Transcript of Elaboration of Key Economic Strategies and Economic Sectors
- 1. Grant agreement no.: 2012-2948/001-001 This project has been
funded with support from the European Commission. This
communication reflects the views only of the author, and the
Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made
of the information contained therein. Elaboration of Key Economic
Strategies and Economic Sectors Editors: Simona Rataj, Mojca
Osojnik, Mateja Melink, Samo Pavlin Authors: Nevena Rakovska,
Gipson Varghese, Renata Verger, Juan de Lucio, Miecyslzav Bak,
Mojca Osojnik, Simona Rataj, Mateja Melink, Samo Pavlin
- 2. 2 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY..................................................................................................................
3 1
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................
5 2 NATIONAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES AND ECONOMIC STRATEGIES ON THE
LEVEL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
.......................................................................................................................
7 2.1 EUROPEAN LEGAL AND STRATEGIC
FRAMEWORK................................................................................
7 2.2 OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL
STRETEGIES............................................................................................
12 2.2.1
Bulgaria..........................................................................................................................
12 2.2.2 Hungary
.........................................................................................................................
13 2.2.3
Poland............................................................................................................................
14 2.2.4 Slovenia
.........................................................................................................................
14 2.2.5
Spain..............................................................................................................................
15 2.2.6 General observations
....................................................................................................
17 2.3 SECTOR ELABORATION BY COUNTRIES
...........................................................................................
18 2.3.1
Bulgaria..........................................................................................................................
18 2.3.2 Hungary
.........................................................................................................................
21 2.3.3
Poland............................................................................................................................
23 2.3.4 Slovenia
.........................................................................................................................
27 2.3.5
Spain..............................................................................................................................
29 3 OVERVIEW OF BEST PRACTICES AND PROJECT REPORTS ON
UNIVERSITY-BUSINESS COOPERATION (INCLUDING HRM STRATEGIES OF HIGHER
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND EMPLOYERS
ORGANISATIONS)...................................................................................................
32 3.1 OVERVIEW OF OBSERVED EU REPORTS, BEST PRACTICES, HRM
STRATEGIES OF INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES AND UNIVERSITIES
................................................................................................................
32 3.1.1 EU Projects and
Reports................................................................................................
32 3.1.2 HRM Strategies of the Universities
...............................................................................
37 3.1.3 HRM Strategies of Employers
Organisations................................................................
39 3.2 OVERVIEW OF OBSERVED NATIONAL REPORTS, BEST PRACTICES, HRM
STRATEGIES OF NATIONAL COMPANIES AND UNIVERSITIES IN FIVE EU
COUNTRIES
................................................................................
41 3.2.1
Bulgaria..........................................................................................................................
41 3.2.2 Hungary
.........................................................................................................................
44 3.2.3
Poland............................................................................................................................
47 3.2.4 Slovenia
.........................................................................................................................
55 3.2.5
Spain..............................................................................................................................
59 3.3 SUMMARIES ON UNIVERSITY-BUSINESS COOPERATION BEST PRACTICES
(CONCLUSION) ........................ 62 4 LIST OF
SOURCES.................................................................................................................
64 APPENDIX: LIST OF KEY ENTERPRISE
DATABASES.........................................................................
70
- 3. 3 Executive summary Latest strategies and agendas focusing
on the future development of European and national economies are
also giving priority of linking education and labour market. All
participating EMCOSU countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland,
Slovenia, Spain) have adopted or are in the process of adopting
relevant national strategies that include the premises of
university-business cooperation and are also coherent with the
European Union Strategies. However, the implementation phase of
university-business cooperation is still only partial in Spain,
Poland and Slovenia what results in the lack of an efficient system
of university-business cooperation. This document also identifies
national economic sectors with the greatest developmental potential
where also the university-business cooperation should get focused
on in the next years. The most important sectors by countries are
the following: Bulgaria information and communication technologies,
energy, agriculture, tourism and heritage; Hungary medical and
health sciences, information and communication technologies,
economics, legal sciences; Poland - information and communication
technologies, pharmacy, energy, transport and storage; Slovenia -
information and communication technologies, life sciences
(including biotechnology, medicine, pharmacy, food processing),
advanced materials and nanotechnology, electrical and electronics
industry; Spain automotive industry, renewable energy, technology
sector, consulting services. Considering the identification of
these sectors one can say that on the general level the most
important sectors which also have the biggest developmental
potential are information and communication technologies,
agriculture and food industry, logistics and transport, electrical
energy and electrical industry (including renewable energy), and
technology (including biotechnology, new materials, medicine and
pharmacy). The document provides a review of a good number of modes
and best practices of university- business cooperation that already
exist in the strategies of some universities and private sector
organisations. The most common system approaches are career centres
of universities, internship programmes, joint curriculum
development, development of quality standards of practical
placement in enterprises, entrepreneurial courses in the university
study programmes, collaborative research, support to start-up
enterprises, knowledge and project consortia; alumni centres and
job fairs. There are also some particularities; e.i. study visits
of education policy specialists and decision-makers (EU level) and
Graduate career tracking service of universities (Hungary). These
modes of cooperation show concrete and often quick results; a fact
well accepted by enterprises. Nevertheless, the need for
implementation other measures (like curriculum
- 4. 4 development, entrepreneurial courses, appropriate HE and
RTD policy and its implementation) are condicio sine qua non. This
report on Elaboration of Key Economic Strategies and Economic
Sectors in EMCOSU countries and on the EU level provides a basis
for further project work that will focus on the modes of
cooperation with universities from the perspectives of employers
organisations with an emphasis to the most important economic
sectors identified in this report.
- 5. 5 1 Introduction Over the last decade those concerned with
European policy on education and employment have increasingly
sought evidence of how levels of educational attainment
characterise individuals' performances in the labour market. As
stated in the latest Agenda on Modernisation of Europes Higher
education (HE) Systems (EC 2011b), enhancing the short- and
long-term employability potential of young people has become one of
the central developmental priorities in the European Higher
Education Area. Current major national and international mechanisms
providing indicators to contribute to this aim are closely related
to international mobility, cooperation among higher education
institutions and among universities and enterprises. Some previous
projects show various factors affecting the graduates career
success. Some of them fall within the direct jurisdiction of higher
education institutions, while others go beyond HE institutional
borders. The identified factors are: social background, economic
circumstances, acquiring relevant work experience outside higher
education, the recognition and certification of such experience,
the promotion of entrepreneurial skills and cooperation and
dialogue between employers and universities (HEGESCO project;
TUNING project). The HEGESCO project (HEGESCO project) reveals that
enterprises have very little knowledge of what to expect from
graduates, on the other hand, higher education institutions have a
similar low level of knowledge of employers needs. This problem is
particularly relevant for the private sector which often has pretty
blurred links with higher education institutions. Hence,
cooperation between the world of work and higher education has from
a policy perspective in any study field never been second to other
HE developments (system societal role, mobility, curricular and
governance reforms) but a strong reference element. The present
EMCOSU project focuses on the university-business collaboration in
five European countries, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and
Spain and on EU level in general. However, it goes beyond surveying
and identifying professional competencies and measurements of the
misalignment between formal qualifications, acquired knowledge and
employers requirements (known as the skill mismatching problem).
The project applies earlier research findings, linked to issues of
enhancing graduates employability, and also identifies new good
practices of university-business collaboration (UBC), showing great
results in managing the potential and talent of existing and future
employees. The project EMCOSU addresses three general questions: a)
Which are the most relevant modes of cooperation between
universities and enterprises and why?; b) What are current
characteristics of cooperation modes and their future developmental
needs?; and; c) Which are key developmental drivers and motives on
cooperation on the side of universities and enterprises?
- 6. 6 In this context the first phase of the project focused on
the elaboration of national economic strategies of the countries
involved in the project and economic strategies on EU level. What
is more, project partners also tried to identify which sectors and
jobs within the selected countries and EU hold the greatest
potential in the future to absorb higher education graduates. The
methodology for preparing national and EU report included mainly a
review and analysis of key European and national strategic plans.
The project partners from chambers of commerce and industry were
able to provide a rich material on this as they have a deep insight
into future European and national strategies and priorities. This
report is thus based on the national and EU reports provided by
project partners. The second chapter follows introduction and
includes a review of identified EU and national economic
strategies. Deriving from this project partners also identified and
described national economic sectors with the greatest potential.
