Innovation Centers in Poland - Portal Innowacji

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Introduction
Based upon: “Ośrodki innowacji i przedsiębiorczości
w Polsce”, edited by Krzysztof
B. Matusiak, Polish Agency for Enterprise
Development, Warsaw 2010
Polish accession to the EU and the opening of foreign
markets has changed the conditions under which companies
previously operated. It resulted in an abundance of private
enterprises and an influx of foreign investments. It also gave
innovative businesses the tools needed for development.
Within the periods of 2004–2006 and 2007–2013 European
funds have opened new possibilities for pro-development
ventures. In 2007–2013 entrepreneurs, business environment
institutions, research and development units and public
administration bodies will receive more than EUR 9.71 billion
as part of the Operational Program – Innovative Economy,
financed from European funds, for projects that have been
contributing to the improvement of innovativeness of the
Polish enterprises and the economy.
Thanks to systemic changes and the many bottom-up
initiatives, the number of innovation centers and enterprises
has been growing steadily from only 195 in 1995 to 735 by
mid-2010. Many of them are entrepreneurship centers:
training and advisory centers, business centers, consulting
centers and entrepreneurship incubators.
Simultaneously, specialized institutions for innovative
business support have been filling the Polish market.
Supportive, quasi-banking financial institutions like
seed capital funds, business angel networks, regional
and local loan funds are becoming increasingly common.
Institutions enabling the introduction of novel products
and services, like technology parks, technology incubators,
pre-incubators, academic entrepreneurship incubators
and technology transfer centers, have been undergoing
intensive development.
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