 1.25 million.

Finally, the main challenges in Kosovo’s R&I landscape remain the inadequacy and scarcity of data in this sector, both as source of information and related to the methodological approach for their collection. However, the development of the first phase of the newly developed Kosovo Research Information System (KRIS) is promising, provided that it becomes fully functionalised.

2. Implementation of the ERA policy agenda

2.1. ERA Priority 1: Deepening a truly functional internal market for knowledge

Kosovo is at an early stage of promoting Open Access (OA) in R&I. The country is not listed yet in Scimago, neither in the OpenAIRE, Scopus or Pasteur4OA databases, which makes it impossible to estimate OA publications from researchers from Kosovo. By 2023, efforts of the Government to promote OA include joining the Open Access Research Infrastructure in the Western Balkans Support Programme (2020), which was facilitated by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC): the endorsement of a joint Protocol on OA to Research Infrastructures in the Western Balkans, methodologically founding on the European Charter for Access of Research Infrastructure; and the participation in some regional training activities regarding OA.

Kosovo has undertaken efforts towards development of research infrastructures. In 2022, the first roadmap for research infrastructure for Kosovo was drafted by the RCC. In addition, a module of the recently established KRIS is dedicated to research infrastructure, with some data collected during a piloting phase. The newly developed NRP 2023-2028 has set one main objective to the development of research infrastructure in Kosovo, with a budget forecast of EUR 2 million for six years. Besides that, Kosovo joined GÉANT as an associate member in 2021, facilitated by the support of the project Kosovo Digital Economy (KODE) running from 2018-2023 and implemented by the MoE. This project fostered the development of the Kosovo Research Education Network (KREN), with the aim to connect higher education institutions from Kosovo in order to provide digitalised services for these institutions, academics, researchers and students.

Kosovo updated recently the legal framework for intellectual property rights (IPR), by adopting the Law No. 08/L-205 on Copyright and Related Rights. The scope of this law closely follows several EU Directives related to the protection of IPR and other related rights, reflecting this in the first article of the law (the law purpose). With additional provisions regulating the academic freedom stipulated under the Higher Education Law, Kosovo has strengthened its legal framework with regard to IPR. However, there is a deficit in the monitoring of legal implementation mechanisms to inspect the violations pursued in this regard and cases of academic and research integrity violations with respect to intellectual property rights that have been frequently reported ^ ' ^.

With the aim to facilitate both evidence-based policy making in R&I as well as to monitor the performance and achievements in this field, Kosovo’s Government, with the support of international projects , developed and established the KRIS. Its purpose is to collect systematic data in several R&I indicators, as well as to create a standardised repository of R&I information about researchers as well as research institutions, publications, infrastructure and funding. However, the system needs to be fully functionalised in order to serve its purpose in Kosovo's R&I landscape.

There is also only scattered existing data on researchers’ capacities – explained hereunder –, which show an increasing trend of research capacities among universities in Kosovo. Research outputs on publications are yet challenging to observe, as Kosovo is not listed in the databases of Scopus and Web of Science and yet KRIS is not fully operationalised to generate data. Data retrieved from the AD (Alper-Doger) Scientific Index 2023, which generates research output data based on the Google scholar registered profiles of researchers, lists only two researchers from Kosovo in the top 10% scientists of the world. Nonetheless, the AD Scientific Index is calculated only on the profiles of 853 affiliated researchers coming from 15 higher education institutions. This represents only one fifth of the total of 4,345 full-time equivalent (FTE) academic staff declared in all HEIs in Kosovo during the academic year 2023/24 (see Figure 1 in the Annex). Data for co-publications with international researchers cannot be retrieved from this database.

Kosovo is not yet part of EURAXESS and thus lacking opportunities to engage with international researchers and provide them collaboration opportunities in academic and research matters. Mobility of academic and administrative staff as well as the exchange of students, supported under Erasmus+ Key Action 1, have increased in more than double figures during the past three years (2019-2022), both for outgoing and incoming mobilities (see Figure 2 in the Annex). Data disaggregation per gender is not published for mobilities, therefore no gender estimation can be provided. Not only is data fragmented related to the mobility of academic staff, researchers and students, data regarding gender equality in research for Kosovo is also scattered. Kosovo is neither included in She Figures 2021, nor in the UNESCO’s Women in Science database. Nonetheless, data published by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS) and MESTI show that from 3,275 FTE academic staff engaged in all HEIs in Kosovo in the academic year 2021/22 , 48% were female, with almost an equal distribution between genders. There are no data available pertaining the share of women in Grade A positions in the higher education sector. Data for researchers employed in research institutes and in other research-related organisations are not available. Assessments at university level regarding gender equality numbers have started during 2023 and universities are developing gender equality plans (GEP) .

Mobilities of academic and administrative staff also contribute to initiating and increasing collaboration in other academic and research areas, such as for example in various actions of the Erasmus+ programme. Based on statistics about participation in projects, in the past few years, Kosovo’s higher education institutions (HEI) have maintained an active role in collaborating with regional and European universities; they collaborate in capacity building actions regarding the modernisation of curricula and strengthening university structures and regulations for academic governance and management, research development and internationalisation. Besides, being partner in projects, universities have increased their role in coordinating projects (see Figure 3 in the Annex).

