Normative Alert: Amendments to the composition and functions of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development and Innovation
TMT ( Telecoms, Media, Technology) Department Report | Normative Alert: Amendments to the composition and functions of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development and Innovation.
Dear All:
On July 4, 2025, Decree No. 447/2025 (the “Decree”, available only in spanish here) was published in the Official Gazette. The Decree amends the composition and functions of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development and Innovation (the “Agency”), originally established by Decree No. 157/2020.
Citing the argument that the Agency’s structure was “excessively bureaucratic”, and aiming to consolidate a national system for the promotion of scientific, technological, and productive innovation under an institutional framework based on efficiency, financial sustainability, and modernization of instruments, the Decree introduces two structural changes. On one hand, it establishes that the Agency will now operate under the Secretariat for Innovation, Science and Technology, which reports to the Chief of Cabinet of Ministers. On the other hand, it reduces and restructures the Agency’s Board, replacing it with a Directive Committee composed of a President and two Directors, instead of a Board made up of a President and ten Members.
In addition, the following changes to the Agency’s functions are particularly noteworthy:
-The scope of the funds to be managed by the Agency is broadened, now allowing for both domestic and international sources;
-A new function is introduced: the application of promotional instruments and tools to foster innovation in the scientific-technological and productive sectors, including externally funded projects, based on an evaluation system that takes into account economic and technological feasibility, risk levels, and recovery of reimbursable financing;
-The Agency is now authorized to enter into agreements with public institutions and national and international organizations, and to establish “innovation hubs” that bring together actors from the technological, scientific, and productive innovation sectors; and
-The provision of specialized services for a fee is now permitted.
In line with the structural and functional changes described above, the Decree introduces significant amendments to both the institutional framework of the Agency and the scope of its powers, redefining its internal organization and operational scope.
Yours sincerely,