Poland in the second last group of EU countries in terms of innovation

Innovation leaders of the Innovation Union Scoreboard (IUS) are Denmark, Germany and Finland; these countries have highest investments in research and innovation.

In the section devoted to Poland it has been stated that our country only "marginally" improved its rating in the period between 2006 and 2013. Officials suggest, however, that this result will probably be better when statistics show the effects of the use of EU funds for innovation in Poland. They also emphasise that Poland has increased spending on research and development from 0.6 percent GDP in 2006 to 0.9 percent in 2012.

According to the report, Poland ranks below the EU average when it comes to most of the indicators used in the innovation ranking, including the number of patents and foreign licensing revenues. The authors noted, however, an increase in the registration of Community trade marks and business spending on innovation, although officials indicate that this remains a big weakness. Declines were recorded in the number of PhD students and cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises and other entities for innovation.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education Łukasz Szelecki commented for PAP that the final result of the report is based on an analysis of a number of indicators. According to Szelecki, in certain categories Polish position clearly improved (e.g., data on patent indicators), in the other it remained below the European average (e.g. in terms of the number of students - graduate students from countries outside the EU). "As a result, according to the Innovation Union Scoreboard, Poland - after a year\'s absence - advanced to the group of +moderate innovators+, which also includes countries such as Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain. Poland is the only country that has changed the group"- emphasized.

In last year\'s Innovation Union Scoreboard Poland was also fourth last, but in the group of "weak innovators".

The ministry spokesman pointed out that changes in the majority of IUS indicators do not happen from year to year, and they are the result of long processes taking place in the science sector and the economy.

" The government\'s task for the coming years is to strengthen the positive trends in the economy and in R&D" - noted the spokesman for the ministry of science. He explained that this includes increase in private spending on R&D). One of the measures the government should be influencing the weaker sides, e.g. through greater internationalisation of the science sector and higher education.

According to Szelecki, the actions taken in this area will include legislative work. Amendment of to the Act on the Principles of Financing Science (now in the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Science and Higher Education) should facilitated involvement of Polish scientists in major international research initiatives, strategic planning of investments in the research infrastructure. In addition, the government will also support joint projects and research programs of businesses and scientists as well as creation of research teams in Poland that can compete with the best units in Europe and the world. Also promoted will be changes in management at universities, which will translate into improving the quality of education and increase the number of foreign students.

EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Johaness Hahn drew attention in an interview with PAP to the large difference in innovation between Polish regions. He added that one of the objectives of the work on the spending of EU funds will be to reduce these differences. He also stressed that innovation is strongly associated with small and medium-sized enterprises, and the results in the ranking depend on how much these companies invest in innovation. "And this certainly has to improve in Poland. But there are regions in Poland that are highly innovative, like the capital region. However, weaker regions affect the big picture" - he stressed.

EU Commissioner for Industry Antonio Tajani, who presented the ranking, noted that in the EU had improved when it comes to innovation, but there were many imbalances within the Union. In turn, the EU Commissioner for Research Maire Geoghegan-Quinn said that there still was much to be done, even though the EU reduced the distance to the U.S. and Japan. She stressed that by 2020 investment in innovation should increase so that its share in the GDP in the EU amounts to 3 percent. "We need to invest more and better" - she said.

Commissioners reminded that in the EU budget for 2014-2020, € 80 billion is planned for the Horizon 2020 research program, and in the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), 100 billion euros will be spent on research, innovation, digital growth, small and medium-sized enterprises the and the development of green energy.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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