-
Lyuben Kirev
The Business and Innovations
Summary:
-
-
Matilda Alexandrova
Knowledge-Based Economy – Driving Forces and Indicators
Summary:
The idea for replacement of capital by knowledge as the main source of progress provides ground for the idea of “knowledge-based economy”. This is an economic system in which knowledge appears to be a dominating resource in the same way as – in a former period of development – capital outweighed the land as a source of economic power during the shift from pre-industrial to industrial society. The paper outlines several groups of indicators that typically identify the degree of development of the knowledge-based economy: employment structure (relative shares of employed by economic sectors and sub-sectors, along with the change in these shares), education level (access to relevant professional and higher education; relative share of expenditures for education -general and vocational- in GDP), R&D (researchers by scientific areas; investments in R&D as % of GDP; structure of R&D funding, particularly the share of private funding), etc.
-
Penka Shishmanova
The Key Challenges of Knowledge-based Economy Facing Some Countries of the Balkan Region (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey)
Summary:
This paper analyzes the progress of three Balkan countries – Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, in building a knowledge-based economy. For this purpose we employ the Knowledge Assessment Methodology – KAM/ of the World Bank and, in particular, a system of indicators integrated into four supporting “pillars” – economic initiative and institutional environment, education, innovations, information and communication technologies.
Based on that, we compare the accomplishments of the respective countries, uncover the common ground and the differences between them, outline their weaknesses and comparative advantages, high-light their particular problems and lay down their potentials. All of this in the long run is intended to outline the key challenges of knowledge-based economy facing each of the three countries and the Balkan region at large.
-
Borislav Borisov, Teodora Filipova, Evelina Parashkevova Velikova
A Process of Implementation of Investment Projects within the Scope of Corporate Innovation Activities
Summary:
The innovation activities of the Bulgarian companies lag behind the development of innovation culture and business attitude. The problems are due to the lack of information about the characteristics of the innovations as well as the insufficient knowledge on the investment practices in this field and the available financing programmes. By means of the process approach the article aims to clarify the nature of investments and innovation, innovation project management and the possible sources of financing. An attempt has been made to justify the need for a methodology of investment projects implementation within the scope of corporate innovation activities as well to formulate some principle requirements for it.
-
Elitsa Krasteva
The Technological Audit as a Tool for Development of Innovation Strategies
Summary:
The article focuses on some important planning aspects of the development of business innovation strategies. An emphasis is put on procedural specifics of the technological audit of companies in the cosmetics sector. The possible parameters for utilization of their innovative potential have been outlined.
-
Hristo Sirashki
Innovation Management – an Alternative for the Ecologization of Activities in the Mining Industry
Summary:
This paper deals with some theoretical issues concerning innovation management. The emphasis falls on the importance of keeping the environment clean and the activities carried out in the mining industry. It analyzes and evaluates the results of a study on the state of certain sites for raw materials mining. It also draws conclusions on the management of innovations concerning the ecologization of the mining industry.
