Investment in Innovation: Who Takes the Risks, and for Whom?
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Investment in Innovation: Who Takes the Risks, and for Whom?
Press release Sopot, 1 October 2015 Investment in Innovation: Who Takes the Risks, and for Whom? 'The state should support innovative ventures because it has no other choice. If other countries are providing such support, those which do not, lag behind', Leszek Grabarczyk, Deputy Director of the National Centre for Research and Development said at EFNI. The participation of the state in stimulating innovativeness has a number of other benefits as well. The involvement of public funds often makes a project look more attractive in the eyes of a private investor. As Patrycja Zielińska, Vice President of the Board of the Industrial Development Agency S.A. (ARP) argued, the state is also the owner of huge companies that are usually the market leaders in their respective sectors. The involvement of the ARP in an innovative project can sometimes result in establishing cooperation with such a company. If this does happen, the agency becomes a coinvestor and provides the crucial sectoral support to the start-up. The development of innovative projects in Poland is specific in nature in view of the degree of advancement and the manner in which research centres are managed, which differs greatly from the standards operative in the West. Given this situation, we cannot apply the measurement methods that are in place abroad. Marek Borzestowski, Partner at GIZA Polish Ventures, spoke of other barriers as well. The financial instruments themselves will not warrant the development of innovative ventures. What we also need is the implementation of fiscal and legal regulations, in particular with respect to venture capital companies. Currently, these companies are burdened with double taxation, which makes Poland an unattractive market in this respect. Therefore, there is the need for a cohesive ecosystem that would support the development of innovation. Apart from having good universities and innovation-friendly legislation, the ecosystem should also be open, which includes openness to foreigners as well, and abound in strong technology transfer companies. It would be beneficial for us to focus on the sectors where we already excel. According to Waldemar Preussner, Chair of the Supervisory Board of PCC SE (Germany), cooperation in the field of innovation should be tied to the participation of persons who are financially involved in the given venture since this strengthens their motivation. The debate participants agreed that the overall objective should be increasing the share of companies who deal in turnover of knowledge in the GDP and maximising the number of jobs in this sector. The panel was moderated by Tomasz Machała, Editor-in-Chief of naTemat.pl. The partners of the event were: The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) and the Polish Industrial Development Agency S.A. (ARP). *** THE EUROPEAN FORUM FOR NEW IDEAS is an international business congress attended by prominent representatives of politics, culture, science, and media. It has been organised since 2011 by the Polish Confederation Lewiatan in cooperation with BUSINESSEUROPE, the city of Sopot, and Polish and foreign companies and organizations. The Forum is aimed at creating ideas for a strong Europe and a competitive economy, a Europe open to trends of social growth and technology. This year's EFNI will be held on 30 September – 2 October 2015 in Sopot, and its theme is: Europe and the World in the Face of Growing Inequality, Radicalism, and Geopolitical Threats More information: www.efni.pl Honorary patronage Institutional partners Strategic partners Opening Gala partner Main partners Supporting partners Knowledge partners Logistics partner Official carrier Executive Producer President of the Republic of Poland, European Parliament Polish Industrial Development Agency S.A., European Commission, National Centre for Research and Development MetLife, PKN ORLEN, PZU, Totalizator Sportowy, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Grupa Onet.pl, TVP SA Bank Pekao S.A. Biznes.pl, BMW, Citi Handlowy, Discovery NETWORKS CEEMEA, Forbes, France 24, Intel, Microsoft, Newsweek, Orange Polska, Parkiet, PKP S.A., Silvermedia AMS, Bloomberg Businessweek Polska, Gazeta Wyborcza, Havas Worldwide, Liberté!, McCANN Worldgroup, PAP Polish Press Agency, PGNiG SA, Polish Association of Employers in Mining Industry, Pomeranian Special Economic Zone, Puls Biznesu, Starcom MediaVest Group, Polish Association of Employers in Transport and Logistics, Warsaw Business Journal Observer, Association of Private Employers in Energy Industry, Digital Technology Employers Lewiatan Ashoka, Aspen Institute Prague, Centre for International Relations, demosEUROPA – Centre for European Strategy, ECFR, Institute of Public Affairs, POLITYKA INSIGHT, Res Publica Nowa, THINKTANK, Global Compact in Poland – an Initiative of the UN Secretary General, World Academy of Art and Science Lech Wałęsa Airport in Gdańsk PLL LOT IDFX MEDIA CONTACT: Zbigniew Maciąg, [email protected], phone number: +48 604 589 080