The third chapter describes identified best practices regarding
university-business cooperation including human resource management
strategies of companies, higher education institutions and projects
enhancing university- business cooperation. Best practices
described in this report will be regarded as a point of reference
for the activities in the next work packages, especially for the
development of new guidelines and approaches for improving
traditional modes of cooperation between employers HE
institutions.
- 7. 7 2 National economic strategies and economic strategies on
the level of the European Union The report on EU level is a product
of a study on economic strategies and sector elaboration of the
European Union. The EU report follows premises of the EC document
Europe 2020 An European strategy for smart, sustainable and
inclusive growth; it also includes the review and analysis of other
key EU and national documents. The reports for five referenced
countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Spain) are
prepared in a similar way on the national level by emphasizing the
most important and recent national documents on the economic
strategies that were available to the project consortium. 2.1
European legal and strategic framework Europe 2020 - European
strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth1 (EC 2011a) is
the key strategic document, observed in this project. It represents
the basis for EU and national policy strategies to overcome the
crisis faced by the European Economy. Understanding the advantages
and disadvantages of the European economy and society, this policy
paper encourages member countries to move forward, considering the
following a common vision for smart, sustainable and inclusive
growth. Focusing on first goal (smart growth), emphasis is given to
strengthening knowledge and innovation, which are drivers of
economic and social growth. This requires improving the quality of
education, strengthening research performance, promoting innovation
and knowledge transfer (pp.9). Innovation is channelled through new
ways of cooperation between research and development agencies and
private sectors. With regard to sustainable growth strategy, it is
important to build up a resource efficient, sustainable and
competitive economy, while ensuring the development of new process
and technologies, including green technologies, more use of ICT and
reinforcing competitive business, especially in manufacturing. This
vision encourages new ways of doing things, more importantly in the
area of education and training. It invites policy makers to design
news way and modes of cooperation. The EU strategic document makes
it clear that a cohesive or inclusive society can be promoted by
empowering people through high levels of employment, investing in
skills, modernising 1 Source: European Commision. 2011a. Europe
2020 - European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive
growth.
- 8. 8 labour market, training and establishing social protection
system. Moreover, employment and skills are the most focused facts
in all policy formulations. In the EMCOSU project there have been
four flagship initiatives of Europe 2020 Strategy document
identified as relevant for the projects key questions. Despite the
content of the initiatives is more general and refers to a broad
area of employment and education issues all four document show a
tendency towards a closer cooperation between higher education
institutions and the businesses. An Agenda for New Skills and Jobs:
A European Contribution towards Full Employment2 (EC 2010a)
proposes that better cooperation between the labour market and
education and training would provide the right mix of skills and
would avoid the under-utilisation of peoples talents and
potentials. However, the tendency for cooperation should not come
only from the higher education but also from the labour market or
as the initiative proposes: Employers should be encouraged to co-
invest and participate in the activities of education and training
institutions, particularly in higher education and vocational
education and training; these partnerships can develop and update
skills profiles, multidisciplinary curricula and qualifications,
and facilitate the provision of work-based learning, from
apprenticeships to industrial PhDs (EC 2010a). Supporting Growth
and Jobs An Agenda for the Modernisation of Europes Higher
Education Systems3 (EC 2011b), another flagship initiative based on
Europe 2020 strategy, emphasises the need to reform several key
areas of higher education from which one of them is directly linked
to EMCOSU key questions strengthening the knowledge triangle
between education, research and business. The Agenda (EC 2011b)
proposes key policy issues for member states and higher education
institutions regarding collaboration between higher education and
enterprises: Stimulate the development of entrepreneurial, creative
and innovation skills in all disciplines and in all three cycles,
and promote innovation in higher education through more interactive
learning environments and strengthened knowledge-transfer
infrastructure. Strengthen the knowledge-transfer infrastructure of
higher education institutions and enhance their capacity to engage
in start-ups and spin-offs. Encourage partnership and cooperation
with business as a core activity of higher education institutions,
through reward structures, incentives for multidisciplinary and
cross-organisational cooperation, and the reduction of regulatory
and administrative barriers to partnerships between institutions
and other public and private actors. 2 Source: European Commision.
2010a. An Agenda for New Skills and Jobs: A European Contribution
towards Full Employment. 3 Source: European Commision. 2010a. An
Agenda for New Skills and Jobs: A European Contribution towards
Full Employment.
- 9. 9 Promote the systematic involvement of higher education
institutions in the development of integrated local and regional
development plans, and target regional support towards higher
education-business cooperation particularly for the creation of
regional hubs of excellence and specialisation. The other two
flagship initiatives, Youth on the Move An Initiative to Unleash
the Potential of Young People to Achieve Smart, Sustainable and
Inclusive Growth in the EU4 (EC 2010c) and Innovation Union5 (EC
2010b) go in the same direction of the need to closer cooperation
between higher education and the labour market. The Youth on the
Move (EC 2010c) proposes that the quality career guidance services
and vocational orientation need to be further developed, with
strong involvement of labour market institutions, supported by
actions to improve the image of sectors and professions with
employment potential. And what is more, the initiative supports the
reform and modernisation of higher education which will focus on
strengthening the employability of graduates, encouraging mobility
that includes also mobility between academia and industry.
Innovation union initiative (EC 2010b) focuses mostly on innovation
and research where one of the aims of this agenda also proposes
there should be more innovation made out of research where also
cooperation between the worlds of science and the world of business
must be enhanced. Regarding the agenda, businesses should also be
more involved in curricula development and doctoral training so
that skills better match industry needs. Another strategy, observed
in the EMCOSU project, is New Skills and New jobs in Europe:
Pathways towards full employment6 (EC 2012), prepared by
Directorate General for Research and Innovation. It is based on an
extensive review of 17 projects financed by the EC, focusing on the
importance of evolution of new skills, since old and new jobs will
not be sustainable in the near future. According to this strategy,
improving peoples skills and better utilisation of their skill
potentials is a real win, win for all; for the economy, society,
employers and for individuals. Policies to promote employment and
skills are important matters of priority because a skilled
workforce is an essential asset to develop a competitive,
sustainable and innovative economy in line with Europe 2020 goals.
4 Source: European Commision. 2010c. Youth on the Move An
Initiative to Unleash the Potential of Young People to Achieve
Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in the EU. 5 Source:
European Commision. 2010b. Innovation union. 6 Source: European
Commision. 2012. New Skills and New jobs in Europe: Pathways
towards full employment.
- 10. 10 Also Empowering the young of Europe to meet labour
market challenges7 (European Centre for the Development of
Vocational Training 2011) documents are related to the EMCOSU key
questions. The two documents are dealing with study visits that
professionals have carried out all over Europe. The first programme
has proved effective in promoting discussion, reflection, exchange
of experience and mutual learning among education policy
specialists and decision- makers responsible for developing and
implementing education and training across Europe. The second
document (Empowering the young of Europe to meet labour market
challenges) summarises the results of about 230 study visits hosted
in 30 countries by education specialists. The report shows
different policy recommendations, based on supporting young people
and developing young peoples entrepreneurial skills and
competences: through flexible learning modes and pathways; through
guidance and validation of knowledge, skills and competences
required; by offering easy access to education and training; by
offering tailored education to needs of and abilities of individual
students; by offering easy transition of young people from
education and training to the labour market; by offering workplace
learning and apprenticeship, which are considered as successful; by
enabling partnership between relevant stakeholders the social
partners, companies, public and private organisations; all
promoting new learning initiatives and improving the transfer and
use of new and existing knowledge on future skills needs between
stakeholders. Last observed document, Employers Perception of
Graduate Employability8 (Eurobarometer 2010), provides insights
into the needs and perceptions of graduate recruiters by monitoring
the opinions of staff in companies throughout Europe with at least
50 employees across a range of business sectors. The survey covered
research questions relevant for EMCOSU project: the amount and type
of cooperation between companies and educational institutions, the
major challenges that companies face in hiring graduates, the
importance of various skills and abilities required by graduates
and the levels of satisfaction as to whether or not graduates have
these skills etc. The results show less than 25% of respondents
frequently cooperate with HEIs in order to discuss curriculum
design and study programmes. Graduate employers in the industry
sector, in public sector and in sector of non-public services were
more likely to have cooperated with HEIs. Cooperation in the
recruitment of graduates appeared to happen more frequently. Around
half of the respondents said the cooperation with HEIs is important
for their company and around half said the opposite. The results
also show that 52% graduate employers are convinced 7 Source:
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. 2011.
