REGIONAL INNOVATION TYPOLOGIES IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE: THE PATH TO REGIONAL TRANSFORMATION

The main objective of this study is to revisit some of the typologies of the European regionali nnovation systems and to shed light on the features and performances of Central and Eastern European regions in this respect. To this aim, we put incomparative perspective different typologies based on indicators related to economic characteristics, sectoral specialization, social filters, knowledge creation and knowledge absorption capabilities, innovation outputs and economic effects. Our findings reveal the heterogeneity of the regional innovation systems in the Central and Eastern Europe, with most of the regions being classified as ”lagging-behind” or ”intermediate” regions. The path ways towards regional transformation are revealed in the final section of the paper, which emphasizes the need to address first the macro-structural weaknesses, to invest in human capital, skills and institutions and to adopt the broader view of innovation.