Article

 

High Tech and Societal Innovation in Poland: Prospects and Strategies  (p.47-73)

by

Alojzy Nowak, Warsaw University

Bernard Aroguaswamy, Lemoyne College

Keywords : Innovation Systems; ICT innovation; high tech innovation; societal innovation; innovation scorecards; Poland’s performance

JEL classification : O32, O33

Abstract

Innovation has become increasingly central to the creation of a sustainable competitive advantage for firms, as well as to the success and prestige of nations. In this paper we attempt to assess the state of innovation in Poland, a large transition nation and recent entrant into the European Union. We develop a framework for innovation comprised of the National, Regional, Local, and Enterprise levels. We employ this as a template to investigate innovation in three layers-ICT, high tech, and society-wide. Three sets of secondary data pertaining to Poland are analyzed, leading to the conclusion that Poland’s innovation performance needs radical improvement on all three interdependent counts. Recommendations are made based on the more effective management of diverse societal interfaces, as well as the judicious management of a mix of the four innovation systems.