Empowering the young of Europe to meet labour market challenges. 8
Source: Eurobarometer. 2010. Employers Perception of Graduate
Employability.
- 11. 11 the best ways of cooperating with HEIs on recruitment
was their participation in internship programmes and about a third
selected direct recruitment from schools.
- 12. 12 2.2 Overview of National Stretegies In this section
there were identified at least 4-5 national strategic documents per
country, tackling with university-business cooperation (education
system in line with the needs of the industry; identified future
emerging and key enabling technologies) on national level, which
represent the basis for the university-business cooperation. The
countries involved are the following: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland,
Slovenia and Spain. 2.2.1 Bulgaria The strategies explore the main
factors of determining growth and competitiveness of Bulgaria:
education, innovation, RTD-companies collaboration (technology
& knowledge transfer), smart specialization. Key strategic
documents in Bulgaria are the following: National Regional
Development Strategy9 of the Republic of Bulgaria for The Period
2005-2015, prepared by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of
Bulgaria (2005). (draft) National Program for Development Bulgaria
202010, prepared by the President of Republic of Bulgaria (2012).
Sector Strategy for Attracting Investments in Bulgaria11, prepared
by A.T. Kearney (2011) for the Ministry of Economy, Energy and
Tourism. National strategy of scientific research to 202012,
prepared by Ministry of Education, Youth and Science (2012a). Areas
with stronger presence of foreign direct investment13, prepared by
Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism (2012). (draft) Innovation
Strategy of Republic of Bulgaria14, prepared by Ministry of
Economy, Energy and Tourism (2012b). The future emerging and key
enabling technologies selected in the above mentioned documents
are: ICT Transport and infrastructure 9 Source: Council of
Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria. 2005. National Regional
Development Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria for The Period
2005-2015. 10 Source: President of Republic of Bulgaria. 2012.
National Program for Development Bulgaria 2020 (draft). 11 Source:
Kearney, A. T. 2011. Sector Strategy for Attracting Investments in
Bulgaria. 12 Source: Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism. 2012.
Areas with stronger presence of foreign direct investment. 13
Source: Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism. 2012a. Areas with
stronger presence of foreign direct investment. 14 Source: Ministry
of Economy, Energy and Tourism. 2012b. Innovation Strategy of
Republic of Bulgaria (draft).
- 13. 13 Tourism and cultural heritage (incl. Healthcare and
Medical Tourism) Agriculture and food production Environmental
protection Renewable energy sources Machine building Chemistry
Biotechnology (inc. pharmaceuticals) New materials Automotives and
Mechatronics Electrical Engineering and Electronics 2.2.2 Hungary
The strategies explore the concept, view, value; as well as the
principles and objectives of sustainable development, dealing with
the departmental, developmental and other horizontal questions
(international cooperation, strengthening the competitiveness). Key
strategic documents in Hungary are the following: National
Sustainable Development Strategy15, prepared by the National
Development Agency (2007). Higher Education Strategy methodological
guide16, prepared by Educational Research and Development Institute
(Csti et al 2011). The Hungarian labour market 201217, prepared by
Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Institute of Economics (Kroly
2012). Hungary National Reform Programmes, based on the Szell
Kalman Plan18, prepared by the Government of the Republic of
Hungary (2011). Hungary New Development Plan - National Strategic
Reference Framework of Hungary (2007-2013)19, prepared by the
Government of the Republic of Hungary (2007). The future emerging
and key enabling technologies selected in the above mentioned
documents are: Medical and Health Sciences Information and
Communication Technologies 15 Source: National Development Agency.
2007. National Sustainable Development Strategy. 16 Source: Csti,
Dniel, Dr. Gyrgy Drtos, Rka Kal, Pter Kdr-Csoboth, Gergely Kovts,
Katalin Porubcsnszki, Anita Tarcsai. 2011. Higher Education
Strategy methodological guide. 17 Source: Kroly, Fazekas. 2012. The
Hungarian labour market 2012. Hungarian Academy of Sciences and
Institute of Economics. 18 Source: Government of the Republic of
Hungary. 2011. Hungary National Reform Programmes, based on the
Szell Kalman Plan. 19 Source: Government of the Republic of
Hungary. 2007. Hungary New Development Plan - National Strategic
Reference Framework of Hungary (2007-2013).
- 14. 14 Economics Legal Sciences 2.2.3 Poland Key strategic
documents in Poland explore the main factors of determining growth
and competitiveness of Poland: education, innovation, RTD-companies
collaboration (technology & knowledge transfer), solving
societal challenges. National Development Strategy 2007-201520 of
the Republic of Poland, prepared by the Ministry of Regional
Development (2006) and adopted by the Council of Ministers.
National Development Strategy 202021, prepared by the Ministry of
Regional Development (2012) and adopted by the Council of
Ministers. The National Reform Programme22, prepared by Ministry of
Economy of the Republic of Poland (2011). Poland 2030. Development
Challenges23, prepared by the Board of Strategic Advisors to the
Prime Minister of Poland (2009). The future emerging and key
enabling technologies identified in the above mentioned documents
are: Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply ICT
Transportation and storage Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Professional, scientific and technical activities Education 2.2.4
Slovenia The strategies explore the main factors of determining
growth and competitiveness of Slovenia: developing an effective RTD
and innovation support system; improving collaboration among RTD,
HE and enterprises, smart specialization. Key strategic documents
in Slovenia are the following: Resolution on national programme for
higher education 2011-202024, prepared by the Ministry of Higher
Education, Science and Technology (2011a). 20Source: Ministry of
Regional Development. 2006. National Development Strategy
2007-2015. 21 Source: Ministry of Regional Development. 2012.
National Development Strategy 2020. 22 Source: Ministry of Economy
of the Republic of Poland. 2011. The National Reform Programme. 23
Source: Board of Strategic Advisors to the Prime Minister of
Poland. 2009. Poland 2030. Development Challenges. 24 Source:
Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. 2011a.
Resolution on national programme for higher education
2011-2020.
- 15. 15 Resolution on research and innovation strategy of
Slovenia 2011-202025, prepared by the Ministry of Higher Education,
Science and Technology (2011b). Slovene industrial policy26,
prepared by Ministry of economic development and technology (2012).
The strategy is finalized, but not jet confirmed by the Government
of the RS. Development Strategy of Slovenia27; in the process of
preparation by the Government office for development and European
affairs (2013). The future emerging and key enabling technologies
identified in the above mentioned documents are: ICT New, advanced
materials & Nanotechnology Electronics Energy Processing
technologies, Low carbon technologies Wood processing Automotive
industry Sustainable construction Health & Pharmacy &
Biotechnology, Biomedicine Space Logistics 2.2.5 Spain The
strategies explore the main factors of determining growth and
competitiveness of Spain: graduate employability, excellent science
and technology development, effective RTD and innovation support
(national and EU) system - improving collaboration among RTD, HE
and enterprises. Key strategic documents in Spain are the
following: National Plan for Research, Development and
Innovation28, prepared by the Ministry of Economy and
Competitiveness (2008). Spanish Strategy for Science, Technology
and Innovation 2013-2020: National Plan for Scientific and
Technological Research and Innovation 2013-201629, prepared by the
Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and Spanish Government
(2013). 25 Source: Ministry of Higher Education, Science and
Technology. 2011b. Resolution on research and innovation strategy
of Slovenia 2011-2020. 26 Source: Ministry of economic development
and technology. 2012. Slovene industrial policy. 27 Source:
Government office for development and European affairs. 2013.
Development Strategy of Slovenia. 28 Source: Ministry of Economy
and Competitiveness. 2008. National Plan for Research, Development
and Innovation.
