IDENTIFYING THE POTENTIAL OF THE NORTH-WEST PLANNING REGION IN BULGARIA TO CREATE INNOVATION- BASED INCUBATORS

Abstract

Traditionally, innovations have been in the focus of researchers since their introduction, as a concept by Schumpeter, to the present days. In the last decade, these trends have intensified, and more and more researchers are directing their research into the innovation field. The connections of innovations with the results of companies, the success of innovations, the environment for innovations, etc. are investigated. The main goal of the present study is to reveal the potential of the North-West Planning Region in Bulgaria to create an innovation-based incubator/s, that will be part of the innovation environment, support companies in their innovation activity and thus contribute for economic growth in the region. The main methods used are the office survey, statistical methods /collection of statistical information/, trend method, factor analysis and scenario method. Based on the collected statistical information and its secondary processing, certain regularities and trends have been deduced for the potential for creating innovation-based incubators. Through the method of scenarios, the potential usefulness of such structural elements of the innovation environment for increasing the innovativeness of the companies of the region has been determined.