Hungary has entered into science and technology (S&T) cooperation agreements with 36 countries at intergovernmental level and 10 countries at inter-institutional level, and the NRDI Office is responsible for executing the agreements.

Intergovernmental cooperation relationships in science and technology (S&T)

Interstate science and technology (S&T) cooperation strengthen the relationships between partner countries in the field of research, development and innovation and also support foreign policy efforts. The most important results of scientific research are increasingly achieved in the framework of international cooperation. Interstate S&T cooperation agreements promote networking, knowledge transfer and collaboration between researchers and innovation communities in the partner states. S&T agreements take the form of intergovernmental agreements qualifying as international treaties signed by the authorised representatives of the governments of the partner countries, and are executed by the ministries or government agencies responsible for RDI policy – in Hungary the competent agency is the NRDI Office. In addition to the intergovernmental agreements, there are also inter-institutional agreements which help the partner countries to consolidate their RDI relations through cooperation between their research and innovation agencies.

Most intergovernmental S&T agreement arrange for the establishment of joint committees made up of the members delegated by the partner countries’ competent institutions. The strategic directions of cooperation are determined at the regular meetings of the joint committee held in the partner countries on a rotating basis, where they also agree on the multi-annual work plans which define the foreseen specific instruments (e.g. the support of researcher exchange in a joint call or the organisation of workshops) as well as their time frame and financial sources. S&T attachés play a very important role in executing the intergovernmental S&T cooperation agreements and in strengthening bilateral relations. They are delegated to the most important partner countries and are responsible for collecting information about the host country’s RDI policy, promoting the delegating country’s scientific and technological achievements, fostering the relationship between the scientific and technological communities of the partner countries and supporting the start of the cooperation programmes. (link to the description of S&T attachés)

The objective of international S&T cooperation:

• strengthen the development of Hungarian science and technology through international science and technology relationships;
  
• consolidation of Hungary’s positions in international scientific life;
  
• enhance the competitiveness of the innovative sectors of the Hungarian economy;
  
• map and exploit the opportunities of Hungarian participation in large international projects with RDI content;
  
• involve young researchers in the international relationships;
  
• promote Hungarian participation in international centres of research excellence and programmes.
  

Cooperations are professionally coordinated by the Department of International Affairs of the NRDI Office.

Hungary’s bilateral S&T cooperation partners

The international partner institutions actively involved in bilateral S&T cooperation with Hungary are listed below together with their websites.