- 16. 16 Spanish Employment Strategy30, prepared by Ministry of
Work and Immigration and Spanish Government (2012). Spanish
Strategy for Economic Policy31, prepared by the Spanish Government
(2012). University Plan 2011-201432, prepared by the Basque
Government (2012). The future emerging and key enabling
technologies identified in the above mentioned documents are:
Automotive industry Renewable energy Technology Consulting services
29 Source: Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. 2013. Spanish
Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2013-2020: National
Plan for Scientific and Technological Research and Innovation
2013-2016. 30 Source: Ministry of Work and Immigration and Spanish
Government. 2012. Spanish Employment Strategy. 31 Source: Spanish
Government. 2012. Spanish Strategy for Economic Policy. 32 Source:
Basque Government. 2012. University Plan 2011-2014.
- 17. 17 2.2.6 General observations As expected, all the
participating countries have adopted or are in the process of
adopting relevant national strategies, which are also coherent with
the EU strategies. Nevertheless, there is a difference between
adopting the strategy and implementing it. The implementation phase
is a step further and seems successful in Spain, Poland, in
Slovenia only partially. The result of this fact is the lack of an
efficient system approach to the UBC support. Table 1: An overview
of future emerging and key enabling sectors Countries/NACE
classification Bulgaria Hungary Poland Slovenia Spain A
Agriculture, forestry and fishing Agriculture and food production
Agriculture, forestry and fishing Wood processing C- Manufacturing
Machine building D - Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning
supply Renewable energy sources; Electrical engineering and
electronics Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
Electronics; Energy Renewable energy F Construction Sustainable
construction H - Transporting and storage Transport and
infrastructure Transporting and storage Logistics J - Information
and communication Information and communication Information and
communication Information and communication Information and
communication M - Professional, scientific and technical activities
Chemistry Biotechnology Professional, scientific and technical
activities New, advanced materials and nanotechnology; Processing
technologies, low carbon techonologies; Biotechnology; Bionedicine
P - Education Education Q - Human health and social work activities
Medical and Health sciences Health; Pharmacy R - Arts,
entertainment and recreation Tourism and cultural heritage Most of
the observed national strategies include identified future emerging
and key enabling technologies. Still, the most important sectors
among the participating partner countries (taking into account the
frequency of occurrences in national strategies) are (1) ICT, (2)
Agriculture and
- 18. 18 Food industry, (3) Logistics & Transport, (4)
Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry, (5) Technology. On
Horizontal level, RTD is of key importance both on national and EU
level. 2.3 Sector Elaboration by Countries Project partners
identified and described economic sectors, which have the greatest
potential from the perspective of cooperation between universities
and enterprises on a national level. 2.3.1 Bulgaria33 In Bulgaria,
the most perspective sectors are information and communication
technologies, energy, agriculture and tourism and cultural
heritage. Growing ICT and energy sectors are especially
export-oriented and offer good employment possibilities, while the
sector of agriculture is traditional and the only one to register
growth in each quarter of 2010. Tourism sector however is still not
sufficiently developed and offers many possibilities. Information
and Communication Technologies The Annual Broadband Study by Cisco
(2010) ranked Bulgaria 5th in the world and 3rd in Europe in terms
of internet speed. It also placed the country 3rd in Europe and
10th worldwide regarding the absolute number of certified ICT
professionals. Bulgaria offers qualified human resources working on
world-level projects and at competitive salaries. Currently between
50 000 and 60 000 people are employed in the sector. ICT is
traditionally an export-oriented sector. The country has strong
NGOs in the sector. Bulgaria is well prepared for becoming a
regional hub because it hosts a number of world and local IT
leaders, like SAP, VMware, Johnson Controls, CISCO, HP, Telerik,
Musala Soft, Melon Inc. etc. Unlike most of the sectors of the
Bulgarian economy, the IT industry showed a stable performance in
2010 and 2011. However, it was not demand on the local market that
supported the IT sector. The IT companies, especially the software
developers, counted on foreign clients to keep revenues intact. The
trend is expected to continue in 2012 with growing need for highly-
qualified IT professionals. The main problem facing the software
industry is the shortage of highly qualified professionals on the
local market. If the problem persists, the local IT industry could
miss the chance of achieving the expected tenfold growth in the
next decade, according to market experts. The lack of well-trained
specialists forces domestic IT companies to outsource part of their
activities to firms in Macedonia and Serbia or to hire foreigners.
Estimations about the future development are the following: 33
Source: Invest Bulgaria Agency.
- 19. 19 The software segment will continue to enjoy an increase
in exports and outsourcing contracts with foreign companies; The
local market will remain stagnant for computer hardware
distributors and software developers; The computer and electronics
products manufacturers will rely on foreign markets to
counterbalance shrinking demand on the local market; The number of
large clients of cloud computing services will be increasing; IT
spending in the public sector will remain erratic and will depend
mostly on the availability of EU funding; Demand for software and
hardware developers as well as web designers will grow. Among the
fastest growing sectors is the development of applications for
mobile phones and tablets iOS, Android, Windows, so developers of
phone and online applications wil be on demand. A big growth is
seen in the number of employed in contact and call centers. The
total number of employed in call centers for ICT services in
Bulgaria in 2005 was 0,2 % of all employed in ICT sector. In 2011
it has reached 14,3 % and is now among the top 3 IT sectors
according to number of employed. The data are provided by CBN
Pannoff, Stoytcheff & Co., specialised in research and analysis
of the ICT sector in Bulgaria since 2001.s HR expert Angel Madjarov
from the Talent Hunter company, experienced in Recruitment and
selection of IT & Telecom professionals, prognoses that the in
the coming years the sector will suffer lack of human resources,
due to the limited practical skills of the ICT graduates and the
fast development of the sector. Energy Energy is one of the most
important sectors in the Bulgarian economy, it accounts for 18,2%
of total industrial production and employs 10.9% of the workforce
in the secondary sector. Although Bulgaria is not very rich in
natural fuels such as coal, oil and gas, it has very well developed
energy sector which is of crucial importance for the Balkans and
the whole South Eastern Europe. Bulgaria is a major producer and
exporter of electricity in the region and plays an important role
for the energy balance in the Balkans. The country's strategic
geographical location makes it a major hub for transit and
distribution of oil and gas from Russia to Western Europe and other
Balkan states. Bulgaria is the primary exporter of electricity in
South-eastern Europe as well as a major transit country for Russian
oil and gas. Bulgaria's role in the transit of fuels is going to
increase after the construction of several pipelines currently in
the planning stage. Thermal power plants are also of high
importance with most of the capacity concentrated in the Maritsa
Iztok Complex. Due to the limited hydro-potential of the country
(excluding the Danube), the importance of hydro power is not so
big. There are currently 87 hydro power
- 20. 20 plants with a combined capacity of 1,980 MW, most of
them being located in the southern and south-western mountainous
parts of Bulgaria. Three major Hydroelectric power plants are under
construction. Large-scale prospects for wind energy development[4]
have spurred the construction of numerous wind farms, making
Bulgaria one of the fastest-growing wind energy producers in the
world. Agriculture In 2010, the Agriculture sector was the only one
to register growth in each quarter. In 2010, Bulgarias agricultural
trade balance was positive: $ 994 million, compared with $ 385
million in 2009. The sector accounted for 17% of Bulgarias total
exports and 10% of the countrys total imports. The export of
Bulgarian agricultural produce reached $ 3 468 billion, which,
compared with the $ 2 795 billion for the preceding year, meant a
24% growth. About 72% of Bulgarian exports of agricultural produce
went to the EU, while Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the Arab
countries recovered their former position as major export markets.
Bulgaria is among the first eight EU Member States in terms of
average growth of profitability in agriculture. In 2010, the
average profitability from agriculture in Bulgaria increased by 23%
compared to 12.3% for EU-27. The country provides sufficient
workforce both for the agricultural sector and for the food and
beverage industry. There are skilled engineers, technicians and
biotechnologists at very acceptable levels of labour costs. The
level of wages in the Agriculture sector is among the lowest in the
country. The average monthly wage is estimated at about BGN 450.
The level of wages in the Food & Beverage sector is close to
the countrys average wage. The average monthly wages vary between
250 300 Euro. The level of wages not only in the industry but also
the economy as a whole is among the most competitive in the EU. In
the near future, wages are expected to remain low. In 2010, the
share of agriculture was 5.2% of Bulgarian GDP. Over 80 000 people
are employed in the sector in over 4 000 companies across the
country. This sector is traditional. Tourism and cultural heritage
Tourism in Bulgaria is a significant contributor to the country's
economy. In 2008 Bulgaria was visited by 8.9 million tourists, as
outlined by the World Tourism Organization. Tourists from three
countries - Greece, Romania and Turkey - account for 40% of
visitors. New types of tourism, including cultural, architectural
and historic tours, eco-tourism, and adventure tours, are expanding
the range of visitor experiences. The tourist industry, especially
on the seaside, continues to suffer from construction works, poor
handling of visitors, poor advertisement and low bed
occupancy.
