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Role of Innovation Infrastructure in

Economic Development of EU

Accession Countries: The Croatian

Case

I. Nagy & A. Mami

Business Innovation Centre of CroatiaBICRO Ltd.Planinska 1 HR 10000 Zagreb CROATIA

ivana.nagy@bicro.hr ante.mamic@bicro.hr www.bicro.hr

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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

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Country background: CROATIA

Economic profile:

Surface: 56.538 sq. km

Population: 4,43 millionGDP 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 %

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WEALTH KNOWLEDGE

R&D

INNOVATION

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THE NEW PARADIGM OF DEVELOPMENT

Harvesting the benefits of

Technology Revolutions

4 main goals of economic policy

Price StabilityFull Employment

Economic Growth BP Equilibrium

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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

771

Age of Steam and Railways

829

Age of Steel, Electricity and Heavy Engineering

875

Age of Oil, the Automobile and Mass Production

908

Age of Information and Telecommunications

971

Age of Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Bioelectronics?

0??

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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-economicparadigm defined

Initial radicalinnovations

MATURITY

IRRUPTION

Previous revolutionexhausted anddeclining

Next revolutionin gestation

40-60 years

In theory

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A general leapin 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

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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

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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

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Rudjer okovi 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

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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

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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

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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 thepurpose 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)

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Incubators acceleratesuccessful development ofentrepreneurial companiesthrough an array ofbusiness support resourcesand services:

incubation programme R&D and/or production

facilities

Varadin IT Incubator

Incubator in akovec

focuses on digitaltechnologies andconstruction industry

Incubator in NovaGradika has a focus onproduction using CNCtechnologies

Incubators for High Technology

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Associated with highereducation 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

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BIOCentre projectmaking it real

The Biosciences Technology Commercialisation

and Incubation Centre BIOCentre

BIOCenter project IPA

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Eligible expenditure: 16.376.410,70

BIOCenter project IPA

IPA Contribution: 13.919.949,00

Gross floor area: 5.330 m2

Usable floor area: 4.457 m2

Three main segments

of the BIOFacility Service::

Central laboratory unit

Qualified laboratory spaces

Office spaces for tenants

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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

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Recommendations for designinggrowth 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 toallow companies to conduct cost-effective

R&D

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Technological progress and innovation play a central role in acountry'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

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WEALTH KNOWLEDGE

R&D

INNOVATION

SCIENTIFIC

INSTITUTIONSADMINISTRATION

COMPANIES ENTREPRENEURS

INNOVATION

INFRA-STRUCTURE

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Thank you for your kind

attention

IvanaNagy &Ante Mami

Business Innovation Centre of CroatiaBICRO Ltd.

Planinska 1 HR 10000 Zagreb CROATIA

ivana.nagy@bicro.hr ante.mamic@bicro.hr www.bicro.hr