Strengthening governmental policy and institutional cohesion to enhance innovativeness of Polish economy before accessing the European Union

Client: Ministry of Economic Affairs Poland
Country: Poland
Period: January 2003 – April 2005

The purpose of the project is to strengthen the Polish Ministry of Economy, Labour and Social Policy (MELSP) in its process of drafting and implementing innovation policy in order to enhance the innovativeness and competitiveness of the Polish economy. Competitiveness of companies, including SMEs depends on easy access to knowledge and the ability to absorb technological progress. In order to achieve this, a highly efficient National Innovation System (NIS), as well as a well-functioning National and Regional Innovation Strategy is required.

The project aims at reaching four results:

1. Setting guidelines to provide advice on enhanced policy on innovativeness;
2. Strengthening coherence between economic policy-making and Research and Technology Development (RTD) in the field of innovation in line with EU policy;
3.  Preparation of guidelines for adequate allocation and implementation of EU structural funds;
4. Raising the awareness among stakeholders regarding the implementation of a cohesive innovation policy, through organisation of high-level meetings.

The results of the activities are presented to civil servants on a national and regional scale. Advice was given on standard training courses for civil servants, on the introduction of new university subjects in the field of innovation policy, on new initiatives in the field of innovative entrepreneurship. An Advisory Group on Innovation was established and a series of meetings were organised. National conference on innovation is forthcoming.

Services provided:

• Conduct an inventory of the NIS and RIS, current plans and strategies and benchmark with EU countries.
• Develop case studies of innovative companies. 
• Design of Polish Innovation Scoreboard, assistance in strengthening international networking on innovation systems, impact analysis of EU enlargement on the Polish SME and RTD sectors. 
• Assistance in preparing recommendations to integrate cohesive policy in the National Development Plan, assistance in financial analysis to implement coherent policy in relation to Structural Fund programming.
• Prepare plan for awareness campaign on a national, regional and institutional level. 
• Training Programmes implemented for Public Administration officials including workshops, seminars, conferences and study tours.
• Advice on nation-wide co-ordination mechanism on innovation for Poland.