Characteristics of National System of Innovation in Poland

Abstract

It is believed in well-developed market economies that enterprise ability to create, apply and spread innovations is the most important indication of their modernity and, at the same time, an important symptom of civilisation progress of the whole country. According to many famous economists, the range and rate of innovation processes pay a key role among reasons for competitive advantage of enterprises and national economies. In a competitive game on a globalised market success is achieved by these economies which have mastered abilities of quick and effective transformation of scientific and technical thought into new or improved products, technologies and solutions in the field of organisation and management. The rise of importance of innovation activity in modern economy has stimulated interest of economic sciences in studies on mechanisms governing innovation processes and influence of innovation on economic development. Together with this interest a concept of National System of Innovation (NSI) arouse and it plays an important role in innovation policies of all well-developed market economies.

The aim of the paper is to present the problem of National System of Innovation, explain its character, provide characteristics of the system in Poland and make an attempt to evaluate chances for increasing its effectiveness. Main assumption, adopted in the analysis, is that innovation ability of economy is determined by the character of National System of Innovation.