Sieci jednostek naukowo-badawczych jako istotny element w polityce innowacyjnej państwa. Przykład polskiej Sieci Badawczej Łukasiewicz

Abstract

The article presents the theoretical implications of creating a network of scientific and research units in the framework of innovation policy. Multidimensional approaches are presented for the classification of scientific and research networks. The present solution was analyzed in comparison to similar institutions in selected European Union countries, i.e. Germany, Netherlands, France and Finland. In this context, the assumptions of the first Polish scientific and research network (“Łukasiewicz”) are presented. The creation of this network has been described in relation to structural conditions on both the supply and demand sides. The main purpose of the article is to indicate the demand and supply conditions that may condition the operation of the first Polish network of scientific and research institutes. The supply conditions include: the method of selecting network institutes, their research specializations, and previous results related to knowledge and technology transfer. The demand factors include: the innovative activity of Polish enterprises, companies’ expenditures on purchasing knowledge from external sources, and the number of companies that have implemented innovations and indicators related to social capital, including those related to trust in business. The research methods used to operationalize the research goals were the medium-range system method, the institutional and legal method, and historical neo-institutionalism. The research thesis assumes that the effectiveness and efficiency of scientific and research networks as an instrument of the state’s innovation policy is conditioned by institutional and social factors, which require a longer time perspective and suitable legal and institutional instruments for the occurrence of positive effects. The conclusions and recommendations regarding the Polish network were formulated based on Polish conditions and foreign experience. The presented analysis shows that the decision to establish a network of research institutes in Poland and the defined goals of its operation are correct. The indicated demand and supply conditions are not as optimistic; therefore, such activities as internationalization, restructuring of institutes, effective mechanisms of networking and exchange of resources, enforcement of commercialization results and the active role of the state, at least in the initial period, will be important for the effectiveness of this institution.