Technology Parks in Poland As an Element of Public Proinnovation Policy—Selected Results from Empirical Research

Abstract

Abstract Nowadays, regional pro-innovation policy concentrates on the creation of endogenous economic resources that are intended to become the main driving force for regional economic growth. In current economic conditions, this resource refers primarily to the paradigm of the knowledge economy. Hence the crucial importance of regional policy is to support the development of innovative enterprises. At the same time, a prerequisite for the more dynamic development of innovative enterprises, and thus the development of the region, is to implement efficient pro-innovation policy instruments. Therefore the main research aim of this paper is to define how the technology parks in Poland, as a regional tool of the public pro-innovation policy, could stimulate innovations as well as competitiveness of SME. The article will be based mostly on the empirical approach, presenting selected results of the nationwide research project financed by the National Science Centre of Poland. The obtained initial empirical data suggest that technology parks in Poland expand highly-specialized services for their tenant enterprises to a very limited extent and focus on basic and routine aspects of their operations (rental, day-to-day administration of premises and equipment etc). In effect, the technology parks in Poland have played so far a very limited role in practice as a stimulus of innovativeness of SME. The study used the method of systemic analysis and also the empirical method (PAPI) for primary data collections.