- 21. 21 2.3.2 Hungary Most interesting sectors in Hungary
include medical and health sciences, which has a brain drain
problem, information and communication technologies and economics
sectors, where employment is increasing, and legal sciences sector,
which offers good employment possibilities mostly because of its
high social reputation. Medical and Health Sciences Since 1975, the
Hungarian medical attendance is a civil right, and from 1996 every
citizen is assured. In Hungary, the Ministry of Human Resources
have control over the social and welfare systems. Regarding of the
past decades unfavourable public health processes, the government
emphasises the improving of the public health issues. The Hungarian
citizens health condition is extremely bad compared to the
international average, and it considerably falls behind what the
economic and social levels of the country would permit.34 It is
feared, that the doctors and the health workers in Hungary will
emigrate in large quantities, which can cause the closure of
hospitals and other public healthcare institutions and problems may
arise in medical attendance too. More than a hundred Hungarian
health employees have a contract abroad, and according to the
Hungarian Medical Chamber more Hungarian health workers plan to
work abroad in the future. Unfortunately, the Hungarian health
workers salary is much lower than their colleagues in the Western
Europe. The deficiency caused by the doctors emigration can cause
shortage of labour in hospitals.35 Information and communication
technologies The industry gives 15 percent of the Hungarian GDP and
it gives work for more than one hundred thousand persons. In 2011,
nearly 3 billion USD was spent on the IT sector in Hungary. In the
past 2 years, the global economic transformation did not avoid the
national IT sector, it is expected that the leading firms of the
industry will be de-emphasised, and will have market loss; and
smaller, specialized businesses will come into prominence.36
Contrary parliamentary decisions can contribute to the fact that
the members of the profession, which fights with shortage of
labour, will leave the country. The information technology sector
can play a major role in the retaining of the professional labour.
The lack of qualified and professional labour and the lack of the
newly graduated youth cause bigger and bigger problems in Hungary
and also in the ICT sector. Because of this, Hungary may lose
serious projects.37 34 Sources:
http://www.eski.hu/new3/adatok/zip_doc/eg-szoc-rendsz.pdf and
National Development Agency. 2007. National Sustainable Development
Strategy. 35 Source:
http://medjob.hu/medjob_portal/kiemelt/orvosok-es-egeszsegugyi-dolgozok-kulfoldi-
munkavallalasa/ 36 Source:
http://www.hrportal.hu/hr/ismet-beindul-a-hazai-informatikai-szektor-20110503.html
37 Sources:
http://www.sg.hu/cikkek/93689/rengeteg_szakember_hagyja_el_az_orszagot
and
- 22. 22 In the IT sector, the number of the employees increases
1,9 percent yearly on the average, while in the economy sector the
employment will probably decrease. Today, the IT sector has 116
thousand employees. On the IT market, nearly 300 new enterprises
will start until the end of 2013, from which the majority will be
small Hungarian businesses. The Hungarian business circle, that
distributes and supplies Microsoft software, gives work to 20
thousand people. By the informatics-using companies, further 30
thousand IT worker deals with Microsoft software or product. 43
percent of IT workers are from these workers, and they make 48
percent of the Hungarian income that is IT related.38 Economics The
following fields belong in this sector: economics, economy
analysis, civil service, human resources, business administration,
commerce and marketing, international management, finance and
accounting, tourism and catering. The economist qualification is
still looked for in the labour market, but the expectations from an
economist have changed. These days, the technologic fields dominate
the labour market, that is why the most successful economists are
who have complex knowledge, e.g.: engineer-economist, information
technologist-economist. The profession is defined by the economic
situation of the country; by the number of incoming capital; by the
enterprises; by the situation of the companies; and by the number
of newly settled firms. The number of the people who work in the
profession will increase by 3-4 % in the year 2015, currently
nearly 160000 person works in the economic sphere. All age group
can be found in the profession, but currently the proportion of
young economic workers is high, nearly 40% is under 34.39 In the
economic training, the Hungarian offer is very rich: the applicants
can chose from 34 economic faculties. One of the most important
expectations from carrier starters is experience. In this case,
this is not only professional experience, although it is doubtless,
that employers value it positively.40 Any work experience acquired
during university years, means advantage. The most important thing
is, that the applicant has an insight on work atmosphere, he/she
has responsibility, knows what teamwork means. Today, foreign
language knowledge at an advanced level and the knowledge of
computer programs is a basic requirement. The employers lay more
and more
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RuBNzNkiqgQJ:www.nfu.hu/download/699/i._
helyzetelemzes.pdf 38 Sources:
http://index.hu/tech/uzlet/2009/10/06/valsagban_is_no_a_magyar_informatikai_piac/
and http://www.itbusiness.hu/rss_3/ITB_T_1008.html?portalstate=rss
39 Source: http://www.cons.hu/index.php?menu=cikk&id=390 40
Source:
http://www.felvi.hu/pub_bin/dload/rangsor2006/64_89.pdf
- 23. 23 stress upon human characteristics too, good
communication skills are capital; as well as smartness and
practical approach considered important, too.41 Legal sciences In
Hungary, the primary legal source is the constitution. In the
Hungarian Republic, only those civil services have competence to
establish rights that obtained authorization from the constitution.
The jurisdiction in Hungary is wielded by the Curia; the Court of
Appeal, the Court of Justice; the District Court; and the
Administrative and Employment Tribunal. The protectorate is the
defender of the public policy, so it contributes to the validation
of the individual rights.42 The jurist degree chiefly makes
possible to find a job on the traditional fields: judge, lawyer,
prosecutor, and administration. Due to the high social reputation,
it increases the chances of getting employed in other scope of
activities.43 2.3.3 Poland The most perspective sectors in Poland
are information and communication technologies, pharmacy, energy,
transportation and storage. While the first two are already amongst
the biggest markets in respective sectors in Europe, there is also
a growing consumer demand in the developing sectors of energy and
transportation and storage. Information and communication
technologies Polish IT sector can be divided into three main
segments, namely hardware, software and services. In 2009, its
market share stood at 54%, 31% and 15%. Equipment segment has the
most significant influence on the income of the branch about 54% of
its value, services 31% and software 15%. In comparison to the
structure of previous years the importance of the hardware segment
is going lower (59% in 2008, 63% in 2007) other sectors are growing
services (28% in 2008, 24% in 2007) and software (13% in 2008 and
2007). The direction of these changes is a sign of modernization of
the sector. Poland is becoming more similar to developed European
countries. According to the forecast for 2014 it is expected that
we will observe further decline in the share of equipment to the
other two segments. In the software and services segments the most
important activity software consultancy. Important services are
also the processing of data and hardware consulting. 41 Source:
http://www.cons.hu/index.php?menu=cikk&id=390 42 Source:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:N2IAbwymFMoJ:www.jegyzetportal.hu/downl
oad/allam_es_jogtortenet/jogrend.doc 43 Source:
http://www.ajk.elte.hu/file/FelvTajek_Jogasz.pdf
- 24. 24 Data from Pierre Audoin Consultants shows that Poland in
2015 will be the second largest (4.1 billion euros) after Russia IT
market in Central and Eastern Europe and in terms of average annual
growth in 2011-2015 (7.2%) the fourth one. Poland is the best in
absorbing the European funds to carry out projects connected to IT
sector. Polish IT market has currently more than 8 500 companies
and nearly 200 thousand jobs. The dominant segment is the hardware,
which share in 2011 amounted to approximately 57%. Such global
companies as Microsoft, HP, Google, and IBM invested and have their
agencies in Poland. It should be underlined that information
technology infrastructure sector in Poland is relatively modern and
has been recently constantly developed, however there are also some
low performance areas with poor coverage in terms of IT
infrastructure (particularly in Eastern Poland). Moreover, the
level of innovative solutions and applications utilised by
particular entities is also unsatisfactorily low. Relatively
weakest prospects draw against segments such as software, ERP and
CRM, and training services segment of Green IT. They have the
largest share opinions about the lack of dynamic growth over the
next two years, in the case of the ERP software category, and Green
IT is the lowest observed single-digit share of reviews for the
sharp increase. This can be a side effect of a high penetration of
solutions (ERP) among the companies actually need this class of
systems, as well as changes in business approach to IT spending
(less emphasis on the "green" side of the project). Pharmacy In
2009-2010, there was stagnation in the pharmaceutical market, now
there is a slight growing trend. Companies evenly spaced across the
country, larger centres in Warsaw and the southern and western
voivodships. Companies both the Polish capital as well as held by
the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. In Poland, the share
of generics in the market in terms of value is the one of the
highest levels in Europe and is approximately 65%, with 25% share
of innovative medicines. Quantitatively, the share of generic drugs
in the market is higher than 80%. These proportions will not change
in the next few years.44 In 2012-2014 the generic market in Poland
will grow at a faster pace than the market of innovative drugs,
mainly because of the law changes in reimbursement rules and lists.
