ABSTRACT
The transformation of the socio-economic system taking place in the postCommunist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, has produced profound changes in the spatial organization and functioning of industry. In tum, these changes have implied new relationships among manufacturing firms, new channels for the transfer of knowledge, and new environmental imperatives. This chapter analyzes the different paths of industrial transformation in Poland during the last ten years following the beginning of the process of the market orientation of the economy. The chapter focuses on the role of innovative and knowledge-based industries, particularly from the perspective of the problem of 'catch-up' that firms in these industries face in Poland.
