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5. Knowledge-Based Society
The Government considers the formation of a knowledge-based society to be its priority, as only such a society represents a prerequisite for democratic development, scientific and technological progress, economic growth and social security, employment and growth. Based on the aforementioned reason, it will support educational, scientific research, informational and innovation activities of schools, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, private and corporate development units, businesses linked to public and private resources, creating better legislative conditions, as well as to resources in the framework of the National Strategic Reference Framework 2007 - 2013, especially from the operational programmes of a knowledge economy, educational infrastructure, education, regions, and the environment.
The Government will improve the efficiency and quality of the performance of the national development strategy of forming the society's competitiveness - the National Lisbon Strategy "MINERVA", especially in the areas of investment in people, education and employment, innovation, science and research, information society and business environment, which must guarantee society-wide changes in the interests of developing the knowledge society. The Government will examine and activate the performance of separate action plans. It will also support the creation of technological platforms with the objective of a closer relationship among science, research and development, forming mutual partnerships between the business sphere and the academic environment.
The Government will guarantee efficient building of infrastructure of science and research from the European structural funds in all regions of Slovakia. At the same time, it will adopt such legislative measures that will enable and stimulate the use of the research results for the development of small and medium-sized enterprise and for the support of science and research by the private sector.
The Government considers sustainable development to be one of the basic pillars of knowledge society and therefore it will support a balanced approach thereto, taking into consideration, besides economic growth, also social and environmental impacts.
The Government is aware of the responsibility for the strategic development of the Slovak Republic with the objective of adopting sustainable development not only in the national but also in the European context. Based on the aforementioned reason and particularly with respect to preparation and adoption of the long-term vision of Slovakia and the desirable coordination, it will create conditions for establishment of the National Centre of European and Global Studies of the Slovak Republic.
The Government considers the formation and development of the information society to be one of the basic prerequisites for creating a knowledge society. In a targeted manner, it will be increasing the citizens' information literacy, creating appropriate conditions for considerable extension of Slovakia's territorial coverage with the high-speed Internet, for various uses of information and communication technologies in all areas of society's life while increasing the quality of citizens' lives.
In the development of science and technology in the Slovak Republic, the Government will support the main priorities of the European Commission included in the EU Seventh Framework Programme (2007 - 2013) and primary attention will be given to the use of structural funds for the development of science infrastructure in linking institutions from various sectors of science and technology in the Slovak Republic and using the exception granted by the European Commission to the region of Bratislava. The Government realises that the absorption capacity of structural funds in science and technology requires also supporting capital resources from the state budget. The Government will support the membership of the Slovak Republic in the prestigious European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBO) and it will support new centres of excellence funded in accordance with the MINERVA programme.
