ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how decentralized innovation policy helps to develop innovation through its own instruments, contacts between SMEs and universities and research institutes. It is based on the preliminary results of research in the Bratislava region. The Bratislava region has many SMEs, research institutes and universities and as such, it has the excellent potential for possible contacts among firms and research institutes and for possible technology and knowledge transfers. Slovakia is one of the countries, characteristic with rapid transition of its industry and increasing innovative activities in its core region, Bratislava. The technology sectors, which IRC concentrates on, are tool processing for the automotive industry, wood processing, information technology, biotechnology, environment and non-nuclear energy and the agro food sector. In order to interpret innovation policy it is necessary to describe the changes in economic policy.
