Public S&T Policy and Technological Innovation in Poland, 1989-2000

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to answer the following question: Can any interdependencies be identified between technological innovation in the Polish industry and science & technology (S&T) policy in the past decade? For this purpose, a model of the innovation scene with three main actors (industry, science and government) may be useful. The overall picture of technological change processes in Poland is ambiguous: neither bad, nor good; both negative and positive tendencies can be identified. A principle components analysis has been applied to describe a course of innovation performance. An interesting regularity can then be seen: innovation performance reacted in the same direction but with a one-year delay to macro-economic dynamics. So, the innovation activity followed a cyclical development of the national economy. In turn, S&T policy often was delayed (drifted with the cycle) and was pro cyclical. Thus, in the period under analysis (1989-2000), real processes of technological change proceeded independently of the measures being undertaken by the government for science and technology but in accordance with phases of business cycle. ft is difficult to observe any elear correlations between innovation activity and S&Tpolicy. Concluding, technological progress was taking place in Poland under the influence of (a) macro-economic regulations, (b) market forces and (c) the inflow of foreign technical thought rather than being influenced by public policy