Innovation policy in Latvia: an overview of the issues
2011
Popluga, D., Latvian State Inst. of Agrarian Economics, Riga (Latvia) | Melece, L., Latvian State Inst. of Agrarian Economics, Riga (Latvia)
Innovation policy is one of the main policy priorities in the European Union (hereinafter - EU) and at present several challenges drive policy activities in this area: funding of innovation, global technology trends, education system, and industry-science linkages. This paper focuses on the current trends in Latvian innovation policy and their linkage with the above-mentioned challenges. The present paper contains the main results of study regarding the latest innovation policy in the EU and innovation’s regulatory and programmatic framework in Latvia. The research was based on study of the EU and Latvian regulatory enactments, strategic and planning documents, scientific publications, and special literature related to the research topic. In order to carry out this study adequate research methods were used – analysis and synthesis, logical and abstract constructive, data interpolation, and expert. The research results showed that Latvia’s legal framework of innovation is fragmented and incomplete. The current regulatory enactments lack a clear definition and national position on key issues, such as the national innovation policy, innovation funding and implementation mechanisms, rights of innovative enterprises and guarantees for small and medium-sized enterprises which are substantial obstacles for the development of innovative activities in Latvia. It was also concluded that a series of programmatic documents were [should be???] developed for the development of Latvia’s innovation policy. However, their practical implementation occurs on a very small scale, since the state lacks the necessary funding. This paper offers some suggestions for solving problems that hamper further and more rapid development of innovation's policy and strategy in Latvia.
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