https://doi.org/10.15255/KUI.2023.043
Published: Kem. Ind. 73 (7-8) (2024) 313–330
Paper reference number: KUI-43/2023
Paper type: Review
Download paper:  PDF

Research, Development, and Innovation in Croatia (Part One) – National Innovation System and Strategic Documents until 2020

Z. Banić Tomišić and I. Crnić Duplančić

Abstract

Innovations are crucial for the development of the economy and society. Croatia began developing its innovation system at the end of the last century. Since joining the EU, Croatia’s innovation strategies and policies have been linked to those European. They are important for all stakeholders in the innovation system, especially the scientific community and the business sector, as among other things, they direct financial resources to priority areas and activities. A well-established innovation system and well-directed innovation strategies are prerequisites for economic competitiveness and societal wealth. This paper provides an overview of the strategic documents in the field of innovation and development of the national innovation system (NIS), with a special focus on the Croatian Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) 2016–2020, as well as an overview of the recommendations, from international organisations, for enhancing research, development, and innovation (RDI) in Croatia. The main results in the field of RDI and NIS development can be considered to be the following: (1) The importance of RDI for the economy and society has been recognised as has the need for cooperation between the scientific community and the business sector, and for the commercialisation of the research results; (2) The ministries responsible for science and economy have become jointly responsible for innovation strategies; (3) The first innovation strategies have been adopted; (4) The entrepreneurial discovery process (EDP), as S3 foundation, has become basis of NIS (“bottom-up” approach); (5) Agencies/institutions financing RDI projects have been established; (6) Knowledge and technology transfer offices have been established to support the commercialisation of research results and strengthen cooperation between the scientific community and the business sector; (7) Total RDI investments have increased. Further NIS development, RDI results, and Croatia’s potential shift in innovation rankings will largely depend on the implementation of international recommendations in S3 until 2029 as well as on putting S3 into practice.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Keywords

innovation strategies and policies, Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3), national innovation system (NIS), Croatia