Regionalny system innowacji województwa małopolskiego – ujęcie modelowe

A role of innovations and competitiveness in regional development is obvious. In contemporary world economy competitiveness is a basic development mechanism and innovation is a key factor of competitiveness. Competitiveness based on innovativeness and continual technological progress is the challenge for Polish economy and for economies of Polish regions. Regional Innovation System (RIS) is a key element to build regional innovative potential. Its eff ectiveness depends without doubt on its subsystems: innovation and technology transfer; international and country institutions and organizations; central, regional and local governments and other organizations that support business and entrepreneurship. But institutional aspect of Regional Innovation System is not the only one possible. The spatial structure of it – how these elements are spread in regional space – is also of the great importance. The spatial structure of RIS and its impact on regional innovativeness is a main subject of the paper. There are certain reasons to undertake research in that direction. First, the spatial aspects of Regional Innovation Systems are very oft en omitted. Including spatial aspects of RIS functioning to analysis can deepen our knowledge on RIS’ nature – it can helps us to design lower-cost and more eff ective networks between elements of the whole system. Second, lack of knowledge in subregional structure of innovative potential of the country can lead to wrong decisions and failures in interregional policy. Third, not only institutional structure but also “reasonable” spatial deconcentration decide on meaning of Regional Innovation Systems in socio-economic development stimulation. Presented empirical analysis can help to defi ne this “reasonability” and its connections with other determinants of Regional Innovation Systems’ eff ectiveness. In many elaborations innovativeness is treated without taking into consideration its spatial aspects. In this paper, on the basis of Regional Innovation System of Małopolskie Region (Voivodship), an unique attempt of undertaking spatial subregional analysis of innovation system is presented