44 See more: Skonieczna, Agnieszka. 2012. Generic and innovative
drugs market in Poland 2012 - Development forecasts for
2012-2014.
- 25. 25 Share of innovative medicines in the Polish
pharmaceutical market is small, but in recent years we observed a
growing number of innovative research projects, engage in both
universities and pharmaceutical companies. Poland is listed as one
of 17 emerging markets. According to statistics, Poland is one of
the countries with the highest consumption of pharmaceuticals. In
terms of value, we are the sixth largest pharmaceutical market in
Europe. Polish companies lose the cost advantage that gives them
the ability to effectively compete with Western rivals.45 In Polish
market operates nearly 450 pharmaceutical companies, however the
top 10 companies in the sector generates more than half of the
trade. In the top ten is eight innovative companies. Energy46 Until
1990, the Polish power industry was a state-owned monopoly, which
consisted of fully- integrated state-owned companies. The Energy
Law of 1997 opened the way to the restructuring of Polands
electricity power sector into three subsystems: generation,
transmission, and distribution. At the moment the electricity
sector remains largely controlled by the State, even if important
reforms were undertaken. The Polish energy sector will be an
attractive field to invest in the coming years because of future
restructuring and modernization. Poland has an out of date
infrastructure regarding distribution and power generation. As for
now, 45% of all power generating equipment is over 30 and 77% is 20
years old. According to energy experts, multibillion Euro
investments will be required to renew the exhausted power sector
and guarantee uninterrupted supplies of electric energy.
Additionally, Poland should to achieve the objectives of emission
reduction (20% by 2020) under the implementation of recommendations
of the energy and climate policy UE. Worth mentioning is that the
Polish energy sector is depended on coal (90% of the countrys
energy is produced from it). Investment will be required in new
generation capacity, both in renewable technologies and clean coal
technologies. The electricity production in Poland takes place on
33 power plants based on coal and 3 power plants based on lignite,
which together constitute about 91% of the total energy production.
Apart from these, electricity produce 177 industrial heat and power
plants (about 5.2%), hydropower (about 2.8%), and complete all
independent power and diffuse sources (about 1%). 45 See more:
Central Statistical Office. 46 Sources: Ministry of economy. 2009.
Energy Policy of Poland until 2030 and Jankowski, Bolesaw. 2012.
Assessment of the Impact of the Emission Reduction Goals Set in the
EC Document Roadmap 2050 on the Energy System, Economic Growth,
Industry and Households in Poland.
- 26. 26 Currently in the energy sector about 160 thousand people
is employed, nearly half is in the state energy companies such as:
PGE, Tauron, Energa, Enea. Currently, the Polish energy sector is
facing a number of serious challenges. High demand for energy,
inadequate fuel and energy generation and transmission
infrastructure, significant dependence on external supplies of
natural gas and almost full dependence on external supplies of
crude oil, as well as commitments in the field of environmental
protection including climate protection, compel Poland to take
decisive actions. The electricity demand will be grow by 1-3 % per
year. The electricity sector will be intensively developed in the
coming years. Energy development will be a result of modernization
and the introduction of new technologies, and also the development
of energy from renewable energy sources. Transportation and
storage47 Transportation is an important branch of the polish
economy. In conjunction with the logistics and spedition,
transportation is part of the TFL (transport-shipping-logistics).
Since joining the European Union in 2004, Poland has invested large
amounts of money into the modernisation of its transport networks,
thus the Polish transport infrastructure requires much more
investment in order to make Poland more attractive for foreign
capital. Transport is a more traditional branch and the main factor
for the economic development of country. In Poland transport
volumes have increased significantly during the 1990s. After of the
market declined in the early of the 90-ties, transportation market
in Poland was growing up from the 1994, in the rate of 6.5 % per
year. Despite the projected slowdown in growth, Poland will
continue its expansion plans to develop into a major logistics
player in Europe. Poland is much better equipped now in airport
infrastructure than it was just a few years ago. Investment at the
Port of Gdansk has ensured that the country now features as a
direct port of call for container lines, thereby decreasing the
costs of transport for its importers and exporters and raising the
competiveness of its trade sector. Further investment at Gdansk is
in the pipeline, and its sister port of Gdynia is determined not to
be left behind, with expansion projects also planned. Poland is not
only seeking to develop into a maritime gateway for Central and
Eastern Europe: its freight companies are planning to expand their
role from the domestic arena to the regional, with PKP Cargo
expanding into Germany and Belgium with the stated aim of becoming
Europe's second largest rail freight operator after Deutsche Bahn.
Poland's largest ports, Gdansk and Gdynia, are 47 Sources: Central
Statistical Office; Business Monitor International;
MarketResearch.com and Ministry of Transport, Construction and
Maritime Economy. Polish Information and Foreign Investment
Agency.
- 27. 27 expected to demonstrate growth in the medium term.
Gdansk benefits from having the largest global container line
Maersk Line as its customer, which now offers the facility as a
port of call on some of its direct Asia-Europe services, offering
Poland's importers and exporters cheaper and quicker transport
links to ports in China. Currently, a projected recession in the
eurozone will lead to a slowing in the growth of Poland's freight
volumes, although the country's growing consumer demand will offer
some shelter from the worst of the eurozone's negative impact on
its export 2.3.4 Slovenia Due to the small size of the national
market, Slovenia has the biggest potential in knowledge- based
(high-tech) and internationally oriented sectors, which include
information and communication technologies, life sciences, advanced
materials and nanotechnology and electrical and electronics
industry. Information and communication technologies Slovenias ICT
industry is generally regarded as one of the most vigorous areas of
industry due to well-developed ICT infrastructure and human
capital. Exporters of IT products and services account for nearly
35% of overall industry exports. The clients derive from EU, the
USA and also the Middle East. The range of products/services,
provided by Slovene companies is IT solutions for the widest range
of sectors (manufacturing, financial institutions, healthcare ) Due
to geographical position and decades of fostering economic links to
neighbouring countries, Slovene companies have an advantage to
efficiently serve markets of the CE and SEE region. The number of
international companies setting up their regional hubs in Slovenia
is rising. The main reasons are the expertise of local managers,
sales force and field engineers with their in-depth knowledge of
regional markets. The sector has a long tradition, nevertheless it
is highly dynamic and knowledge intensive, so new technologies are
emerging continuously. Slovene companies adapt quickly to the new
trends, there are also some niche leaders in the software
development. The employment has been growing till 2009, but is
slowly decreasing for two years. Life Sciences (Biotechnology, Food
processing, Crop growing, Pharmacy, Medical equipment, Medicine)
Several companies, RTD institutions (including Centres of
Excellence) are operating on the following fields: 1. Active
substances, dietary supplements and functional foods; 2. New
technologies and devices in medicine, pharmaceutics and
biotechnology; 3. "Tele-medicine" and "tele-nursing; 4. Cell
therapy and tissue engineering; 5. Caring for the elderly and
patients.
- 28. 28 The most recognised regional companies are KRKA and LEK
(the latter is integrated in one of the world's largest generic
giants Sandoz). In addition to big pharmaceutical industry, also
smaller LifeScience companies are operating successfully in
Slovenia. The sector has a long tradition, nevertheless it is
highly dynamic and knowledge intensive, so new technologies are
emerging continuously. Slovene companies adapt quickly to the new
trends, there are also some niche leaders in the software
development. Development trends: Safe food; New technologies and
devices in medicine, pharmaceutics and biotechnology; 3.
