Research and development (R&D)

Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia

Social statistics, Unit for statistics of education, science nd culture

Sunčica Stefanović Šestić

Head of Unit

Serbia

11050 Belgrade,

Milana Rakica 5

suncica.stefanovic@stat.gov.rs

+381 11 2410414

+381 62 8827522

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Data are collected on the basis of the statistical survey: "Annual Report on Research and Development", which is conducted on the basis of the Law on Official Statistics ("Official Gazette of RS", No. 104/2009) and according to international legislation: Decision no. 1608/2003 / EC and Regulation no. 995/2012.

Data on research and development were collected by regular annual survey since 1965. Since 2007, the applied methodology has been harmonized with the international: Fraction Manual. The survey includes: all research and development organizations, regardless of whether it is their main activity or not. The basic source of data is the accounting records of costs and investments made in research and development. The annual report on research and experimental development provides data on resources (revenues, expenditures and investments) by type of research, sources of financing and purposes, and data for human capital as well.All data is available by type of research organization, according to fields of science, type of research activity, type of employment and lenght of working hours of employees, level of economic activities (KD2010 = NACE2) and according to the territorial principe (to the level of NSTJ2).

Standard classifications are used:

• KD - Classification of activities that corresponds to international NACE Rev.2 classification (Statistical classification of economic activities)

• NSTJ - National Classification of Statistical Territorial Units, which corresponds to the international NUTS classification

• FOS - Classification of Scientific Areas (Fields of Science)

• NABS - Nomenclature for Analysis and Comparison of Scientific Programs and Budgets (GBAORD)

• ISCED - International Standard Classification of Education 

The survey covers all sectors: business sector, government sector, higher education sector, private - non - profit sector and abroad sector.

Collection of data on research and development activities of state institutes and tertiary education institutions is on full coverage (all faculties/academies, regardless of ownership status, all institutes, whether they are scientific research or development). Collection of data on research activities of business entities and non-profit organizations/associations was on the information from the final accounts.

The population of the research and unit of observation of the statistical survey are all organisations engaged in the R&D activity, whether the latter is the principal activity or not.

Scientific research organization: faculty, academy, institute, research unit of the company, business entity, association and others.

The reporting units of the survey are: - R&D institutes and institutes of national interest for the Republic of Serbia; independent R&D organisations, business entities and institutions which principal or predominant activity is R&D. - R&D units incorporated in enterprises or institutions. - Tertiary educational institutions (faculties and arts academies), which activity, pursuant to the Law, is education and R&D‐related, have been covered by this survey since 1978; 8 Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia - Non‐profit organisations – associations engaged in this activity. Excluded are R&D organisations created by the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Defence. The new Law on the R&D Activity anticipates the monitoring of these organisations.

The sector in which research and development is carried out is determined by activity. There are five sectors:

- The business sector includes business entities and organizations whose primary activity is the market production of goods and services and their sale at economic prices. This sector also includes some non-profit organizations, as well as R & D organizational units.

- The government sector includes organizations, departments and other bodies and bodies providing common services (except tertiary education), which can not be provided under market conditions and reflect the economic and social policies of society. By definition, this sector includes: activities of administration, defense and public order; Health, education, culture, recreation and other social services;

Promote economic growth and living standards, as well as technological development. The legal, executive and institutional structure is included in this sector, whether financed from a regular or special budget.

- Tertiary education sector includes universities, faculties and academies, regardless of their sources of funding and legal status. This sector includes research and development institutes and clinics that operate under the direct control and management of higher education organizations.

- The non-profit sector covers non-market, private non-profit organizations. These organizations can start citizen associations to provide goods or services to members of the association or in general. This sector includes professional associations, humanitarian organizations, trade associations, consumer associations, etc.

- The "abroad" sector includes organizations and individuals located outside the country's political borders, as well as the associated land owned by these organizations. It also includes all international organizations, including their facilities in the national territory.

Republic of Serbia (without data for Kosovo and Metohija)

The calendar year.  The main data sources are: human resources records on employees appointed to R&D, accounting records on realised receipts and calculated investments in R&D, as well as records of specialised services on the result of R&D activities – projects, works, patents pending, etc. 

Not applicable

Funds are presented in thousands of RSD. The data on employed staff and researchers relate to persons (shown as natural persons and as full-time equivalent).

The calendar year. 

National legislation

The Official Statistics Law („Official Gazette of the RS“, No. 104/09) specifies the legal framework for the production and dissemination of official statistics and also for the organization of the system of official statistics of the Republic of Serbia. Nevertheless, the Official Statistics Law, together with the five-year Statistical Programme over the period 2016 – 2020 and the annual implementation plans, provides the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (SORS) with a clear and broad legal mandate to collect and access the data needed for the execution of the Statistical Programme and the Implementation Plan.

In addition, pursuant to Article 18, paragraph 2 of the Law on Official Statistics (“Official Gazette of the RS”, No 104/09) and Article 42, paragraph 1 of the Law on Government Administration (“Official Gazette of the RS” No 55/05, 71/05‐corrigendum, 101/07, 65/08 and 16/11), the Government adopts every year a regulation that defines the plan for official statistics.

EU legislation

Decision No. 1608/2003/European Commission and Regulation no. 995/2012 European Parliament and Council.

The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia has an agreement on cooperation with a large number of organizations and institutions, both nationally and internationally, with which it exchanges information, data and experiences.

