Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5673/sip.49.2.5
The Social Evaluation of the Croatian Innovation System Based on a Test Programme
Jadranka Švarc
orcid.org/0000-0003-1702-3674
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar
Juraj Perković
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar
Jasminka Lažnjak
orcid.org/0000-0002-6699-9676
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, Department of Sociology
Abstract
The paper presents selected results of the social evaluation of the Croatian innovation system (HIS) based on the thesis that, in Croatia, we can talk about the systemic failures of the innovation system, which leads to backwardness in technology and competitiveness. The aim of research was to explore barriers to achieving the goals of the first innovation programme focused on supporting the technological projects (TEST programme) and,
based on these findings, to figure out the systemic deficiencies of the whole innovation system. The research was conducted by a questionnaire survey targeted at the leaders of the TEST projects and examines their attitudes towards a range of dimensions of the programme which are essential components of social evaluation of this segment of the innovation policy. Currently, there is lack of evaluations that would assess the role and impact of innovation
programmes for science and technology policy in relation to socio-cultural surroundings and historical heritage in which authors find their motive for such an investigation. The study found that implementation of TEST resulted, besides intended consequences, in
variety of unintended and failed consequences which change the programme focus from research commercialization, as the main goal, into generating scientific results that mostly serve the needs of the scientists for continuation of their scientific projects. Institutional deficits of the formal and informal character, followed by the broader socio-cultural context, are found to be among main drivers of unintended and failed consequences. The paper concludes that the most of the projects were caught in sort of a “backward loop” that moves from the scientific ideas and after an attempt of technological application and commercialisation returned to their starting points – the application of scientific appliance. Although TEST brought many organizational and cultural novelties to scientific policy, results suggest a need for thorough reform of innovation policy – from one based exclusively on scientific research into one focused on existing needs and capacities of companies.
Keywords
innovation system; Croatia; social evaluation; innovation policy; indented and unintended consequences
Hrčak ID:
74934
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2011.
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