O30 - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights: GeneralReturn

Radovan Richta was a Czech academic, philosopher, sociologist, prognostic, and head of an interdisciplinary research team. He specialised in the issues of the scientific and technological revolution and its social and human contexts. Both in the East and the West, he was famous for the work of Civilization on the Crossroad, which in many ways surpassed its time. Richta (and his team of scientists) may perhaps be considered the predecessors of the Roman Club. His link is highly inspirational for the current reflection on the so-called fourth industrial revolution and civilizational milestones as well as system changes.

A. Toffler was an American writer, a journalist, a speculative and futurist-sociologist often referred to as the "guru" of futurology, and the author of a number of influential world bestsellers. He is famous in the wider public through works concerning the impacts of modern technologies, digitalisation, the information revolution, and great civilization waves in the rapidly approaching future.

F. Valenta was a Czech economist, academician. He is famous for his research into micro and macro theory of innovations (including the consequences). He was interested in the development of science and technology, efficiency and innovation processes. He created the comprehensive theory of innovations. This theory is breakthrough for the classifications of innovations with innovation orders. His ideas are inspirational even nowadays in both theory and practice.

J. A. Schumpeter was an Austro-American economist, historian of economic science, political scientist, lawyer and politician, ranking among the most famous, outstanding and cited economists of the 20th century. He created a dynamic theory of development based on innovations, researched economic cycles, issues including long waves, innovations, entrepreneurship, and theory of evolution.

The paper deals with the state and development of knowledge economy in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and its contribution to national competitiveness. The main goal is to discuss whether a relationship between the level of knowledge economy and macroeconomic competitiveness can be found. This is evaluated and confirmed by correlation between the Knowledge Economy Index and the Global Competitiveness Index among the EU member states. The same procedure of evaluation is conducted for Central and Eastern European member countries, confirming the relationship, though giving a lower correlation coefficient. Considering the fact that the CEE region consists of less developed former socialist countries, the lower correlation coefficient might point out to a lower knowledge base of its macroeconomic competitiveness. A specific attention is paid to the three most developed knowledge economies in the CEE region - the Czech Republic, Estonia and Slovenia. The case of Estonia, which has been a relatively poorer country, doubts the assumption that rich countries invest in the development of knowledge economy the most.