Abstract
This study explores the role of technology infrastructures as enablers of absorptive capacity of small and medium sized enterprises within the European Union and Poland. The study investigates the key drivers motivating firms to use technology infrastructures, the barriers they encounter, and the measures that can help overcome these obstacles — considered through the lens of the key components of absorptive capacity: acquisition, assimilation, transformation, and exploitation.
The study takes advantage of literature review, results of the survey and interviews conducted with users of technology infrastructures.
Analysis points out that drivers and barriers were very similar for Polish firms and those from other European countries, but several diffrences have also been observed. Polish enterprises identified opportunities to use technology infrastructures mainly in more advanced phases of research and innovation projects. They face barriers in accessing information about technology infrastructures, funding cooperation with its operators, and the confidentiality of research results.
The article seeks to apply the concept of technology infrastructures to the Polish context and to promote its awareness among organizations that operate technology infrastructures, as well as those responsible for innovation policy development at national and regional levels. The study links the main drivers and barriers associated with the use of technology infrastructures to examples of instruments that could address these barriers, aiming to improve their utilization and enhance firms’ absorptive capacity.