Role of Innovation Infrastructure in

Economic Development of EU
Accession Countries: The Croatian
Case
I. Nagy & A. Mami
Business Innovation Centre of Croatia BICRO Ltd.
Planinska 1 HR 10000 Zagreb CROATIA
ivana.nagy@bicro.hr ante.mamic@bicro.hr www.bicro.hr
I. How new technological revolutions challenge
economic policy makers
I. The role of innovation infrastructure in addressing
economic challenges
I. What type of infrastructure facilities are supported in
Croatia
I. Biosciences Incubation & Technology
Commercialisation Centre (IPA-funded project)
I. Conclusions, Q&A
Content
Country background: CROATIA
Economic profile:
Surface: 56.538 sq. km
Population: 4,43 million
GDP at current prices: 45,4 billion
GDP per capita: 10.245
GDP growth rate p.a.: -5,8 %
Average inflation rate: 2,4 %
Foreign debt: 43,1 billion
Unemployment rate: 9,1 %
WEALTH KNOWLEDGE
R&D
INNOVATION
THE NEW PARADIGM OF DEVELOPMENT
Harvesting the benefits of
Technology Revolutions
4 main goals of economic policy
Price Stability Full Employment
Economic Growth BP Equilibrium
Each brings a different world of opportunities for innovation
and has a similar pattern of propagation
Five technological revolutions in 200 years
The Industrial Revolution 1771
Age of Steam and Railways 1829
Age of Steel, Electricity and Heavy Engineering 1875
Age of Oil, the Automobile and Mass Production 1908
Age of Information and Telecommunications 1971
Age of Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Bioelectronics?
20??
Source: Based on Nelson and Winter, Dosi, Wolf, Abernathy and Utterback, Arthur, etc.
THE LIFE TRAJECTORY OF A TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION
AND ITS TECHNO-ECONOMIC PARADIGM
Deployment
of potential
Time
AN EPIDEMIC PATTERN OF DIFFUSION FROM IRRUPTION TO MATURITY
Techno-economic
paradigm defined
Initial radical
innovations
MATURITY
IRRUPTION
Previous revolution
exhausted and
declining
Next revolution
in gestation
40-60 years
In theory
A general leap
in productivity
A powerful cluster
of new products and processes
and new infrastructural
networks
NEW FIRMS
AND INDUSTRIES
BECOME ENGINES
OF WORLD
GROWTH
REJUVENATION
AND MODERNISATION
OF THE WHOLE
ECONOMY
New all-purpose technologies,
new organisational principles,
different business models
and low-cost facilitating
infrastructure
NEW DYNAMIC
INDUSTRIES
A NEW TECHNO-ECONOMIC
PARADIGM
Double nature of each technological revolution
Appropriately designed innovation infrastructure
can be a catalyst for innovation
Encourages research cooperation
IBPs encourage cooperation among university researchers,
companies and research institutions to develop new ideas
Builds public support for R&D
Facilitate firm creation
Generate critical mass for a regional economy
Encourage new and existing firms and the new jobs and growth
they bring
Promotes regional development
Help laboratories justify further R&D support
Have concrete impacts on jobs and growth that build support in
the community and the country
Centres of Research Excellence
University Technology Transfer Offices
Centres of Competence for Emerging
Technologies
Incubators for High Technology
Science & Technology Parks
Innovation infrastructure in Croatia: Building block
of the National Innovation System
Rudjer Bokovi Institute (RBI)
RBI is the largest Croatian multidisciplinary research institute in:
Physics
Chemistry
Oceanography (marine and environmental
research and geosciences)
Molecular Biology
Biomedicine
Computer science
Electronics/Engineering
Mission:
High quality basic research
Strong involvement in higher education
Leading contribution to the growth of the national economy
Vision:
Croatian EU Centre of scientific excellence
20,000 m2 area, 81 labs
Rudjer Innovations Ltd.
Commercialization of innovations and technology transfer
Rudjer Medikol Cyclotrone Ltd.
Development and production of radionuclides
Rudjer Medikol Diagnostics Ltd.
