Providing expertise on innovation policies in the EU and in Central and Eastern Europe

Professor Slavo Radosevic’s research explores innovation processes and ‘technology upgrading’ in emerging and transition (i.e. post-communist) economies.

Synopsis

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Prof Radosevic’s research explores innovation processes and ‘technology upgrading’ in emerging and transition (i.e. post-communist) economies. He concludes that, in such economies, ‘smartly’ adapting and implementing existing technologies, with regard for local conditions, is often more appropriate than prioritising innovation. The smart specialisation approach reflects ’new’ industrial policy thinking which assumes that constraints to growth are not known in advance but need to be ‘discovered’ through an organised policy search process and appropriate methodology. This contrasts with conventional views on innovation policy. The research influenced perceptions of policymakers and international organisations: The European Union (EU); United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the World Bank. It impacted design and shaping of innovation policy across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Former Soviet Union (FSU), with particular reference to developing smart specialisation policy and assessing the success of innovation policy. This allowed the development of more effective innovation policies.

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