Kosovo shows no progress related to the ERA Action #7 (Upgrade EU guidance for a better knowledge valorisation) and ERA Action #9 (Promote a positive environment and level of playing field for international cooperation based on reciprocity).

2.2. ERA Priority 2: Taking up together the challenges posed by the twin green and digital transition and increasing society’s participation in the ERA

In 2020, Kosovo signed the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda jointly with the other Western Balkan economies. This shows the country’s commitment in alignment with the European Union’s Green Deal agenda. A joint action plan for the implementation of a regional Green Agenda was facilitated by the RCC and adopted by the WB’ respective economies at the Brdo Summit in October 2021. In alignment with these commitments, Kosovo’s Government has adopted the Strategy on Energy 2022-2031 with key measures related to the decarbonisation and promoting renewable energy (strategic objective #2), as well as on increasing energy efficiency (strategic objective #3).

In June 2023, Kosovo has adopted the Digital Agenda 2030 with five key strategic objectives: Advanced secure digital infrastructure; Digital transformation of businesses; Digitalisation of public services; Digital skilled population and innovative R&D ecosystem; and Sustainable cybersecurity ecosystem. The Education Strategy 2022-2026 provides a strategic objective on the digitalisation of education, pertaining investments in training of digital competences for teachers and students throughout the education sector, investments in digital learning contents, as well as investments in a digital learning environment (providing all schools and educational institutions with broadband internet access, and ICT equipment).

Kosovo has invested strategically in twin green and digital transition measures. The collaboration agreement of the Government of Kosovo with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a commitment to invest about EUR 202 million over a five-year period with a strong emphasis on reforming environment and energy policies in both sectors. This includes measures related to “investing in innovative energy infrastructure, including battery storage to increase efficiency and enhance energy security, facilitate a transition to and the integration of renewable energy into the country’s energy mix, and provide a pathway to employment for the youth and women in the energy sector.”

In line with the digitalisation of education objectives, the Government is utilising the investments from the KODE project (2019-2023) to equip educational institutions with broadband internet access and to invest in digital equipment for teaching and learning. At present, a few public universities and pre-university schools have received high-speed internet access. As per the ERP 2023-2025 measures, the provision of internet access for at least 250 educational institutions is expected to take place until 2025.

The level of internet penetration in Kosovo is very high, with 97% of all the population having access at the beginning of 2022 ^ . Utilising this potential for internet access requires strategic attention from the government, in order to significantly foster digitalisation, leading to the development of e-business development, e-education, e-governance transformation of provision of services and other important areas. Nevertheless, the Government drafted a first IT strategy in 2014, which seemingly was never approved and therefore became obsolete in 2017/18. A new strategic approach to the IT sector is not yet established. Nonetheless, the draft National Development Strategy 2023, lays out a strategic objective towards encouraging the digital transformation of SMEs and start-ups (“Acceleration of digital transformation and innovation in SMEs and start-up businesses”). Government investments in this regard support the establishment of the Innovation and Training Park (ITP) in Prizren, as well as the establishment and launch of the Tech Park Prishtina in 2023. Both facilities offer opportunities and support for incubators and accelerators of entrepreneurial ideas and start-ups and provide training and recreational services.

There is no evidence for Kosovo’s progress for ERA Action #14 (Bringing science closer to citizens).

2.3. ERA Priority 3: Enhancing access to research and innovation excellence and enhancing interconnections between innovation ecosystems across the EU

The association to HE has enabled Kosovo to become part of several mechanisms of ERA. With the status of an Associated Country, Kosovo has started to increase its participation in HE with more proposals and higher funding. Established by MESTI, a National Contact Point (NCP) system exists since the beginning of Horizon 2020 and has improved its capacities. European practices have been established in the NCPs operation, supported by a bilateral agreement with the Austrian Government, through the HERAS project, as well as by other initiatives. In addition, the Government has appointed delegates to the Programme Committees of the HE Programme, encouraging participation in and contributing to its meetings.

Kosovo’s participation in HE has continuously increased since the start of the programme. After gaining the status of an Associated Country, Kosovo’s research institutions and industrial organisations filed 81 applications out of which 70 eligible proposals were submitted until . Nine proposals were selected for funding, receiving around EUR 1.08 million. The success rate was 13.58%, slightly below the EU average (14.15%). However, research organisations from Kosovo have only participated as project partners, and no HE projects have been coordinated by any of the participants from Kosovo so far.

A positive trend in applications from Kosovo can be observed coming from various sectors (research, academia, industry, civil society, and governmental institutions – see Figure 5 in the Annex). Nevertheless, Kosovo’s potential for increased participation in HE is not yet fully explored and the Government should undertake a more systematic approach to mobilise the R&I performing actors to prepare more applications. For example, an organic synergy may be explored and adjusted with the actions of the NRP in order to increase R&I excellence in Kosovo.

