Innovation in Central Europe

Abstract

The research and innovation system in Central Europe (CE) has not been studied in sufficient depth, either on a theoretical or on an empirical level. Consequently, it has sometimes been surmised that CE is simply lagging behind the rest of Europe in terms of scientific and technological performance (Archibugi and Coco, 2005). Moreover, although CE comprises 13 countries, there is some disagreement as to which ones should be classified as part of it.¹ For the purposes of this chapter we focus on five emerging economies: the three largest transition economies — Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic — and two ex-Yugoslavia countries, now also EU members — the republics of Slovenia and Croatia, whose size, geographic locale, and cultural similarity merit inclusion. Moreover, their economic structure, research level, and technical development are comparable. In terms of innovation and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) competitiveness, these countries are home to growing numbers of innovative companies which successfully compete on global markets, e.g. Prezi, Ravimed, Rimac car, Invea-tech, and GEA. Presently, these countries are among the most promising emergent markets in CE.