2004年-世界发展银行全球_Poland_and_the_Knowledge_Economy___Enhancing_Polands_Competitiveness_in_the_European_Union_106页_3mb

Summary of "Poland and the Knowledge Economy"

Core Content

This report, Poland and the Knowledge Economy, is a comprehensive analysis of Poland's position in the knowledge-based economy and provides policy recommendations to enhance its competitiveness within the European Union (EU). It is authored by Itzhak Goldberg of the World Bank and focuses on four main areas: R&D and innovation, business environment, learning systems, and ICT infrastructure.

The goal of the report is to help Polish policymakers develop strategies that support sustainable growth and competitiveness by fostering an environment conducive to knowledge generation and absorption through innovation and learning.

Main Views

1. Productivity, R&D, and Growth

• Poland has experienced seven years of uninterrupted growth since the early 1990s, with an average annual growth rate of over 5%.
• However, its productivity is only about 34% of the EU average, and living standards remain lower than those in Hungary and the Czech Republic.
• The EU's 2000 Lisbon Strategy aims to make the EU the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010, emphasizing the role of R&D in driving innovation and productivity.
• The report proposes increasing Polish R&D investment from 0.7% of GDP to a more competitive level, aligning with the EU goal of 3% of GDP.
• The National Innovation System (NIS) is identified as a critical framework that includes lifelong learning systems, ICT, institutions, and funding mechanisms to support innovation and knowledge absorption.

2. Business Environment for Innovation

• A supportive business environment is essential for fostering innovation and productivity.
• The World Bank's 2004 Investment Climate Assessment highlighted a decline in the business environment in Poland, especially for technology-oriented SMEs.
• Key barriers include:
  • High costs and complex procedures for business incorporation.
  • Unfavorable tax and labor regulations.
  • High social contributions.
  • Inefficient bureaucracy and judicial systems.
  • Weak intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection.
• The report suggests:
  • Simplifying the business registration process to allow completion within one visit.
  • Implementing e-registration and e-government services to improve the environment for SMEs.
  • Addressing the high non-wage labor costs, particularly for self-employed individuals, which hinder the establishment of technology-based SMEs.
  • Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Polish Patent Office and resolving IPR ownership issues between researchers and employers.

3. Encouraging Private Funding of R&D

• The report emphasizes the need for a mix of public and private funding to support R&D.
• It reviews various instruments, including:
  • Tax incentives.
  • Matching grants.
  • Conditional reimbursable loans.
  • Government-owned and -managed venture capital (VC) funds.
  • Partial-risk guarantees.
  • Government risk sharing in privately-run VC funds.
• The report recommends:
  • Implementing matching grants for R&D projects by firms and academic consortia, which have proven beneficial in countries like Finland and Israel.
  • Creating a Pilot Seed Capital Trust to support early-stage R&D initiatives and encourage collaboration between firms and research institutions.
  • Reforming the capital market to make it more accessible for SMEs, including simplifying the listing process on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE).
  • Allowing pension funds and insurance companies to invest in the pre-IPO stage and in smaller-cap companies.

4. Building Institutions for R&D and Innovation

• Around 200 government-run Jednostki Badawczo-Rozwojowe (JBRs) still exist in Poland, representing a significant portion of the research budget.
• The report suggests:
  • Restructuring, privatizing, or closing down JBRs that are not efficient or relevant.
  • Focusing on consolidation and modernization of the most effective JBRs to support industrially focused research and network development.
  • Learning from the successful restructuring of JBRs in Hungary and Estonia.
  • Using the savings from restructuring to fund private R&D initiatives via matching grants and Pilot Trust Fund.
  • Encouraging institutions to become more relevant to the business sector by integrating business partnerships, joint projects, and service provision.

Key Information

5. Learning Systems for a Knowledge Society

• The report stresses the importance of improving education and training policies to build absorptive capacity and human capital.
• It proposes:
  • A lifelong learning system that is accessible to the entire population.
  • Revising the draft Law on Higher Education to include business representatives on university boards and academic committees.
  • Developing incentives for hiring, retaining, and promoting qualified staff in higher education institutions (HEIs).
  • Encouraging HEIs to engage in R&D projects with business partners and to implement internal quality management systems with external assessments.
• In the long term, the OECD PISA survey is suggested as a guide for reforming the formal education system to focus on student outcomes that align with the needs of a knowledge-based society.
• The report also recommends targeted scholarships and student loans to support disadvantaged students and private funding through tuition fees, endowments, and donations from the business community.

6. Building the ICT Infrastructure

• The telecom market in Poland has been liberalized since 1992, but competition remains limited.
• Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA) still holds over 90% of the fixed line market, indicating a lack of competition.
• The report highlights:
  • The high cost of long-distance calls and internet access compared to EU member states.
  • The need for a competitive regulatory framework that aligns with the EU acquis communautaire.
  • The importance of competition in driving price reductions, choice, and innovation.
• It proposes:
  • Updating the regulatory framework to the 2002 EU level.
  • Strengthening the National Regulatory Authority (URTiP) to ensure market credibility and sustained competition.
  • Implementing e-government services for businesses and citizens to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
  • Using "Smart Subsidies" to promote universal access to ICT, especially in rural areas, as outlined in Annex 1.

Conclusion

The report concludes that improving the business environment, fostering R&D investment, enhancing learning systems, and developing ICT infrastructure are critical for Poland to become a knowledge-based economy and increase its competitiveness within the EU. It emphasizes the need for public-private partnerships, regulatory reform, and institutional restructuring to support these goals. The Pilot Seed Capital Trust and matching grants are proposed as key instruments to stimulate R&D and innovation. Additionally, lifelong learning, quality assurance, and universal access to ICT are recommended to build a knowledge society and improve human capital.

The report underscores that fiscal considerations are important, but the overall cost of the National Innovation System (NIS) is manageable, especially with the savings from restructuring JBRs. It also highlights the importance of addressing bureaucracy and corruption to support innovation and investment in the knowledge economy.