Kosovo has gained the status of a Near Neighbour Country (NNC) in the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). In 2022 , Kosovo researchers were involved in 48 new COST Actions, which is a significant increase compared to only 18 new COST Actions in 2021. The Government expects a similar growth in participation in 2023. As of October 2023, Kosovo researchers are involved in 127 Cost Actions .

2.4. ERA Priority 4: Advancing concerted research and innovation investments and reforms

As mentioned above, Kosovo’s R&I legal and policy framework is not well harmonised with the indicators of the ERA Policy Agenda 2022-2024. The NRP 2023-2028 contains a framework of indicators for monitoring research progress influenced by this programme, which aligns to some extent with the ERA Scoreboard indicators. Nonetheless, the main challenge remains the definition of approaches to collect data systematically on a regular basis, as well as challenges on data source identification. This includes also the lack of a national framework of R&I development in alignment with the EIS indicator framework.

Until today, the main progress of the country with regard to ERA monitoring mechanisms is the development of the KRIS. With KRIS now being in its inception phase of operation, it is a promising tool for facilitating the country’s monitoring progress towards ERA alignment and implementation. In addition, the Government has published plans to start a mapping exercise with regard to Kosovo’s membership in the EIS. This measure is indicated also in the ERP 2023-2025. However, a clear initiative in this regard did not seem to be high on the Government’s agenda during 2023.

3. Country-specific drivers and barriers

R&I is a priority put high on the agenda of the Government every year; there are key drivers and barriers towards Kosovo’s integration into ERA.

The main drivers are, first, that the Government has placed research, innovation and development as one of the key priorities of structural reforms in the ERP for 2023-2025. These priorities link Kosovo’s efforts on R&I with the SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and include the development of a new legislation on innovation and entrepreneurship, the adoption of the S3, the membership in the EIS, and the financing of innovation actions and schemes. Second, the development of the new NRP 2023-2028 and its approval by the Government open new possibilities to support research activities in several dimensions, such as research excellence through financing projects and infrastructure, internationalisation of research by stimulating the international collaboration of researchers and involving researchers from the diaspora, support measures for OA in science, as well as linking the scientific research outcomes with industrial and societal activities. Third, the increasing participation of applications and awarded projects in HE notes a positive trend of the international research activity of Kosovo’s researchers. Progress in internationalisation is also related to increased mobility trends of academic staff and students with European countries, both outgoing and incoming. And finally, the work on updating the legal framework on R&I is promising and supports the country’s commitment and accountability to a more enhanced R&I in the near future.

However, ERA integration of Kosovo is currently facing barriers by several shortcomings and obstacles. First, the fragmented legal and policy framework for R&I does not properly comply with the ERA Policy Agenda. The slow pace of legislative revisions and pending ratifications in the parliament is contributing to a delay in the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda. Second, there is a lack of inter-institutional coordination. Third, a lack of financing instruments for innovation activities – such as an innovation fund – and the need for updating the research funding schemes. Fourth, governmental institutions do not have sufficient implementation capacities for R&I policy and financial measures. Fifth, there is a significant communication and collaboration gap between academic and research institutions on the one side and industrial actors on the other side, hindering joint R&I actions and private investments in R&I. Universities and faculties and their staff are still not focused and incentivised to organise research activities as such work is not included in their workload and contractual obligations. Finally, the lack of access to research funding, publications and infrastructure and non-sufficient capacity building programmes for researchers have contributed to a lower quality research output.

4. Final remarks

Despite Kosovo's increased efforts in the past two years to prioritise R&I and to implement the actions outlined in this report, progress with regard to the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda has been slow and not comprehensive. The fragmented planning and implementation actions by the Government in this area are due to the lack of a guiding roadmap for the national R&I framework. This includes the lack of an inter-ministerial coordination with portfolios related to R&I measures, which impedes setting up a more comprehensive R&I agenda for the country. Despite legal commitments to provide 0.7% of GBARD per annum for R&I, Kosovo's research remains underfinanced at a rate of 0.1% of the annual budget. The financial earmarks outlined in the NRP 2023-2028 are set at around 0.32% of GBARD for 2023 and supposed to be slightly higher in the following years. However, there are limitations to the financial allocation due to the pending ratification of the NRP in the parliament.

To further advance the R&I agenda and better adhere to the ERA Policy Agenda, Kosovo should:

As soon as possible develop a roadmap for a comprehensive approach of R&I policy in compliance with the ERA Policy Agenda objectives and actions;
Increase resources to support the R&I ecosystem actors at government level, as well as to introduce capacity building measures for the R&I governance structure;
Establish inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms for the R&I system;
Complete the legal review and endorse changes by the parliament to start the implementation of reforms concerning R&I;
Complete the development process of the S3 serving as a basis for guiding excellence and specialisation corresponding to the S3 priorities;
Allocate higher funds comparable to the EU level targets, to finance R&I activities in Kosovo through various funding schemes;
Create conditions and incentives to make research a core activity and contractual obligation for academic staff at universities and faculties; increase institutional capacities to implement, monitor and evaluate R&I programmes;
Mobilise R&I actors through capacity building, increased collaboration and stimulation of private sector financing for R&I activities;
Promote international partnerships in R&I and facilitate participation in international R&I programmes.