Research infrastructures (RIs), at the heart of the research and innovation ecosystem, play a key role in delivering scientific breakthroughs and driving innovation, as they serve as the foundational pillars of research that addresses societal challenges. They form the backbone of the equipment base required for national and international research, fulfilling a strategic role in advancing research and innovation.

The strategic goal of the John von Neumann Programme, announced in 2023, is to strengthen the economic, social and scientific impact of domestic research. To achieve this, in 2023 we reformed the system of criteria and evaluation of innovation proposals. As a next step in the process of consolidating the Hungarian research and innovation ecosystem, the Research Council of Hungary (RCH) – whose members were nominated by consensus by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network – decided to renew the Hungarian excellence-based scientific research funding system in order to enable the best Hungarian researchers and research groups to conduct their work under internationally competitive conditions.

The programme contributes to the growth of Hungary’s economy and competitiveness by strengthening the research excellence and innovation capacities of Hungarian research institutes, universities and enterprises and by facilitating the research and innovation cooperation with international partners. All programme components enhance the relations of the Hungarian research and innovation communities with leading RDI actors and networks in the European Research Area (ERA) and improve the alignment with ERA policy objectives.

The HU-rizon international research excellence cooperation programme, launched by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDI Office), aims to provide support for international collaborative projects led by Hungarian higher education institutions that seek innovative solutions to challenges relevant and topical for the Hungarian and international community, in line with the focus areas of the John von Neumann Programme (NJP).

From 1 September 2023, the tasks related to the qualification of research and development (R&D) activities are assigned to the competence of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDI Office) under Act LXXVI of 2014 on Scientific Research, Development and Innovation (the RDI Act).

The National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDI Office) and Campus Codeworks Zrt. set up the Kooper platform (www.kooperlabs.hu) to strengthen the Hungarian innovation ecosystem and make knowledge and technology transfer more efficient. The initiative meshes well with the goals of the John von Neumann Programme, highlighting the key role of higher education institutions in bringing scientific results to market.