Abstract:
For the last ten years it has been emphasized that the importance of regions’ competitiveness depends on identification and development of smart specialisations. According to assumptions identification of smart specialisations allows to focus the investments in research, development and innovation (RDI) on the areas with the greatest innovative and competitive potential in the given region, that is the areas which may be most advantageous to the region and its economy. Regional smart specialisation strategies are integrated economic transformation programmes which build on region’s strengths, its competitive advantages and potential for excellence. The strategies focus on selected prioritised areas of development which match regional conditions, thus allowing to achieve competitive advantage in the given area.
The companies from the materials processing sector are not only particularly exposed to the impact of turbulent environment in which they operate but also are facing new competitive challenges, intensified changes in demand and sensitivity to economic cycles associated with other sectors (such as construction, civil engineering, automotive industry, food industry, health care, etc.).
Regions have been implementing smart specialisation strategies for a couple of years now and their experience in this field gives them a basis for carrying carry out monitoring and taking verification measures. Regions in Poland apply different solutions to monitor and verify regional smart specialisations. Poland and one of the regions which has made an attempt to verify smart specialisations are an example here. The said approach relies on an extensive regional policy based on the national regional development strategy, region development strategy, technology development programme and innovative-region strategy. This has allowed to select another specialisation, that is production and processing of materials, as one of the so-called emerging industries. The economic area of materials production and processing in the Silesian Voivodeship has had its history but the challenges related innovative development in that area have become of key importance.
The purpose of this paper is to present the potential and market challenges of the materials manufacturing and processing specialisation, as one of the technological areas being developed in the Silesian Voivodeship. This technological area has been identified as a result of the measures taken as part of regional development. This will form the basis for presenting the assumptions of new European Union polices and national and regional strategies as well as the evaluation of the potential and strategic challenges of the analysed specialisation area.
