Abstract

Innovative activity of enterprises is determined by many factors. On one hand, these are external factors creating a sort of innovative climate in the economy, on the other hand - there are many internal factors stimulating or reducing the intensity of innovative activities. What influences the innovativeness of enterprises is the effectiveness of the system supporting innovations, which was stated by for example Pyciński and Żołnierski . This system covers enterprises, universities and R&D units, supporting infrastructure, financial system, agendas and public programs. Key role is played here by enterprises as units implementing innovations in the economy. However, the dynamics of the whole system is influenced by the interdependencies between all the participants of innovative process. Innovative activity of Polish SMEs is not high. It is confirmed by the results of many researches carried out by Polish and European institutions. Innovative activity should concern not only the creation of innovative potential, but also the intensification of innovative processes. The most crucial element of innovative potential is people , but other elements like information, organizational structure, management, technical and financial resources are not of minor importance. Entrepreneurs as the most serious barriers in carrying out innovative activity indicate: lack of financial resources, high innovation costs, difficult access to external resources of financing or their lack.Although it is difficult to determine the exact impact of economic crisis on the innovativeness of Polish SMEs it can be stated on the basis of statistical data that in 20 out of 29 sectors a fall in production was observed . In the chapter selected results of research will be analyzed, also ones carried out by the author.

Author (1)