International activity of the innovative enterprises – experience and recommendations

Abstract

Research background: In the international literature we can find great examples of research in the field of innovation and technological cooperation boosting between companies. Confrontation of theory and empirical research shows that meaning of cooperation and geographical closeness for innovative activity as well as the quality and effectiveness of public support are still ambiguous. Public support of technological cooperation is connected with different components of innovative network, that shows the need of horizontal cooperation, what is legitimate in developed countries. Great example of that kind of international network is Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). Innovative cooperation and technology transfer infiltration always have been a subject of research, but still there are issues to investigate. Because of that reason, there was a research hypothesis created: international technology transfer performed among companies and other economic entities accelerates innovative processes and gives profits for both players. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this article is to show different aspects among cooperation and technology transfer and trial to evaluate its synergical impact on international innovative activity of companies. Methodology/methods: This paper illustrates theoretical and empirical research in the scope of many aspects of innovative cooperation and technology transfer. The empirical analysis focused on data from the Enterprise Europe Network in 2009-2015 and interviews with offices supporting companies in starting and performing of international technological cooperation. The presentation of spatial connections of technological cooperation was illustrated by the Gastner Newman’s amorphous eumorphous) choropleth, created in the ArcMap 10.4.1 programme with the use of the quantile method. Findings: The article discusses the role of cooperation among network in the international technology transfer. A special analytical emphasis was put on the public networks supporting such cooperation. Specific knowledge and technology is very often out of reach for companies (especially SMEs) because of costs or limited access, and cooperation provides the opportunity to create new relations which can integrate ideas and knowledge, and in effect, lead to new ground-breaking innovations. There is also the significant element like public support for companies in the whole technology transfer process.