- CESEE region has doubled its R&D personnel and increased investments in intellectual property from 10% to 12% over the past decade
- CESEE productivity growth, key to strengthen the competitive position of the region, has outpaced that in North and West EU. Recent trends are showing signs of deceleration
At the Invisso Conference in Vienna, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has released a comprehensive working paper examining the state of innovation in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern EU (CESEE) countries, in the context of the EU long term competitiveness’ discussions. This paper highlights the region’s significant progress in enhancing innovation capacity over the past decade, while also addressing persistent challenges that threaten its growth and competitiveness.
Stimulating innovation across the CESEE region faces numerous challenges, many of which are not unique to the region. These challenges include increasing the availability of the skills necessary for innovation, securing adequate risk capital, adopting cutting-edge technologies, all while improving the overall business environment. Labour shortages are already prompting some firms to shift their innovation activities from the North and West of the EU to the CESEE region, and within the CESEE region to its less developed areas.