Research and development carried out within strategic research programmes is an important source of innovations. However, the processes of technology development and transfer into the economy are affected by numerous barriers. The main objective of this paper is to identify and analyse barriers related to the realisation of strategic programmes by R&D organisations. Furthermore, it is aimed at comparative analyses of barriers encountered in the process of executing strategic research in technologically advanced countries and in Poland-one of the transition economies. As a result, the authors discuss: (1) the levels at which the barriers are present (strategic, tactical), (2) their character (technical, organisational-economic, and system barriers to technology transfer), and (3) types of organisational capabilities (physical and material, financial, human resource, information and management) to which the barriers identified relate.