Zagreb - State science prizes for 2024 were presented in parliament on Thursday to 27 researchers and academics by Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Science, Education and Youth Minister Radovan Fuchs.
The awards recognise individuals whose work goes beyond personal achievement and becomes a lasting value for society as a whole, Jandroković said.
These 27 awards are a confirmation of excellence, but also of dedication to a highly demanding career path that requires discipline, patience and belief even when results are not immediately visible, he added.
Jandroković noted that the world was changing at an exceptional pace and becoming increasingly uncertain and unpredictable, making knowledge the most important resource of any society. “In such a context, no country can build a secure and successful future without a strong reliance on science, research and innovation,” he said.
“That is why investment in science must be viewed as a strategic investment in the future. Investing in science is not a matter of one term or one budget year. It is a long-term decision about the kind of Croatia we want to leave to future generations.”
He added that spending on education and science accounted for 12% of the state budget and 5% of gross domestic product, while investment in research and development had reached record levels. “More than €1.2 billion was invested in 2024, 20% more than the year before,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the award recipients, lifetime achievement winner Professor Emerita Marina Ajduković said the awards carried significant responsibility.
She also addressed the role of women in science, noting that women accounted for fewer than 10% of recipients during the first decade of the awards, but that the share had gradually risen to 25% by 2024.
Ajduković encouraged young researchers to persevere and remain in Croatia, saying that “doing science and living in Croatia is rewarding, despite certain obstacles”.
Representing Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Fuchs said the government had done as much as possible in recent years to support science. “Science has never been better funded than in recent years,” he said, citing €750 million in direct funding for scientific research in Croatia, €50 million through the Croatian Science Foundation, and programme contracts worth €3.3 billion.