At the Budapest event, the Minister emphasised that the promotion and support of research, development and innovation (R&D&I) is a priority in the Government programme as well as in the competitiveness programme of the Government (Science and Innovation for Competitiveness). At the press conference on 5th July 2007, the Minister also said that for coordinated and efficient government action, the government had created its first mid-term science-, technology- and innovation-policy (STI) strategy valid until 2013, as well as its detailed implementation plan for the first 3 years until 2010.

These areas are of utmost importance in the generation and exploitation of new, practical knowledge. A few branches and areas of R&D&I (e.g. medical sciences, environmental sustainability, food safety) have direct influence on the quality of people's life, while further areas influence our everyday lives through high added value production and services as well as by the creation of new jobs. To enable coordinated and efficient government action, the government created its first mid-term science-, technology- and innovation-policy (STI) strategy valid until 2013, as well as its detailed implementation plan for the first 3 years until 2010. The objective in a nutshell is: to create knowledge in R&D by the use of existing funds, and - with the aid of the new knowledge, via the innovation value-chain - to create economic value detectable by financial indicators.

Some of the measures concern coordination, most of the measures are R&D&I programmes and calls, and the third part of the measures concern removing legal obstacles and deregulation in the field of R&D&I.

The implementation plan does not create new funds, but - by harmonizing measures - it helps the more efficient and coherent use of the existing funding. The planned measures to remove legal obstacles will help the R&D&I process without increasing expenses.

In harmony with the implementation plan, the division of labour among the stakeholders of the public R&D&I sector is being formed in these months.

The Minister emphasized that he is planning to provide NKTH a new, strong and independent role in the new organizational structure.

The new president of NKTH, dr. Ferenc Pártos was introduced to the key representatives of the innovation sector today, on 5th July 2007. Mr. Pártos shall take office on 1st August 2007.

Before his appointment, between 2001-2006, Dr. Ferenc Pártos was dean and managing director of CEU Business School. He started his career as a researcher in Tömegkommunikációs Kutatóközpont (Mass Communication Research Centre, Hungary), then he worked for the University of California, Berkeley, for the Columbia University in the City of New York and for numerous corporate research centres in the US. He specializes in elaborating mathematical-statistical models for consumer and media markets. As a manager and businessman he is known for channelling foreign capital to Hungary: he was the founder and first head of RTL Klub then of Viasat3 commercial TV channels, and vice-CEO of Pantel telecommunications company. Ferenc Pártos has received scientific degrees - among others - at the Columbia University in New York, his doctorate at the University of Economy, and he received his PhD at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1995.

Dr. Pártos said that his main tasks include convincing investors to bring their R&D investments also to Hungary and attracting a greater portion of the business sector to get involved in innovation. He emphasized the importance of cooperation among the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, university research centres, financial institutes and the Office.

Annex: CV of Dr. Pártos