Knowledge and Innovation policies in the Direction of the European Integration

Abstract

Knowledge and innovation have become the key to competitiveness and economicsuccess. In the pursuit of economic competitivenes, the ability to achieve success inthe market depends from the labor competitiveness and innovation. Europe realizesan innovation policy as a shared vision with the priority of building a knowledge-basedeconomy. Also, one of the most important determinants of the competitiveness of theworkforce is the country's education system. Paper explains the EU activities relatedto achieving a knowledge-based society and a competitive workforce. The nationalinnovation policies of the EU-member countries are being developed within the globaland European development directions, but at the same with regard to the specificcharacteristics of the national economies, especially to the primary drivers of thetechnological export breakthrough on the global market. After opening remarks, wepropose some theoretical starting points. The next part of the article provides someinternational comparisons and discusses the situation in the Republic of Macedonia.After receipt of some current problems in Macedonia, the paper ends withsuggestions for improving the future situation. The two-level model (nationalinnovation policy and knowledge-based society) seems like the most appropriateapproach for Macedonia both with regard to the robustness of the tasks that shouldbe performed in the next development phase and to the going in the direction of thenew economic and social changes in EU.