CONTENT



Regional Innovation Policy in South Moravia
Jiří Loudín – Adolf Filáček – Michal Kostka – Kateřina Tydláčková

Renewing and New types of Innovation
Imre Hronszky – Ágnes Fésüs

S&T Intermediary Activities in CZ NUTS 2 Region Prague: SUPER-SME Project
Adolf Filáček

Globalisation and the Political Economy of Genetic Engineering
Del Weston

Global Cosmopolis: Responsibility, Information, and Media
Oleg Suša

Towards More Economically Effective E-Government
(The case of transitional economy-Poland).
Lech W. Zacher

Creative Time Synchronizations: Proximal and Grounded Pasts, Presents, and Futures
Arthur M. Harkins – George H. Kubik – John Moravec


Information
Ladislav Tondl: Professor Jean-Jacques Salomon Died (A Tribute to 40 Years of Friendship and Cooperation)

Alexei J. Sidorov: Social and Cultural Aspects of the Informational Society in Russia

Elena Shklyarik: Creative Territory Management (A Small Town in the Information Society)

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REGIONAL INNOVATION POLICY IN SOUTH MORAVIA


Jiří Loudín, Adolf Filáček, Michal Kostka, Kateřina Tydláčková


Abstract

The study was compiled as a part of EU project ProAct (“Practi¬cal Regional Research and Innovation Policy in Action–the Effi¬cient Tools for Regional Catching-up in New Member States” (Regions of Knowledge – FP6). The regional practices of innova¬tion policy in eight EU member states are presented in case stud¬ies, elaborated for one region in each country with South Mora¬via representing the Czech Republic. South Moravian innovation policy is analyzed in three fundamental dimensions: strategy formation, policy deployment, and practices at the programme level. These are the constituent elements of the process that was defined by the ProAct consortium as so called “ProAct policy learning cycle”. The benchmark methodology (The ProAct Benchmarking Framework) was applied in the case studies to ex¬plore good practices in regional innovation and research policy. In the study, the role of South Moravian Innovation Centre (JIC–Jihomoravské inovační centrum) is highlighted.
Keywords: innovation; policy; research; evaluation


GLOBALIZATION AND THE POLITICAL ECONOMY
OF GENETIC ENGINEERING
Del Weston

Abstract

This article argues that the development of genetic technologies has to be critically evaluated from a socio-political economy per¬spective to establish if, on balance, the benefits of such technolo¬gies outweigh their costs and risks. The article illustrates how the current governance of these technologies can be seen as “un¬democratic” because corporate interests dominate the directions in which the technologies are going. When aligned with the un¬derlying socio-economic power structures globally, these tech¬nologies create a situation where the development of science and technology fail to be about the common good. The article begins with a brief overview of neo-liberal globalization. It examines key global institutional arrangements including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, international patenting laws and free trade agreements. It is argued that in their convergence with the biosciences, these are antithetical to democracy, instead en¬trenching the interests of corporations, rich elites and rich coun¬tries. Finally, some suggestions for reforming the global political economy are presented.
Keywords: globalization; genetic; technology; corporations

GLOBAL COSMOPOLIS:
RESPONSIBILITY, INFORMATION, AND MEDIA
Oleg Suša


Abstract

Alternative futures oriented to contemporary global problems solutions and risk management are related to citizens’ ability to learn how to become global (cosmopolitan) citizens. Important conditions for that should be analyzed within the processes and conditions shaped by globalization of media and communication. This learning has not been institutionalized so far (as in the education), and it is a result of rather indirect social interaction. Individuals are embedded into complex network of the global information flows and, at the same time, they are members of their national and local communities. Cosmopolitan individual is a virtual member of a global community. Social analysis with ethical reflection should study with more attention global media as one of the key globalizing actors shaping the public space of communication with the power to form and deform cosmopolitan participation.
Keywords: media; globalization; citizenship; participatory


S&T INTERMEDIARY ACTIVITIES IN CZ NUTS 2 REGION PRAGUE: SUPER-SME PROJECT
    

Adolf Filáček


Abstract

The paper is describing the current state of intermediation ser¬vices in CZ NUTS 2 Region Prague, based on results of ongoing SUPER-SME Project of FP6. It is possible to identify an impor¬tant role of intermediaries in research, development, and innova¬tion activities. The intermediation aims at optimizing supply of scientific and technological services, with demand of RTDI companies and organizations or any other actors using or interested in using these services, e.g. national or regional stakeholders. S&T intermediary is defined as a public, private, or public/private (non-profit) institution with a mission of optimizing interface between supply of scientific and technological services and demand of an enterprise, groups of enterprises, or any insti¬tution in this respect. Universities, research centers, private com¬panies, or technology transfer centers can play a role of S&T in¬termediary.
Keywords: research; development; innovation; intermediaries


TOWARDS A MORE ECONOMICALLY EFFECTIVE
E-GOVERNMENT:
THE CASE OF THE TRANSITIONAL ECONOMY IN POLAND

Lech W. Zacher, Tomasz Białobłocki


Abstract

E-government becomes an important element of the emerging e societies. There is a great diversity of strategies, policies and re¬sults related to its introduction. Educational and cultural condi¬tions and possibilities are vital because they generate– or not –interests in ICTs and their various applications. So capacity building for e-government is a complex process, not limited to in¬troduction of technological and organizational actions. Moreover e-government is costly and will require soon not only social but also economic evaluation. These issues are explored in an illustrative case study of e-services in Poland.
Keywords: e-government; internet; evaluation; Poland


RENEWING AND NEW TYPES OF INNOVATION

Imre Hronszky, Ágnes Fésüs

Abstract

This article assesses efforts to develop “open innovation”. First, open innovation is put in the framework of knowledge society. It is shown that the term open innovation refers to such different cases that it is better to assess them separately. Chesbrough’s “open innovation”, the “lead user” conception, the idea of “commons-based-peer-production” and “interactive value pro¬duction” is shortly explored. “Incertitude” is overviewed as ba¬sic background that urges societal praxis to turn to open innova¬tion. At the end the article, referring to an expert material worked out for the EC DG Research, called with abbreviation TEKSS, turns interest to extending open innovation by integrating con¬cerned groups as innovation partners as engagement, i.e. as partners through the whole innovation process.
Keywords: innovation; users; production; knowledge


CREATIVE TIME SYNCHRONIZATIONS: PROXIMAL AND GROUNDED PASTS, PRESENTS, AND FUTURES

Arthur M. Harkins, George H. Kubik, John Moravec


Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present a new paradigm and an innovative technology for thinking about the future. The concept of time synchronization is introduced as a technology to improve individual competency for balancing the continuous construction of reinterpreted pasts, presents and futures in order to cope with the acceleration of change, complexity, and uncertainty. This new paradigm is driven by recognition of three factors: 1) Humans are both conservative and novelty generating. 2) Novelty is a key factor of life and humans address novelty through pattern-evolving creativity. 3) Reality is defined through the unique ability of humans to anticipate and define experience in terms of pattern and category. This article asserts that rapidly expanding human plurality and novelty require new models concerning relationships of past, present, and future. Such models should adequately address the rapidly changing and more complex conditions in which they are constructed and deconstructed, including the expanding opportunities that accompany them.
Keywords: time; technology; models; future