Innovation policy learning from Norway in Western Balkans

Brief outline: 
The overarching objective of this project was to assist policy makers in the Western Balkan countries to develop and implement innovation policies by means of identifying appropriate ‘good’ practices in other countries and through the analysis of their emerging innovation systems. These countries depended on the creation, transfer and use of knowledge to catch-up with technological leaders, such as Norway. Success depended on the development and implementation of policy instruments that were complementary to the needs of the local economy. In the project, Norway provided a model or framework within which one could identify ‘good’ policy practices and policy learning. Norway is a resource-based, knowledge-driven economy, which is relatively egalitarian, homogeneous and based on trust. It provided a good example for policy learning through its experience and use of expertise from many different sources, including the economic sciences. The Western Balkan countries could benefit through this rich experience, despite its considerable diversity. 
 
The project was composed of two work packages: 

The primary objective of the project was to build certain research competence in the Balkan region.