Exploring Regional Innovation Policies and Regional Industrial Transformation from a Coevolutionary Perspective: The Case of Małopolska, Poland

Figures & data

Figure 1. Research framework.

Source: Authors’ elaboration.

Table 1 The Sources of Data and Evidence Used in the Research

Type of Data Source	Description	Research Evidence
Policy and Policy-related Documents	Regional strategies and plans, measures and budgets, evaluation reports, and other relevant research in the multiscalar context of the country, the EU, and local economies of Małopolska	Initial Sample (Number of documents)	Final sample (Number of Documents / Pages)
Plans (regional, national, and EU levels)	Regional innovation strategies of Małopolska	8	8 (1655)
	Regional development strategies of Małopolska	4	3 (491)
	Other region-level documents	7	6 (115)
	National development plans	17	5 (710)
	Other national-level documents	2	2 (38)
	The EU framework programs	3	2 (95)
Measures & Budgets (regional, national, and EU levels)	Regional action plans	3	2 (183)3 (884)
	Regional operational programs	5	1 (194)
	National action plans	2	7 (1917)
	Sectoral operational programs	8	-
	EU action plans and policy tools	5
Evaluation reports (regional, national, and EU levels)	Evaluations of regional innovation strategy	11	11 (1031)
	Evaluations of regional operational programs	9	6 (663)
	Evaluations of sectoral operational programs	5	1 (97)
	Other national level evaluations	2	1 (174)
	EU level smart specialization evaluations	2	1 (36)
Other reports, including local-level research related to regional policy in Małopolska	Research reports and evaluations in particular areas of the region’s economy and administration (labor market, information and consulting, research and development, knowledge-intensive business services)	16	7 (576)
	Foresights	4	1 (164)
	Total number	113	68 (9023)
Interviews	Interviews among the Agents from the Policy-related and Industry Populations	Interview Dates	Number of Interviews; Evidence
Interviews with industry agents	Interviews with 4 companies-beneficiaries of the investment support; semistructured, Skype-enhanced interviews with a focus group	2020^1	1 (a transcript of the focus group interview)
	Interviews with high-growth entrepreneurs in Małopolska; (two-round direct, structured and semistructured interviews (2 start-ups and 4 mature enterprises)	2014-2015^2	6 (audio-recorded, transcribed narratives)
	Interviews at one enterprise–a policy beneficiary (semistructured and direct interviews—2 interviews with the owner-manager, 7 interviews with the company’s top and middle management)	2013-2014^3	9 (audio-recorded, coded information)
	Interviews with representatives of business organizations (semistructured, direct interviews)	2014^2, 2007^4	4 (interviewer’s notes)
Interviews with policy-related agents	Interviews with representatives of regional government institutions (direct, semistructured interviews)	2018^5 2006-2007^4	4 (1 audio-recorded and transcribed, 3 interviewer’s notes)
	Interviews with representatives of nonprofit business support organizations involved in the public provision of business services (direct, semistructured, as well as e-mail and Skype-enhanced interviews)	2020^1 2014-2015^2 2007^4	21 (1 transcribed, 2 interviewer’s notes, 18 coded information)
		Total number	45

¹ PMID, Polish Ministry for Investment and Development (2020). The evaluation of the regional investment support in the area of strengthening the small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) competitiveness within regional operational programs 201420, research commissioned to the consortium of Evalu Sp. z o.o., STOS, Wise Europa. Interviews with Małopolska high-growth SMEs regarding the policy support for dynamic enterprises.

² NSCP, National Science Centre, Poland (2014-2017). The process of SME growth. Combining the resource-based and transaction cost approaches, Research Project No. 2013/09/B/HS4/01938. Interviews with Małopolska high-growth SMEs regarding the policy support for dynamic enterprises.

³ ESF, European Social Fund, Małopolska Agency for Regional Development (2013-2014). Strategy for the innovation network development of the ZET Transport company, Research and Development Project No. MARR/1427/2013/DZPP. Interviews investigating the role of public grants and support organizations in the innovation development at the ZET company, a beneficiary of the EU support in Małopolska.

⁴ PMSHE, Polish Ministry for Science and Higher Education (2006-2008). The evaluation of effectiveness and efficiency of the support policy SMEs), Research Project No. H02D 021 30. The interviews focused on the rationale, outcomes, and processes of the EU support for SMEs in Małopolska.

⁵ EURIPER, EC Erasmus+ Jean MonnetProjects (2017-2019). EU Regional and Innovation Policies and Peripheral Regions/EURIPER; Educational and Research Project No. 587410-EPP-1-2017-1-ES-EPPJMO-PROJECT. The interview explored the processes of setting up priorities, measures, and budgets of the Małopolska innovation policy.

Figure 2. The coevolution of the Małopolska innovation policies and industry.

Source: Authors’ research.

Code Book

Family	1st Order	2nd Order	3rd Order
Policy compliance 5–13	EU level	Policy document	Strategic objectives
	Country level	Policy document EU funds	Strategy under construction Strategic objectives Sectoral Operational Programs
	Regional level	Policy document—RDS Policy document—RIS EU funds	Regional development scenarios Strategic objectives Regional Operational Programs Tasks Financial sources Priority lines Targeted industries Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
Policy compliance 14–20	EU level	Policy document	Strategic objectives Support lines RIS guidelines
	Country level	Policy document EU funds	Strategy under construction Strategic objectives Sectoral Operational Programs
	Regional level	Policy document—RDS Policy document—RIS EU funds	Regional development scenarios Strategic objectives Regional Operational Programs Tasks Financial sources Priority lines Targeted industries Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions Monitoring
Definition of RSS 14–20	Focus	Policy document—RIS Foresight & evaluation	Activity lines RSS prioritization Recommendations
	Extension	Policy document—RIS Foresight & evaluation	Activity lines Recommendations
Evaluation 5–13	Conclusions	Evaluation document Policy document—RIS	Strategic objectives Tasks Financial sources Priority lines Targeted industries Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
	Recommendations	Evaluation document Policy document—RIS	Strategic objectives Tasks Financial sources Priority lines Targeted industries Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
Evaluation 14–20	Conclusions	Evaluation document Policy document—RIS	Strategic objectives Tasks Financial sources Priority lines Targeted industries Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
	Recommendations	Evaluation document Policy document—RIS	Strategic objectives Tasks Financial sources Priority lines Targeted industries Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
Budget 5–13	EU-level programs	EU Funds & programs	Objectives Tasks Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
	National-level programs	Sectoral Operational Programs	Objectives Tasks Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
	Regional-level programs	Regional Operational Programs Regional financial sources	Objectives Tasks Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
Budget 14–20	EU-level programs	EU Funds & programs	Objectives Tasks Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
	National-level programs	Sectoral Operational Programs	Objectives Tasks Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions
	Regional-level programs	Regional Operational Programs Regional financial sources	Objectives Tasks Business targeted actions Institution targeted actions