Innovation governance in Poland. Technological trends with an outlook to 2030

Abstract

The research problem of the article concerns adapting current innovation governance theories to assess national innovation systems. The operationalization of this task in the Polish context translated into identifying the most promising trends and technological areas for the Polish economy in the 2030 perspective. The study included a horizon scanning and trend radar variant, identifying seven trends: nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, smart grids and energy storage, Food Tech, smart/precision farming, drone technologies, telemedicine, application of hydrogen in steel, and the technological areas included in them. Results were further assessed based on CAWI surveys conducted on a sample of experts representing the Łukasiewicz Research Network. Smart/precision farming, telemedicine, smart grids and Food Tech proved the most promising for the Polish economy. The small difference in results leads us to believe that nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, drone technologies and hydrogen applications in steel production should also be in the spotlight, but special attention should be paid to the accompanying challenges, such as development costs or insufficient R&D infrastructure. The size and scope of the research make it unique and, at the same time, support the significance of the results for Polish technology, economy and science.