Selected Aspects of the Structural Changes and the Innovativeness of Silesian Industry – a Spatial Perspective

Abstract

Structural changes and production innovation lead to an increase in labour productivity and have a positive impact on the economic growth of country and its regions. The aim of the study is to present selected issues relating to changes in the structure and the level of innovativeness in Silesia, highly industrialized region in south western Poland (the region covers three voivodeships: Lower Silesian, Opole and Silesian). Furthermore, assess the degree of spatial changes of industry in the whole analyzed area in the period 2005-2012 has been done. The scope of the analysis depends on the availability of data on local level. The article presents an analysis on the changes of the spatial differentiation of selected indicators in Silesia, like working in industry, production, value of industrial output, gross value added. Analysis of innovative activities in voivodeships (= provinces) in Poland and in the poviats (= counties) of Silesian region was based on four indicators, which characterize innovation activity, expenditure on it, its effectiveness as revenues from the production of new or substantially improved products and the level of fitting with the means of manufacturing automation. These parameters were used to construct a synthetic indicator of structural changes and innovation that illustrates the intra-regional competitiveness of the poviats. Analysis of structural changes and innovation of the industry of Silesia is presented in relation to other voivodeships what allows to determine the position of the region to the rest of the country.