Research background: Many contemporary empirical studies and most economic growth theories recognize the importance of innovation as one of the most progressive determinants of socio-economic growth, both in the regional and local perspective. However, much of the empirical literature has discussed the issue of innovativeness and institutional environment without the significant results for small enterprises, especially in peripheral regions. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to evaluate the institutional support system and its impact on SME innovativeness in Podkarpackie region. In analyzing this case, we raise the following two questions: (1) what are the types of innovation strategies of SMEs in Podkarpackie? (2) what are the factors affecting innovation and potential barriers to further use of institutional support systems aimed at the implementation of innovation in enterprises? Methods: Based on the empirical research, we have analyzed the data (individual in-depth interviews) and found out how the entrepreneurs, R&D, business environment institutions, regional and local authorities assess the use of programs and projects dedicated to innovation in the scope of the institutional support system and what are the barriers encountered by entrepreneurs that limit the implementation of innovation. Findings & Value added: The results of our research show that institutional sup-port systems mitigate negative consequences of peripheral localization of the enterprises, where specific innovation strategy has no influence on SME assessment of innovation effectiveness. Innovation is too costly, and SMEs are too weak in peripheral regions, therefore there is great need for reasonable and flexible institutional support systems. However, the peripheral situation influences this institutional system itself, strengthening the mechanisms of self-censorship.

Research background: Innovation is a very important pillar within a knowledge-based economy, in the regional and local perspective as well. A literature review on innovation and SME innovation strategies to their correlation and the possibility of their joint examination. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to explore the SME’s innovation strategies and their impact on effectiveness of innovation in a peripheral region. We investigate the effects of innovation activities not only among small and medium, but also micro firms which are not covered in official innovation surveys by the national statistical offices. We proposed a model of implementing innovation, and tested our hypotheses. Methods: Research was based on data drawn from CATIs carried out among 419 firms, therefore making a conceptual contribution to the knowledge on innovation strategy. The main statistical test for relationships and dependencies was the chi-square independence test. To arbitrate whether there were statistically significant differences between medians due to different factors among enterprises, analysis for variance (H Kruskal-Wallis’ test for k independent samples) procedure was implemented. Findings & Value added: The results of our research show that among SMEs in peripheral regions dominated those which we call ‘pragmatists’ and ‘imitators’ in context of their approach towards innovation. The significance of objective factors showed that there was a lack of enterprises that could play the role of ‘creators of innovation’ in the peripheral region. However, the examined firms more often noticed positive than negative aspects of introduced innovations, which is determined by the scale of enterprise; they were focused mainly on the consequences of innovation for their products and services.

The subject of the article was derived from the learning region theory. The assumption was made that through cooperation of various entities conditions are created conducive to the development of knowledge, entrepreneurship and innovation in regions. The objective is to present the issues of entrepreneurship and innovation as the endogenous factors of regional development in the Podkarpackie region. Empirical conclusions presented in this article come from the research conducted back in 2010-2016. The study is based on the data drawn from CATI carried out among SMEs and qualitative in-depth interviews with "innovation leaders". The results show an important element in the incompatibility between SMEs' investment strategies and the institutional environments that should support SMEs in action and planning. There is an incompatibility between the statistical and the empirical approaches to innovation. Based on the results of the empirical research, we conclude that regional policy, concentrated on only the statistical approach to the subject of entrepreneurship and innovation, is doomed to failure. It should include an empirical (qualitative) approach and the regional specificity, especially within peripheral regions.

There is much discussion on how contemporary economy is based on innovativeness and how important innovative sectors become. There is much discussion on how contemporary economy is based on innovativeness and how important innovative sectors become. We can point on the examples of state education policy that stress the importance of innovative directions in education. This article examines whether formal education and skills in innovative sectors influence positively the sense of employment security. To achieve this goal we compare the results of the survey conducted on a representative sample of 10,906 Polish citizens of the working age, analyzing potential differences in average subjective situation in perspective of their formal education and skills. It is important to stress that formal education is measured in 95 directions of education on three different levels each: basic and secondary vocational education, higher education and professional courses. To the authors' best knowledge, for the very first time formal education has been surveyed on such a detailed level, along with subjective perspective of individual situations at the labor market. The main conclusions are as follows: innovative qualifications are mostly of engineering and science character, they are more often chosen by men, and they do not correlate with a clearly greater feeling of own security at the labor market. Another factor that may influence the subjective perspective of employees and self-employed respondents is the character of the innovation itself: in Poland it is mostly connected with entrepreneurs that use their own resources (including financial ones) and R&D departments, rarely cooperating with third parties. This situation strengthens the position of employers and lowers workflows. Poland seems to be ahead of the situation when highly trained and qualified experts in "innovative" fields will freely change workplaces and professions, competing on labor market.

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