Untitled - Ministerstwo Rozwoju Regionalnego

1.2. Innovation features
Innovation depends on more than just technological know-how. Other knowledge
constitutes its important element (e.g. specific experience gained, overall
educational level, contact with users and suppliers, watching the competition).
This feature is connected with the necessity to develop schools and universities
and to favour cooperation between scientific centres and enterprises. It is also
linked with the learning process because it requires the collection of specific
knowledge and information from both internal and external sources. Thus, an
innovative company is able to accumulate knowledge and to run its production
process efficiently and effectively.
Another feature of innovation is its interactive and multidisciplinary character.
Innovation is therefore a multi-sequential process comprising, on the one
hand, separate and on the other, mutually linked and interdependent phases.
Therefore, the development of relations as processes integrating innovation becomes
indispensable.
Innovation has its place, which means it occurs in a given space, so innovation
transfer is not possible if the other location lacks the organised innovation
system. Several factors must contribute to the development of an innovative
system, including social factors, which is another feature of innovation.
Innovation is a social phenomenon that implies the development of an innovation
friendly culture, entrepreneurship, social approval and recognition of the
key significance of innovation in economic development. Additionally, innovation
has its cultural roots in the historical process, thus tradition and culture
must be accounted for as culture may favour or hinder or even block the introduction
of innovations.
While assuming Schumpeter’s concept of innovation, we cannot forget
another feature – that of creative destruction. No doubt innovations destroy existing
systems. In an enterprise, the introduction of an innovative product is
connected with possible structural and management changes in the organisation.
Referring to features mentioned earlier – the company standards and values,
i.e. the corporate culture will be assigned vital importance.
Innovations allow companies to develop competitive capacity, but they are
connected with risk and costs – the greater the more trailblazing the innovation.
Though, on the other hand, lack of innovation is also a risk as it does not develop
competitive advantage. In the case of developing innovations the risk is
greater at the initial stage of research and development. Innovations require
both public and private funding, with special emphasis on the latter. As research
and adapting of innovation for practical application is costly and risky, international
specialization plays a major role. Import of modern technology is often
the cheapest and least risky method of gaining a competitive edge and of bridging
technological gaps.
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