GeoScape 9(2) - 2015: 33–46 doi: 10.1515/geosc-2015-0004 Available online at www.degruyter.com Resarch report Research and Practice: Partners and/or Competitors? General findings and regional specifics in the cooperation of research and practice sphere on the example of Czech-Saxon borderland Eva Berrová 1* – Milan Jeřábek 2 – Grit Krause-Jüttler 3 1 Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, České mládeže 8, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic *[email protected] 2 Institute of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 61137 Brno, Czech Republic 3 CIMTT-Fakultät Maschinenwesen, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtzstraße 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany Abstract: Innovations, innovation potential and innovation transfer are very actual topics in many fields of people’s activities. This problematic intersects very broad spectrum of disciplines, from regional development crossing economy to much specified business management and engineering. In the geographical studies this theme appears most often in the connection to social-economic situation, internal or external potential and regional development on different hierarchical levels. This paper summarizes the results of research (questionnaires and interviews), which was carried out in the same time on both sides of the 1 border (in the Usti region and in the Central Saxony ). It was held under the cross border project “Innovation potential as a factor of increasing of the competitiveness of the Czech- Saxon borderland” (INPOK). Target respondents were on both sides the same: subjects from practices (companies), research and development institutions (high schools, universities, research institutes), then the public administration (above all the municipalities) and the regional actors (for example the economic chambers). We have focuses on analyzing the general framework conditions of the Czech-Saxon borderland, its strengths and weaknesses in the connection with active cross border cooperation above all between the research and practice field with the stress on the innovation behaviour in the study area. Key words: Czech-Saxon borderland; innovation; innovation potential; cross border cooperation; business; research Highlights for public administration, management and planning: • this survey has shown that Czech-Saxon cooperative creative economies are limited • the major constraints for cooperation are seen by actors in lack of sufficient institutional and policy support for the development of innovative business Received: 2 Nov 2015 – Received in revised form: 11 Dec 2015 – Accepted: 14 Dec 2015 © Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem 33 GeoScape 9(2) - 2015: 33–46 doi: 10.1515/geosc-2015-0004 Available online at www.degruyter.com 1. Introduction For instance Maier and Tödtling (1998) cite that Czech-Saxon borderland has been the long-time there exist factors influencing the creation of area of interest of the J. E. Purkyně University in innovations in concrete area - they are for Ústí nad Labem (hereinafter UJEP), which is example highly qualified labour force, universities studying cross-border cooperation, demo- and research institutes, sufficiently large market graphics, local identity, regional development and and good market access, access to capital, forms the landscape in general for several years. This of interaction among the various actors in research was recently promoted by the three- innovation system network and many others. In year cross-border project OP Objective 3 general the term of innovation can be seen as Innovative potential as a factor in increasing the assumptions and means providing the ability to competitiveness of Czech-Saxon Borderland innovate companies and their employees that is (registration number 100088915) and necessary to achieve desired objectives in the implemented together with the Technical sphere of innovative competitive environment. University of Dresden. The results of the The issue of innovations and regional mentioned project led to an effort to create a development in compliance with socio-economic platform for proactive and effective development can be studied in the theories of communication in the field of applied science, polarized development (e.g., Friedmann 1966 ), research and development, to strengthen theories of localization ( Malmberg et al. 2000 ) or cooperation in the research and application for instance in economic geography and the new spheres and to submit several proposals or growth theory ( Krugman 1991 ). Theoretical base measures to improve the situation and increase can be for better orientation enriched with the the economic competitiveness of the Czech- theories of spatial division of labour ( Massey Saxon borderland. The complete results of the 1984 ), theory of industrial districts ( Sabel et al. research are presented in a publication called 1989 ) or no less known theory of learning regions Region a inovace na příkladu česko-saského (Lundvall 1992 ). pohraničí (Jeřábek et al. 2014 ). The concept of regional innovation systems ( RIS, The aim of this paper is to offer crucial results of Cooke 1992 ) is considered to be an essential survey and research which took place in the area concept in our research. This concept combines of the Czech-Saxon borderland. This research was both innovative efficiency and competitiveness of aimed to analyze a situation of the innovations, regions and also tools of systematic assistance. As competitiveness and cross-border cooperation also other authors (e.g., Jensen et al. 2007 ) state and to outline possible solutions. Presentation of „innovations are the results of interactive social its findings will be now preceded by some process among innovation process agents, for theoretical framework which was a basis of instance among companies and science research mentioned research. organizations creating new knowledge and The definitions of the term of innovation are further among customers“. New knowledge and differently perceived not only across disciplines findings spread by a transfer process (of but also in the different concepts or by specific innovations, technologies). According to Pred and authors - innovation in production, in the Törnquist (1973) this diffusion of innovation has methodological process, innovations in work got more complicated structure than like complex organization or upgrading the finished product diffusion of innovation. Often we can meet some (see e.g., Adair 2004 ). Trommsdorff and Steinhoff differences in perceiving of some terms, (2009) distinguish between innovation of especially among different expert groups. products and innovation of processes and Innovation ability of companies and speed and according to them innovation represents a new quality of innovation implementation in company kind of a „business subjective item“ (product or practice are important conditions of sustenance process) which must be not only „invented“, but of competitiveness in global markets. Innovations also pushed through both company and outside. are difficult when companies don’t have own © Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem 34 GeoScape 9(2) - 2015: 33–46 doi: 10.1515/geosc-2015-0004 Available online at www.degruyter.com capacities in science and research, when they research institutes), municipalities and public don’t follow a progress in the market and administration, and regional actors (so called scientific progress in everyday practice, when intermediaries 2). Each of the target groups had its they have low absorbent ability to external own − while maintaining the key issues for findings (e.g., from research institutes and subsequent comparison − specifically modified universities) and when there is a limited questionnaire, only public administration and information transfer inside the company intermediaries had exactly the same eventually knowledge management ( Jeřábek et questionnaire. The reason for this division was al. 2012 ). the need to determine how each group is Technology transfer is one of the phenomena of reacting to the current situation, what the the economy or society development from the possibilities of active cooperation are and what is 2nd half of the 20th century. It mediates the the difference between the views on scientific transfer of results of science, research and and application sphere cooperation among these development in tangible and intangible form respondents (groups). Before the questioning it from their origin to their final use. The crucial was necessary to define innovation from the here is know-how − not only in light of perspective of the respondents, because there innovations development but also in terms of are different meanings: innovation can be in the acceleration of technological changes. Not only form of entirely new product, or in the form of because of this reason creation of knowledge and new technology or production process or in the technologies should be understood as a form of a new strategy for the introduction of a cumulative and evolutionary process based on product on the market or in a totally new work experiences ( Bathelt, Glücker 2003 ). Not only organization in the company. companies and science research institutions are The surveyed companies 3 were subjected to involved in these processes - there exist a questions relating primarily to the approach to number of other key agents (e.g., economic innovation, willingness to innovate and chambers, business institutions, regional cooperation