PROBLEMS AND ISSUES IN IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIONS: CASE OF THE SLOVAK AGRIFOOD SECTOR

Support of innovations in agriculture, food industry and biotechnologies has been defined as one of key priorities within the Smart Specialisation Strategy for the Slovak Republic for period2014-2020 in direct relation to the Europe 2020 strategy and the Innovative Union initiative. Importance of innovations in agrifood sector is underlined also by the fact that food security represent a contemporary global problem. The authors describe the situation of 35 agrifood SMEs in Slovakia regarding the problems and related issues in the process of implementing innovations and innovation-driven entrepreneurship. The data from questionnaire survey and information from interviews conducted in 2015 are interpreted in a case study paper. Majority of responded SMEs identified a lot of barriers, particularly financial and institutional. On one hand, they declared willingness to manage the innovations but on the other hand they declared non-readiness to cooperate with R&D institutions and universities in the field of technology transfer. The research was realized within the project of Establishing AgroBioTech Research Centre and research findings have been used for purposes and activities of the Transfer Centre at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra.