State Support System of Innovations in Slovakia
State Support System of Innovations in Slovakia

Author(s): Ladislav Klement
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Economy
Published by: Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze
Keywords: Slovak innovation strategy; innovation barriers; innovation support
Summary/Abstract: Purpose: Small and medium sized enterprises in Slovakia are facing various barriers where the system of state support in field of innovations is one of the most important. The Slovak government has started to pay attention to support of innovations relatively late. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the development of the Slovak innovation support system with an accent to tools of innovation strategies and compare the current conditions to the best practise of EU countries. Design/methodology/approach: The paper analyses the history and implementation of innovation strategies in Slovakia and critically evaluates the current system of innovation support with respect to the best practise cases in European Union. Empirical data about the barriers to innovations were gained by the survey in 2014 realized at the sample of 150 small and medium sized enterprises. The respondents were randomly selected with no preference to industry sectors. The secondary data were collected from Eurostat and other relevant institutions. The author used documentary analysis, comparison, statistical and mathematical methods. Findings: The first comprehensive innovation strategy in Slovakia was created only in 2007. There were a lot of government’s measures oriented on support of innovation activities and development of pro-innovative environment for SMEs, but only several were implemented in full range. Even today the objectives of the Slovak Innovation strategy are relatively unambitious. There are various areas in Slovakia where the system of innovation support is far away from the European best practice examples (e.g. volume of enterprises’ expenditures into innovations, missing public procurement for innovative solutions, high administrative burden and vulnerability of support system without EU structural funds).Research/practical implications: The paper includes implications for innovations’ support system in Slovakia. The paper brings recommendations for innovation performance growth in Slovakia aimed at government’s support tools.Originality/value: The paper comprehensively presents the development of government’s support system for innovations in Slovakia. It critically evaluates the existing infrastructure and applied tools and identifies possible government’s measures for future development of innovations in Slovakia.

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