The Europeanisation of national systems of innovation: A comparison of the Czech Republic and Hungary

Neale-Edwards, Charlotte 2020. The Europeanisation of national systems of innovation: A comparison of the Czech Republic and Hungary. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

The importance of innovation for ensuring economic growth and solving modern societal challenges is now widely recognised and, consequently, promoting innovation has become a key priority for the EU. In order to achieve this, the EU has emphasised the need to reduce the gap between the better performing Western Member States and the newer Central and Eastern Member states whose innovation performance still lags behind. Through the main question How is Europeanisation affecting the nature and development of national innovation policies and institutional arrangements in the Czech Republic and Hungary?, this doctoral thesis focuses on the experiences of the Czech Republic and Hungary since their accession to the EU in 2004. In so doing, a number of factors are identified which are currently impeding Europeanisation within this vital policy area. Drawing from Historical Institutionalism and Varieties of Capitalism, according to which the Czech Republic and Hungary are defined as Dependent Market Economies, this thesis finds that path dependent historical legacies and economic structure play a significant role in mediating the impact of Europeanisation on the Czech and Hungarian National Systems of Innovation. Furthermore, the findings of this research indicate that the expansion of the EU has led to a diluted version of Europeanisation which not only weakens the influence of the EU but also increases the importance of national factors. This thesis makes an important contribution to the field of Europeanisation by drawing attention to the role of a number of variables, related to historical legacies and economic structure, which are important in explaining the success, or lack thereof, of Europeanisation. This could be valuable to future studies within this area. In addition, based on the findings of this research, various policy implications are identified which the EU should consider in order to improve the effectiveness of its policy approach and related policy tools. Given the current problems of Euroscepticism across EU Member States, it is crucial that the EU is aware of how to adapt its policy in order to deliver the expected results and improve national perceptions of the EU. Key Words: Czech Republic, Hungary, Innovation, Europeanisation, National Systems of Innovation, Varieties of Capitalism, Dependent Market Economies, Historical Institutionalism.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Acceptance
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Modern Languages
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PB Modern European Languages
Funders:	ESRC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	28 September 2020
Date of Acceptance:	June 2020
Last Modified:	25 May 2021 01:31
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/135165

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