There is also intensive cooperation between different organizational units within the Institute itself.

Pursuant to Article 46 of the Law on Official Statistics (“Official Gazette of RS”, number 104/09), Articles 7 and 35 of the Law on Government Administration (“Official Gazette of RS ”, No 79/05 and 101/07) and Articles 9, 15, 16  and 18 of the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Interest (“Official Gazette of RS”, No120/04, 54 /07 104/09 and 36/10 ), Director of the SORS hereby adopt Rulebook on statistical data protection in the statistical office of the Republic of Serbia. The Rulebook lays down the measures to be implemented so as to protect data and information in the SORS.

In addition, Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.

The protection of secret data and documents shall be done in accordance with the Law on Data Secrecy. Confidential data from Article 3 of the Rulebook are considered official secret and cannot be published or communicated, that is, they cannot be part of aggregated data from which individual data can be identified. Individual data can be given only to the owner of those data. Only the employees of the Office authorized by decision of the Director of the Office shall have access to confidential data from administrative sources.

Also, if SORS transmits data with a confidentiality flag or an embargo date, these data are not disseminated until the confidentiality flag is lifted in a subsequent data transmission or the embargo expired.

The data are available on the last day of June in the Press release on the website of the Institute, according to the official calendar of data publishing.

http://www.stat.gov.rs    

External users can find the exact date of publication in the blackout calendar located on the Institute's website.

http://www.stat.gov.rs

External users can find information in the Bulletin on the SORS's website.

http://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2019/Pdf/G20195648.pdf

In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.

Annual

Not available

Bulletin: "Scientific Research in the Republic of Serbia"

http://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2019/Pdf/G20195648.pdf

Database on SORS and Eurostat website. 

Available at the request of international organizations, researchers, etc. The request must be sent to the dissemination group (to the official email address: stat@stat.gov.rs ) which will start the process of creating a cooperation agreement after receiving the approval of the top management.

Not available

Abbreviated methodology on the web site of the SORS.

http://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2018/Pdf/G201820024.pdf , and the ESS Metadata Handler 

The ESS Metadata Handler

Quality is provided by strict implementation of definitions and conceptual frameworks of European Statistics, Fractional methodology and through validation of data. Major deviations and inconsistencies were not observed.

Data are collected from reliable sources applying standards with regard to the OECD methodology and ensuring a high degree of comparability across countries. 

The main beneficiary is the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, which is the main source of funds from the budget allocated to science. Also beneficiaries are international institutions and scientists/researchers.

No specific research was conducted on the needs of users

No specific research was conducted on the satisfaction of users

Annual reports on IR funds provide a complete and consistent presentation of investment in science, in accordance with Eurostat requirements. Also, data on scientific workers - researchers are fully in line with Eurostat requirements.

High

Not applicable

Not applicable

According to the Transmission Programme, annual data should be transmitted to Eurostat within 6 months after the end of the reference year, as previous data (t+6), and t+12 month, as final data.

The SORS submits the data within the prescribed time limit.

The comparability is ensured by the application of common definitions and methodological framework based on internationally methodologies and standards.

The data have been available since 2007 and the comparison is feasible because there is no deviation from the proposed international methodology.

Indicators are coherent with macroeconomic indicators.

Not applicable

Not available

National data on investments are revised according to national schedule. General Revision policy as an official document is available on the SORS website. Revised data are available at SORS online database as soon as they become validated.

The published data should be regarded as final, unless otherwise stated. Corrections and revisions might occur.

Major changes in methodology are usually announced in advance and users are informed of revisions and major changes in methodology on the SORS website.

The main data sources are: human resources records on employees appointed to R&D, accounting records on realised receipts and calculated investments in R&D, as well as records of specialised services on the result of R&D activities – projects, works, patents pending, etc.

The data are collected in the annual periodical

The survey is conducted as obligatory. he Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, with the help of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, prepares and carries out the survey on R&D organisations. 10 Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia The Office defines and produces uniform methodological basis and tools for the survey, compiles address records of reporting units, prints the questionnaires and other materials for the carrying out of the survey, sends the questionnaires to the reporting units, collects the questionnaires, controls the coverage, response accuracy and data completeness, transmit data electronically, makes calculation and logical controls, processes the data and publishes the results for the Republic of Serbia in the “Statistical Yearbook of Serbia”, as well as in this bulletin.

Questionnaires are sent by post or in electronic form to the reporting units at the end of March of the current year (n) for the reference year (n-1).

The survey is conducted annually and the questionnaires are sent to reporting units. Three questionnaires are used for that purpose, the first relating to business entities and centres of extraordinary values (technology and business incubators, science and technology parks), the second to faculties and institutes, and the third to non‐profit organisations – associations. The reporting units fill in the R&D questionnaire in March of the current year, and data refer to the previous (reference) year, i.e. they are shown as of the end of the reference year. Data on the R&D activity are collected on full coverage: all faculties/academies, whatever the ownership, all R&D institutes, business entities and non‐profit organisations/associations. All data on the number of R&D organisations and employees are shown as of 31 December of the reference year, while those on R&D works, receipts and expenditure refer to the whole year.

Data for science are checked for accuracy and completeness. Transmitted figures are screened both internally, by SORS and externally, by Eurostat.  

Not applicable

Not applicable

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