All countries of the Visegrad Group are characterised by a relatively low level of innovation compared to the EU average. One of the reasons behind this fact are weak linkages between research institutions and enterprises. However, there is evidence that clusters are an important factor that can foster research-business cooperation.
As V4 countries are in need of effective policy tools that can assist their efforts aimed at development, the research project will help V4 countries to learn from each other and identify the best and transferable patterns of B2R/R2B collaboration to boost V4 innovation leadership. The aim of the study will be to identify models of cooperation between business and science on the example of clusters. Forms of cooperation and benefits for scientific institutions and enterprises in the cluster will be analysed. According to the theoretical model of cluster, such cooperation should exist in each cluster as one of the foundations of its existence.
As part of the project, the consortium partners will provide evidence that both companies and research institutions benefit from cooperation and stakeholder engagement for smart governance in B2R/R2B. At present, no comprehensive research has been conducted on how cluster companies build links with universities and scientific institutions (B2R) and vice versa (R2B). Therefore, besides identifying models of cooperation between business and research, we will analyse the possibilities of their transfer into wider economic practice.