Strategy of innovative development of the European Union: New goals and initiatives

Abstract

The article examines the new goals of the European Union strategy in the field of science, scientific research and innovation, firstly proposed and published by the European Commission in 2015. Having undergone a thorough discussion and expert assessment, these proposals were officially endorsed and formed the basis for the modern innovation strategy of the EU. The study is focused on a set of targets, as well as measures to achieve them, identified in official documents as the concept of “three Os” – “Open innovation”, “Open science”, “Openness to the world”. These reference points served as important additional elements for quite a long time of successfully implemented innovative strategies of the European Union in such areas as digitalization of the economy, the formation of the Innovation Union, the European Research space and sustainable development. The main reasons for updating the new concept, the theoretical basis of its formalization and concrete measures for practical implementation during innovative transformations are revealed. On the basis of a critical assessment of European experience in this field, conclusions have been drawn that might be useful in the development and implementation of domestic innovation policies. Special emphasis is placed on the need to consider the current challenges of innovative development related to the “openness” of the innovation process, the increased importance of civil society, the decisive role of the State and Supranational authorities in supporting open innovation along with the urgent need to transform the innovation results reporting systems and the evaluation of the effectiveness of scientific staff, research and educational institutions.