Demand Policies for Innovation in EU CEE Countries

The paper discusses demand and demand conditions for innovation as well as demand basedpolicies for innovation in the context of the EU CEE countries. Far from regarding demand policiesas a simplistic silver bullet, this paper argues that the EU CEEC catch up process could potentiallybe accelerated through a more explicit and systematic orientation towards demand for innovation –rather than focusing on supply side conditions. This could at the same time be linked to a bettersatisfaction of needs of the society and industry alike. The main argument of the paper is thatinstitutional adaptations and a policy mix that tackles the bottlenecks of demand for innovation andsupports the articulation of demand can link modernisation of the economy and the public serviceswith innovation impulses for the EU CEEC economies and contribute to a tailored catching upprocess....