The European Commission has approved the first of eight national programmes implementing the Partnership Agreement. The European Funds for a Modern Economy 2021-2027 programme, with a budget of €7.9 billion, is the largest national programme to support innovation in the European Union.

The European Funds for a Modern Economy (FENG) programme is a continuation of the two previous programmes Innovative Economy 2007-2013 and Intelligent Development 2014-2020. It is the first national programme approved by the European Commission for the implementation of the Cohesion Policy 2021-2027 in Poland. This amounts to €7.9 billion, which will reach Polish companies.

Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy notes that FENG is largely a continuation of the Inteligent Development 2014-2020 Programme, but is characterised by a new, complex approach to the entrepreneur’s needs in conducting R&D work and implementing its results in the company or organisation.

The implemented projects will not only strengthen the Polish economy but will also allow it to shift to a higher level of technological and environmental sophistication.

In the European Innovation Ranking 2021, Poland is described as an emerging innovator (65.9% of the EU average). Analysis of individual areas indicates a low level of innovativeness of enterprises compared to the EU average in the following areas: enterprises’ expenditures on R&D, expenditures on innovations per employee, product innovations or innovative small and medium-sized enterprises cooperating with other entities.

The EUR 7.9 billion granted to Poland is also expected to lead to an intensification of cooperation between science and business, which will increase Poland’s innovativeness.

Adrian Andrzejewski