7799Innovative Activity of Enterprises in the Health Care Sector in Cooperation with Other Entities Based on the Example of the Lodz Province

Innovative processes of enterprises do not only depend on the innovative potential oforganisations building their potential individually, but on the cooperation of enterprises withother entities which allow the activity economization. It is a result of scale of action and sharingthe costs and risk of undertakings. Cooperation between enterprises contributes to constantsearch, as well as to the use of the R&D results, new projects, concepts and innovations inpractice. Design/methodology/approach: Empirical research was held within the period of June – July2018 using the survey methodology. Surveys covered the cooperation of enterprises from thehealth care sector within the innovative activity with other entities. Findings: Enterprises from the health care sector pay close attention to scientific research andcooperation in creating innovations with universities and scientific research institutes.Cooperation provides them with a broader access to knowledge and other resources. It allowsthe entry on new markets or the increase of market share. What is more, it allows to achievesynergy and other benefits which an enterprise focused only on itself cannot reach. Research/practical implications: Enterprises from the health care sector pay close attentionto cooperation in the creation of innovations with other entities. Those aspects link to activeinvolvement in innovative processes and the undertaking of actions in this regard, but also toan active attitude in acquiring necessary resources. Originality/value: The article presents new results of research concerning the cooperation ofenterprises from the health care sector within the innovative activity with other entities in LodzProvince, Poland. The author's contribution to scientific achievements in the economics comesdown to designation of specific directions. Those concern the cooperation of enterprises fromthe health care sector, summary of the cooperation areas of enterprises together with theverification of innovations developed in particular areas of cooperation, and recommendationsin the scope of shaping further cooperation for the fields of science and business.