"Tele-medicine" and "tele-nursing; 4. Cell therapy and tissue
engineering; 5. Caring for the elderly and patients. Advanced
materials and nanotechnology Multi-disciplinary and
trans-disciplinary research in order to foster key technological
advances in certain areas relating to inorganic non-metallic
materials and their implementation in electronics, optoelectronics,
photonics, and medicine. Excellent basic and applied science,
competences, quality of research and materials, need for better,
cheaper, durable and safe materials is growing. The sector derives
from plastic processing sector and does not have long tradition.
Its nature is interdisciplinary, this means it is dynamic and
research and knowledge intensive; new technologies are emerging
continuously. Slovene companies are adapting to the new trends,
especially in the field of usage of nanomaterial, nanotechnology in
various sectors (food, construction, health, cosmetics ).
Electrical and electronics industry Long-term tradition of
collaborating with western Europe shows the advantages of Slovene
electrical & electronics producing companies, their
competences, quality and competitiveness. Slovene companies are
development suppliers to mayor international companies supplying
components for various sectors automotive, household appliances,
energy sector and other. The sector has a long tradition,
nevertheless it is highly dynamic and knowledge intensive, so new
technologies are emerging continuously. Slovene companies adapt
quickly to the new trends, there are also some niche leaders in the
development of machines, running on alternative sources of energy
(interdisciplinary research). Development trends: Efficient use of
energy in electrical machines, apparatus, electronics, motors,
magnetic technologies; fuel cells technologies, embedded systems,
process automation: photovoltaics.
- 29. 29 2.3.5 Spain Sectors with the greatest potential in Spain
are automotive industry and renewable energy, which are one of the
leading sectors in an international scope, while technology sector
and consulting services sector were the least affected by recent
economic situation and thus promise best possibilities for highly
qualified employment. Automotive industry48 Design, development,
manufacture, marketing and selling of motor vehicles. Spain is one
of the most important motor vehicle producing countries in Europe
(second in the rank after Germany. Source: Organisation
Internationale des Constructeurs dAutomibiles). In Spain,
automotive industry activity is focused on manufacturing and
selling. Spain has a long history in the automotive industry.
Currently some of the most important companies in the sector have
factories in Spain. In the last 5 years, the percentage of direct
and indirect jobs over total labour force has remained stable
(about 9% over the total labour force). Renewable energy49
Renewable energy has experienced a significant progress in Spain
during the XXI century. This development has positioned the country
as a reference in the world. Spanish leading companies related with
renewable energies are: Iberdrola (world leader in wind energy),
Gamesa (global technological leader in the wind industry), Acciona,
Abengoa etc. Currently about 35% of the Spanish electricity demand
is supplied by renewable energy (including hydropower) and near 17%
is supplied by wind power. Regarding coverage of primary energy,
about 12% is covered by renewable sources. Along the years, the
renewable energy in Spain has had a limited development related to
the primary energy demand and to the power demand. But from the
beginning of the XXI. century this sector has been promoted by the
different governments and currently, as mentioned above, Spain is
one of the world leaders in the renewable energy. It is foreseen
that the GDP contribution of the renewable energy in Spain will be
1,22% over the GDP in 2015 and 1,42% over the GDP in 2020.
Technology50 48 Source: Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.
Invest in Spain. 49 Sources: Ministry of Industry, Energy and
Tourism. Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving and
Spanish Association of Renewable Energy Producers.
- 30. 30 The so-called ICT Sector is composed of the
manufacturing or service industries whose main activity is related
to the development, production, marketing and intensive use of
information technology and communications. The ICT sector is
characterized by high rates of innovation, technological progress
and productivity, so it has a significant impact on economic
activity. Since the nineties, in Spain, the ICT sector has
experienced an increasing dynamism, only interrupted by the
phenomenon associated with the crisis of the Internet bubble in
2001 and 2002, and perhaps now with the current economic crisis.
However, the estimates indicate that its effect on the ICT sector
would not be as pronounced as in other areas. The Spanish ICT
industry, account for about 20% of total R & D business. This
sector ranks second, after the business services segment R & D
and above sectors such as chemical, pharmaceutical, automotive,
mechanical and financial intermediation. Thus, the ICT sector is
one of the main driving forces of innovation in the country,
especially thanks to the IT services segment (which accounts for
50% of spending in the ICT sector), followed by telecommunications
and ICT manufacturing, representing 34% and 16%, respectively, of
the R & D sector. From 2006 to 2010 the number of companies in
the sector has increased to an average of 1,7% annually. Total
employment linked to ITC sector in 2011 was 355.376 employees. The
ITC sector GDP contribution in 2011 was about 5% over the GDP. It
is a fact that the economic crisis has affected the ICT sector to a
lesser extent than other sectors. The ICT industry will be a key
sector in the recovery. It forsees further job creation in the
sector, especially it will demand HE graduates. Consulting
services51 Consulting is one of the few areas in Spain that has
maintained positive growth despite the economic situation being
experienced by the country. One of the reasons for this behaviour
is the development of the external market, which reported more than
21% of the total sector income during 2011. As in other sectors,
the development of the consultancy has been linked to the
modernization of the Spanish economy. Currently the sector is
growing despite the difficult situation of the Spanish economy. In
Spain there are domestic firms and the most important foreign
firms, and all of them, since a few years, are competing in the
international market, exporting to other countries the best
practices of Spanish large companies and Spanish Public
Administration. 50 Sources: Ministry of Industry, Energy and
Tourism. National Observatory for Telecommunications and the
Information Society and Multisectorial Trade Association for
Electronics, Information and Communications Technologies,
Telecommunications and Digital Content Industries. 51 Source:
Spanish Association of Consulting Firms (AEC)
- 31. 31 During 2010 the total employment linked to consulting
services was 233.000 employees, the most of them high qualified
employees. According to the Spanish Association of consulting, 69%
of the sector employees have a college degree. It is one of the
sectors that demand more highly qualified employees. Between 2008
and 2010 the sector employment increased by 4,6%. As mentioned
above, the consulting companies demand highly qualified employment.
The evolution of the consulting services sector will need the
hiring of the HE graduates. According to this, some sector experts
think that the consulting industry will have a problem in the
future: the sector will need more resources than the Spanish
education system will be able to offer, because of the demographic
decline in Spain and the low value that society attaches to
technical careers.
- 32. 32 3 Overview of Best Practices and Project Reports on
University-Business Cooperation (including HRM Strategies of Higher
Education Institutions and Employers Organisations) Project
partners had to identify at least 4-5 projects, 4-5 best practices
of university-business cooperation and 4-5 HRM strategies of
companies/HEs, enhancing the collaboration among them. The partners
were instructed to identify the most relevant modes of cooperation
between universities and enterprises and their characteristics. The
partners identified a good number of modes/best practices of
university-business cooperation. The most common system approaches
are career centres of universities, internship programmes, joint
curriculum development, development of quality standards of
practical placement in enterprises, entrepreneurial courses in the
university study programmes, collaborative research, support to
start-up enterprises, knowledge/project consortia; alumni centres
and job fairs. There are also some particularities; e.i. study
visits of education policy specialists and decision-makers (EU
level) and Graduate career tracking service of universities
(Hungary). 3.1 Overview of Observed EU Reports, Best Practices, HRM
Strategies of International Companies and Universities On the EU
level the relevant projects were identified that were implemented
recently and are publicly available. Prior to that we have done an
extensive search of the project on the website and have chosen
those that in our opinion match EMCOSU project goals the most.
