Public funding and innovation ambitions: project-level evidence from supported innovation projects in Slovakia

This article examines whether publicly funded innovation projects in Slovakia primarily pursue gradual modernisation or more ambitious change. The analysis covers 2,504 projects supported during 2021–2026 through Programme Slovakia 2021–2027 and Slovakia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. Innovation ambitions at the funding stage were assessed ex ante from project descriptions, distinguishing lower-intensity projects (incremental and sustaining) from higher-intensity projects (radical and disruptive). Methods comprised descriptive statistics, association tests, the Mann–Whitney U test and binary logistic regression accounting for clustering by beneficiary and call. Higher-intensity projects represented 21.13% of the portfolio, with median public funding of €148,307 versus €15,000 for lower-intensity projects. In the adjusted model, product innovations and higher funding categories were associated with greater odds of classification in the higher-intensity group. Funding programme was also associated with assessed ambition. No other beneficiary sector differed significantly from the private sector, while regional associations were generally weak. These findings concern project intentions, not verified implementation or achieved outcomes, and do not establish causal effects of funding. Together with the theoretical framework, they support differentiated public funding tailored to innovation type, assessed ambition and financial profile, combining support for gradual modernisation with targeted instruments for more ambitious projects.