Competence centres as a method of innovation cooperation enhancement in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Innovation networks and cooperation can contribute significantly to the improvement of companies’ innovation capabilities. Innovation policy supports innovation and research cooperation through a wide range of policy tools. Competence centres are one of them. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the features of innovation cooperation through the analysis of competence centres in the Czech Republic. The research focuses on competence centre projects supported by the Technology Agency, and the analysis is carried out with respect to the regions and participants. Our analysis is accompanied by the point method and correlation analysis. The results show that the activities of competence centres are strongly concentrated in Prague and the South Moravian Region. This type of innovation cooperation is also well developed in the Central Bohemian, Pilsen and Moravian–Silesian Regions. It is proved that universities can play the role of a facilitator of innovation cooperation.