INTRODUCTION
R e v o lu tio n a ry c h a n g e s In e c o n o m y , p ro g re s s iv e g lo b a liz a tio n of the w o rld of in n o va tio n , g re a te r o p e n n e s s of s o c ie tie s , m ig ra tio n p ro c e s s es, la rg e s o c ia l m o b ility a n d u n lim ite d re la tio n s by m e a n s o f te c h n o lo g ic a l to o ls , d e v e lo p e d fo r o n ly a fe w ye a rs, fo c u s on s o ft m a n a g e m e n t to o ls s u ch as q u a lity a n d c u ltu re o p e n n e w in n o v a tio n o p p o rtu n itie s - th e y c o n s titu te a v a lu a b le c h a n c e th a t is p o s s ib le to use b ro a d ly b e c a u s e th e o p p o rtu n i
tie s c re a te re s o u rc e s of n e w k n o w le d g e b e in g a p e rfe c t in n o va tiv e p o te n tial. The d e g re e to w h ic h k n o w le d g e is p ro c e s s e d into in n o v a tio n s d e p e n d s on th e c re a tiv ity a n d p e o p le 's e n tre p re n e u rs h ip , o rg a n iz a tio n a n d so c ie tie s . A t th e s a m e tim e e n tre p re n e u ria l d e v e lo p m e n t w ith a h ig h level of in n o v a tio n , in v e s tm e n t, b u t a lso e ffe c ts is of p a rtic u la r im p o rta n c e . The v ie w s of J. S c h u m p e te r, fo rm u la te d in th e firs t h alf o f th e tw e n tie th ce n tu ry, a n d then P. D ru c k e r's v ie w s fro m the 1980s u n d o u b te d ly had th e g re a te s t im p a c t on th e c o n te m p o ra ry u n d e rs ta n d in g o f in n o va tio n p ro c e s s e s a n d th e ir im p o r
ta n c e to th e e n te rp ris e . J. S c h u m p e te r s a w the e s s e n c e o f in n o va tio n in th e c h a n g e s of "s ig n ific a n t s c o p e ", d is ru p tin g th e e xis tin g e q u ilib riu m and c re a tin g a n e w "c o m b in a tio n of p ro d u c tio n fa c to rs ." W ith th e s e in n o va tio n s e n tre p re n e u rs a c h ie v e a b o v e -a v e ra g e returns, m a k in g e c o n o m y m o re d y n a m ic . P ro d u c t in n o va tio n s , n e w p ro c e s s e s a n d n e w fo rm s o f o rg a n iz a tio n a n d m a n a g e m e n t are e s p e c ia lly im p o rta n t. T h a n k s to th e m , e n tre p re n e u rs m a y not o n ly o v e rc o m e b a rrie rs m o re e a s ily to e n te r th e m arke t, b u t it is also e a s ie r fo r th e m to rival th e e xis tin g c o m p e titio n .
T he c re a tio n o f an in n o va tio n is an e s s e n tia l d riv e r of th e c o m p e titiv e n e s s a n d e c o n o m ic g ro w th in all e c o n o m ie s . The in n o va tio n p ro c e s s e s in th e m a c ro s c a le are s h a p e d by th e m a rk e t m e c h a n is m , h o w e v e r in th e c a s e of s tru c tu res, w h ic h are u n fa v o u ra b le to th e m a rk e t a n d th e m a rk e t m e c h a n is m fails, it is e s s e n tia l to im p le m e n t th e sta te 's in n o va tiv e p olicy. T his p o lic y s h o u ld be c o n s is te n t a n d c o h e re n t w ith th e EU p o lic y a s s u m p tio n s ; it m u s t c o n s is t of a set of d e lib e ra te d d e c is io n s th a t w o u ld c a u s e fin a n c ia l o u tla ys. T h e se d e c i
sio n s c o n c e rn th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f d o m e s tic a n d re g io n a l in n o va tio n sys te m s
(in n o v a tio n p ro c e s s e s s tim u la tio n , d o m e s tic a n d re g io n a l p o lic y c o h e re n c e ,
d e v e lo p m e n t of in n o va tiv e c o m p a n ie s ) as w ell as th e c re a tio n of c o m p a n ie s
th a t fo rm a n d im p le m e n t "s o ft" in n o v a tio n s a n d c o m p a n ie s th a t inve st m o n
ey in n ew a n d ris k y s p h e re s . A lo n g w ith e n tre p re n e u rs h ip , in n o v a tio n crea te s
fa v o u ra b le c o n d itio n s fo r d e v e lo p m e n t, d e te rm in e s th e g ro w th of c o u n trie s ,
re g io n s a n d o rg a n iz a tio n s . T h is le a d s to tre a tin g th e m jo in tly as a g lo b a l,
re g io n a l p h e n o m e n o n and , w ith e q u a l a tte n tio n , as a p ro b le m of in d ivid u a l
o rg a n iz a tio n s a n d p e o p le .
Introduction
The s u b je c t of in n o va tio n , e n tre p re n e u rs h ip a n d c re a tiv e p ro c e s s p re s e n te d in th is m o n o g ra p h is a p ro p o s a l w h ic h b rin g s close r, illu m in a te s a nd e x p la in s th e e s s e n c e , m e c h a n is m s , m u ltip le e ffe c ts of p ro c e s s e s o f in n o v a tio n a n d e n tre p re n e u rs h ip . M o s t o f th e p a p e rs d is c u s s th is issu e a n d o th e rs refer to th e m ain to p ic to a la rg e extent. T he fo llo w in g m ain th e m a tic areas have b e e n a d o p te d : in n o v a tio n m a n a g e m e n t in th e o rg a n iz a tio n , e c o n o m y a n d UE; in n o va tiv e n e s s , e n tre p re n e u rs h ip as a th e o re tic a l p ro b le m a n d the re se a rc h area; c re a tin g a c o m p a n y in n o va tio n c a p a c ity ; in n o va tio n b arriers, o p p o rtu n itie s a n d th re a ts, re s is ta n c e to in n o v a tio n s a n d other. The p u b lis h e d p a p e rs re p re s e n t an in n o va tiv e s te p not o n ly fo r th e n o v e lty of th e p re s e n te d a p p ro a c h , b u t a lso fo r th e w a ys of h a n d lin g th e to p ic .
W e w is h yo u a p le a s a n t a n d c o n s tru c tiv e re a d in g .
K a ta rzyn a S zc z e p a ń s k a -W o s z c z y n a V la d im ir H ia d lo v s k y
K rz y s z to f Z a m a s z (Editors)
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