Keywords
ekosystemy innowacji
regionalne systemy innowacji
Polska
How to Cite
Abstract
This paper analyses how Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and related forms of digital entrepreneurship are embedded in the innovation policies and ecosystems of three Polish industrial regions (NUTS2): Dolnośląskie, Śląskie and Podkarpackie. Drawing on debates in evolutionary economic geography and innovation ecosystem research, the study combines a review of regional strategies with interviews with policy stakeholders. The findings show distinct regional trajectories. Dolnośląskie frames I4.0 as a smart specialisation. Śląskie integrates I4.0 into a comprehensive transformation agenda. Podkarpackie, despite structural weaknesses, leverages niche specialisations, to advance the I4.0 positioning of its metropolitan area. Across all three cases, ecosystems play a supporting role but remain primarily oriented towards incremental innovation and diffusion of available technologies. Clusters act as key facilitators, yet limited trust, SME conservatism, and dependence on multinational corporations constrain broader innovation dynamics and the emergence of breakthrough initiatives. The study concludes that I4.0 functions as a valuable but context-dependent organising concept for regional innovation strategies. Its effectiveness depends on the interplay of industrial structures, governance arrangements, and ecosystem capacities. Policy implications point to the need for place-sensitive approaches that combine support for incremental SME adoption with stronger incentives and conditions for radical innovation.
Funding
The research was conducted with financial support from the National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki, NCN) in Poland, within the framework of the project “Digital Entrepreneurs in Industry 4.0: A Key Mechanism for the New Trajectory of Industrial Regions”, grant number NCN OPUS 20 UMO 2020/39/B/HS4/01951.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Marcin Baron, Krzysztof Gwosdz, Tomasz Kwiatkowski, Agnieszka Sobala-Gwosdz, Mariusz Hetmańczyk
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.