THE SMART SPECIALISATION FOCUS TO THE INDUSTRIAL REGIONAL SCALE

Abstract

The focus of this paper is to provide a model for indexing the innovation activity of the companies at national (macro level) and regional level (micro level in two regions), depending on their sectoral affiliation (under NACE) and establishing inconsistencies analysis) to the already identified priority thematic areas at the end of the implementation period of the Integrated Intelligent Specialization Strategy (ISIS). The presented model will serve to correct the existing or validate new priority thematic areas for the post-2021 period and will present criteria for new (for the next programming period) compliance of the fields both with the specifics of the circular economy and with the expected new in territorial aspect planning regions in the Republic of Bulgaria. The research objectives, met are on a desk research of the existing models for assessing the innovation activity of the companies and in particular the activity towards the principles of the circular economy will be made, and on a field research of some 150 business units from the Southwest and South-Eastern regions in Bulgaria, surveyed on the basis of their behavior and behavioral and management decisions of their owners / managers.