Investments in education, research and development and economic growth: a comparison of Slovenia and Estonia

Za današnji čas je značilno, da živimo v gospodarstvu znanja. Znanje je pomembnejše kot kdaj koli prej. Nanj se gleda kot na nacionalno strategijo in vir konkurenčne prednosti za državo. Izobraževanje je resnično eden najmočnejših sredstev za zmanjševanje revščine in neenakosti ter postavlja temelje za trajno gospodarsko rast. Vlaganje v sistematično splošno izobraževanje je le prvi korak k cilju. Ustvarjanje znanja prek raziskovalnih inštitutov in nato z raziskavami in razvojem je dobra pot do intelektualnega kapitala in posledično gospodarske rasti. Za rast novih podjetij in inovacij so potrebni visoko usposobljeni zaposleni. Nova podjetja, ki rastejo, nikoli ne bi mogla pričeti z delom brez osebja, ki ima potrebne veščine in znanja za izvajanje inovativnega, običajno visokotehnološkega dela. V tem delu sem skušal preučiti vpliv naložb v izobraževanje, raziskave in razvoj na gospodarsko rast. Ugotovil sem, da vlaganje v izobraževanje pozitivno vpliva na gospodarsko rast. Pomen izobrazbe in kvalificirane delovne sile je še posebej viden v sektorju visoke tehnologije.It is known today that we live in a knowledge economy. Knowledge is more important than ever. It is seen as a national strategy and a source of competitive advantage. Indeed, education is one of the most important ways to reduce poverty and inequality and lay the foundations for sustainable economic growth. Investing in systematic general education is only the first step towards that goal. Creating knowledge through research institutes and then through research and development is an excellent path to intellectual capital and, consequently, economic growth. Highly qualified employees are needed for the growth of new companies and innovations. Growing new businesses could never be started without staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out innovative, usually high-tech work. In this work, I have tried to examine the impact of investments in education, research and development on economic growth. I have found that investing in education has positive effects on economic growth. The importance of education and a skilled workforce is particularly evident in the high-tech sector