Breast and other genetic hereditary diagnostics
Initium Futuri Ltd.
Innovative ICT technologies
BioZyne Ltd.
Biotech company for R&D in the life sciences (cancer drugs)
Artes Calculi Ltd.
Innovative ICT technologies
Spin-off companies of RBI
THEIR ROLE:
They support researches in all stages of technology implementation -
from idea, invention, process of IP protection, to setting up a company
and commercialization of intellectual property.
The 4 University TTOs in Croatia, in particular help with:
intellectual property protection
education of researches and students in entrepreneurship
writing business plans
making of marketing plans
setting up of companies
establishing contacts with business partners
other questions regarding the beginning of entrepreneurial
activity
University TTOs
BICRO supports development of
COMETs in sectors of strategic
interest to the Croatian economy.
COMETs are established in
collaboration between scientific
and industrial partners for the
purpose of conducting R&D for
the needs of the business sector.
So far, COMETs were established
focusing on
Maritime industry
Renewable energy
Green technologies
Translational medicine
Centres of Competence for Emerging
Technologies (COMETs)
Incubators accelerate
successful development of
entrepreneurial companies
through an array of
business support resources
and services:
incubation programme
R&D and/or production
facilities
Varadin IT Incubator
Incubator in akovec
focuses on digital
technologies and
construction industry
Incubator in Nova
Gradika has a focus on
production using CNC
technologies
Incubators for High Technology
Associated with higher
education institutions.
STP are encouraged by local
governments, in order to:
attract new companies
expand tax base
increase employment
opportunities
engage science base in
technology transfer and
commercialisation
activities that add value
to businesses
Science & Technology
Park of the University of
Rijeka
Technopolis University of
Osijek
Science & Technology Parks
BIOCentre project making it real
The Biosciences Technology Commercialisation
and Incubation Centre BIOCentre
BIOCenter project IPA
Eligible expenditure:
16.376.410,70
BIOCenter project IPA
IPA Contribution:
13.919.949,00
Gross floor area:
5.330 m
2
Usable floor area:
4.457 m
2
Three main segments
of the BIOFacility Service::
Central laboratory unit
Qualified laboratory spaces
Office spaces for tenants
Physical infrastructure: Office space, Laboratory
space, equipped Central Laboratory Unit
Programme for business development, mentorship,
specified services and financial support for
academic entrepreneurship, start-up and
incubation
Programme for technology transfer supporting
cooperative R&D projects between and research
institutions, with a focus on the up-scaling process
of new bio-products
Business and technical training courses for
specific know-how, methods and new technologies
Programme for cooperation, regional networking
and international marketing of biotechnology and
life sciences in Croatia
BIOFacility
BIOIncubation
BIOTransfer
BIOEducation
BIONetwork
BIOCenter project IPA
Recommendations for designing
growth accelerating infrastructure
Target the most strategic and rapidly
developing technologies
Increase the capacity and capability of
critical national scientific assets
Meet the most immediate business demands
Improve physical facilities and services to
allow companies to conduct cost-effective
R&D
Technological progress and innovation play a central role in a
country's economic progress
As an economy advances to the global technological frontier
and narrows the technological gap, an innovation-based
growth strategy that focuses on investments in R&D and
technology creation offers the greatest potential for
economic growth
Investments in innovation infrastructure must be a part of
any economic growth strategy
Investments need to be coordinated on the national and local
level, involving a variety of stakeholders, in order to
maximize development effects and benefits to the overall
economy of the country
Conclusions
WEALTH KNOWLEDGE
R&D
INNOVATION
SCIENTIFIC
INSTITUTIONS
ADMINISTRATION
COMPANIES ENTREPRENEURS
INNOVATION
INFRA-
STRUCTURE
Thank you for your kind
attention!
Ivana Nagy & Ante Mami
Business Innovation Centre of Croatia BICRO Ltd.
Planinska 1 HR 10000 Zagreb CROATIA
ivana.nagy@bicro.hr ante.mamic@bicro.hr www.bicro.hr