Development and innovation in the Slovene manufacturing industry: Analysis of an industrial innovation survey

In the transformation of economic structures and industrial sectors in Central and Eastern European Countries, innovation plays a critical role for adapting production processes and products to global market requirements, for improving economic competitiveness and for social welfare. Using empirical data from an industrial innovation survey carried out in the Republic of Slovenia, a study analyzes structural characteristics of the Slovenian manufacturing industry and its innovating behavior. It is shown that although a high share of firms innovated between 1994 and 1996, interactive learning processes through innovation networking are still not fully utilized. Cooperation takes place firstly on the level of informal information exchange and less on the formal level of joint research and development.