S&T Country Report - Albania - WBC-INCO Net

factors of growth that commonly shape the new techno-economic paradigm -
knowledge economy such as: qualification structure of the labour force, technology
capabilities of companies, research capacity in industry, computerisation. Croatia is
competitive to EU countries only in research intensity that reflects the present
orientation of innovation policy primarily towards supply side in terms of number of
researchers and investments in R&D in public sector. Therefore, science and
innovation policy is primarily focused on public science separate from production and
entrepreneurship. Innovation policy is a part of science policy that is centralized and
dominated by MSES as the main financer and consumer of R&D. (Becic and Svarc,
2006)
The following recommendations can be given:
• Improve policy planning and enhance cooperation, coordination and
communication between local authorities and ministries (improved linkages
between ministries);
• Support better understanding of the innovation process by key players,
such as policy makers;
• Create interactions and linkages between different kinds of knowledge:
science, technology, and production;
• Provide effective transfer of good and bad practices;
• Apply better identification of strengths and weaknesses (SWOT analysis
defining e.g. which technologies are the economic driving forces; which of
them could effectively benefit from cluster organisation and how these could
be supported);
• Provide adequate and sustainable financial support (the financial
instruments are not always attractive for start-ups, there is a clear need for
risk/seed capital which could be invested in tenant companies);
• Undertake innovative (new) ways of thinking and of acting between all
stakeholders;
• Review the performance of technology centres (with a focus on their role in
facilitating collaboration between research and business);
• Strengthen linkages between private industry and science communities;
• Ensure more effective coordination, collaboration and information
exchange between financiers;
• Build the knowledge capacity through training facilities;
page 42/HRV