Regarding university strategies on EU level this approach was
slightly different as we were not searching for EU institutions but
national universities which are ranked as the top universities
according to Academic Ranking of World Universities 2012. We have
selected only European universities but from different countries. A
big role of the selection also played the availability of
information on the strategies on the webpages of particular
universities. HRM strategies of companies were selected and later
analysed in a similar way. After reviewing different lists of best
EU companies we have identified several of them. The report
includes those companies that were on these lists and their
strategies were publically available on their webpages. 3.1.1 EU
Projects and Reports
- 33. 33 New Skills and Jobs in Europe: Pathways towards Full
Employment52 (EC 2012) The report reviewed 17 research projects,
which investigated the determinants of skill formation and job
creation designed to promote economic and social cohesion, financed
by the DG Research. Among the most important skills and activities
identified as needed in the EU labour market are: Cognitive logic
of learning; More knowledge at work & new skills; flexicurity;
Soft skills: HE offers specialised functional skills important for
product innovation, yet not necessarily the soft skills for process
innovation and large-scale diffusion of IT technologies which are
especially important to small and medium-sized firms trying to
close the productivity gap; Improving the links between education
and labour market systems; Anticipation of skills needs, matching
and guidance services are thus fundamental in order to raise
productivity, competitiveness, economic growth and employment;
Early investments of labour market systems in education; Economic
logic of investment in education; Better job quality and working
condition. Linking the Worlds of Work and Education through
Tempus53 (Jongsma et al 2007) With the advance of the
knowledge-intensive economies in Europe, the issue of university-
business partnership became prominent on the agenda of European
higher education policy. Therefore universities can no longer stay
as an independent academic force in our knowledge society. They
need to cooperate with public and private organisations and
enterprises in order to produce employable students and to maximise
the use of knowledge. The document explains the benefit of
collaboration: Technological Advancement: enterprises which
consider human resources as key resource cannot ignore
universities; in order to produce employable students, universities
cannot ignore the needs of those enterprises. Globalisation: new
demands on the core skills Being flexible and adjusting to labour
market needs. Elitist, conservative and independent academic
culture limits the access for outside interference. Funding: a
driver as well as an obstacle, can boost the university-enterprise
cooperation. 52 Source: European Commision. 2012. New Skills and
New jobs in Europe: Pathways towards full employment. 53 Source:
Jongsma, Ard, Claire Morel and Ulrike Damyanovic. 2007. Linking the
worlds of work and education through Tempus. European
commision.
- 34. 34 Institutional management: partnership between
universities and enterprises depend on the university management
willingness to develop a new vision and introduce new core tasks.
Education policy and legislation is a powerful facilitator,
allowing universities to raise funds on a commercial basis and
incentive to industry for cooperating more closely with
universities. The report identified three modes of
university-enterprise cooperation (and the implemented activities):
The establishment of cooperation platforms participation in
governing boards of enterprises and universities, participation in
recruitment committees in enterprises, establishment of technology
transfer centres, start-up of new joint enterprises etc. Joint
curriculum development joint analysis of training needs, joint
development of teaching and learning modules, joint education and
training projects etc. Mobility exchange of staff between
universities and enterprises, sabbatical leave for university staff
in enterprises and vice versa etc. 30 Good Practice Case Studies in
University-Business Cooperation54 (Davey et al 2009) The document
describes the UBC in Europe, relevant for university management and
knowledge transfer professionals, all levels of government
responsible for economic development and for business seeking to
increase innovation through UBC. In these good practices, the
following five elements are important: Stakeholders: the mutual
cooperation of government agencies, higher education institutions
and business. Factors of Cooperation: strategies, structures and
approaches, activities and framework conditions. Influencing
factors: barriers, drivers and situational factors. Types of
cooperation: collaboration in research and development (R&D),
mobility of academics, mobility of students, commercialisation of
R&D results, curriculum development and delivery, lifelong
learning, entrepreneurship and governance. UBC Ecosystem (Regional
characteristics; Participation of multiple stakeholders; The extent
of cooperation: differences among regions; Transferable practices:
case studies as models; Commitment: longer term commitment among
stakeholders for success Funding: longer and sustainable funding
models from private and multiple stakeholders). European University
Enterprise Network (EUE-NET)55 54 Source: Davey, Todd, Thomas
Baaken, Michael Deery and Victoria Galan Muros. 2009. 30 good
practice case studies in university-business cooperation (UBC).
European commision. 55 Source: European University Enterprise
Network (EUE-NET).
- 35. 35 The project deals with development of quality standards
of practical placement in enterprises in order to enhance of the
quality of practical placements of students. Other activities are:
Increasing the presence of companies representatives within the
University activities (designing, experimenting and promoting
appropriate innovative mobility schemes involving entrepreneurs).
Tuning Entrepreneurship - defining generic entrepreneurial skills
for the students and best profile of teachers in order to enhance
the entrepreneurial approach within the university sector.
Development and networking at European level the University
entities having as natural vocation the link between University and
Enterprise: Network of Career Development Offices. Business and
Schools: Building the World of Work together56 (UK Commission for
Employment and Skills 2012) This document looks into the
perceptions and experiences of business when working with schools
to build the world of work into education. It is also explaining
how businesses influence the design and delivery of curriculum,
provide work experience and raise awareness of careers.
Explanations of key areas in which businesses are currently working
with schools, business and education perspectives, barriers etc.,
are explained in detail. The identified best practices are (a)
business engagement with schools and (b) business perceptions and
experiences reveal the importance of attributes and qualities and
employability skills (enterprises recon young people are poorly
prepared, they lack experiences, attitudes and motivation).
Nevertheless, benefits of cooperation are identified and are the
following: For Enterprises: skilled young people, greater
productivity, reduced training and supervision cost, improve staff
morale, community engagement, social mobility, diversity and
inclusion, winning public contracts and raising awareness and
building reputation. For Schools: improvement in school
performance, employment prospects for students, enrichment and
enhancement of the delivery of education, providing quality work
experience opportunities, providing career information and raising
the profile of careers in sector and teacher placements
University-Economy Partnerships for enhancing Knowledge Transfer57
(World University Service Austria 2010) The project aims at
improving the relationship between education and economy. World
University Service (WUS) has been playing a great role in the
reconstruction and advancement 56 Source: UK Commission for
Employment and Skills. 2012. Business and Schools: Building the
world of work together. 57 Source: World University Service
Austria. 2010. University-Economy Partnerships for enhancing
Knowledge Transfer.
- 36. 36 process of higher education. Universities in general are
playing an essential role in strengthening economic competitiveness
of the region. The state of European university-business
cooperation58 (SciencetoBusiness Marketing Research Centre 2011)
Despite the proven advantages and benefits of university-business
cooperation (UBC) for universities, business, students and society
as a whole, quantitative measurements of these connections in
Europe are few and far from exhaustive. This report of the
Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre (in Mnster, Germany)
is presenting the results of the first such major study. Instead of
concentrating on the outcomes of UBC, this study takes the point of
view of those actually undertaking UBC, their personal views and
behavioural issues. The goal of the study is finding out how
extensive is UBC in European HEIs, why some academics and HEIs
engage in UBC and others dont, and - if influencing factors are
only part of the explanation for UBC activity - what else can help
to explain total European UBC. Considering the extent of UBC in
European HEIs, results show that other than some exceptions, UBC in
Europe is still in the early stages of development. Although most
HEIs engage in some form of UBC, most academics are still engaged
only to a low extent or not at all. Cooperation takes place in
eight distinctive ways (collaboration in research and development
(R&D), mobility of academics, mobility of students,
commercialisation of R&D results, curriculum development and
delivery, lifelong learning (LLL), entrepreneurship, governance),
amongst which there are clear relationships. More developed types
of UBC (e.g. R&D and commercialization of its results) offer
more direct, measurable and promotable benefits, while the least
developed types (governance, mobility of academics) provide more
indirect benefits and little ability to promote. The differences in
the extent to which academics and HEIs engage in UBC can be
explained by different factors. One of these factors are perceived
benefits of UBC for stakeholders, for instance academics
acknowledge benefits for students, business and HEIs, but do not
recognise the benefits for themselves and thus engage in UBC to a
lesser extent. Besides perceived benefits, the most important
factors are perceived drivers and barriers of UBC. The academics or
HEIs perceiving higher drivers are generally more engaged in UBC
than those perceiving lower drivers. As for barriers, academics
perceive lack of funding and too much bureaucracy in the HEI to be
the main problems, while HEIs agree on funding, but dont recognise
bureaucracy as such a barrier. Drivers and barriers are also
interrelated even if funding is provided, it does not guarantee
cooperation, if important drivers (e.g. existence of shared goals,
mutual commitment and trust) or perceived benefits are not
developed enough. Besides the benefits, drivers and barriers, there
are also situational factors that influence the extent of
engagement in UBC, like 58 Source: SciencetoBusiness Marketing
Research Centre. 2011. The state of European university-business
cooperation.