A lot of money, little effect. NIK on public funds for innovations

Phot. Mariusz Gaczynski

Innovation is an eye in the government of Mateusz Morawiecki

The public aid does not significantly affect the innovation capacity of the Polish economy, writes the Office of the Court of Auditors in its report. And highlights the reasons for this state of affairs.

Poland currently has about sixty types of public instruments to support the direct or indirect development of innovation. These resources are primarily available to the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and the National Research and Development Center. The NIK audit focused on 13 assistance programs and their activities in 2011-2016

The main sin supporting Polish innovation is, according to NIK auditors, lack of a thoughtful strategy and poorly designed support programs. According to the NIK, money, instead of going to projects with high potential, is allocated to projects of little importance to the Polish economy.

"Polish entrepreneurs know that innovations are necessary, it is their future"

[19659009] Without a doubt, Polish companies qualified for one or the other of the programs support benefit from pumping innovation. Their production is increasing, their financial situation is improving, but they still can not produce innovations.

"However, it is not possible to create and promote innovative projects whose implementation could have helped to create a product of the Polish economy.

As a result, despite the government and local programs, the public money flow has not affected the rate of innovation.This does not mean, however, that public support in this regard is not NIK's audit showed that 24 out of 30 entrepreneurs abandoned the implementation of innovative projects when they did not receive public support.

Supreme Audit Office