Problemi Ekonomiki (Jun 2020)
Instruments of State Support for the Startup Ecosystem: Experience of Central and Eastern Europe
Abstract
The article deals with analyzing the practices of state support for the startup ecosystem in countries of Central and Eastern Europe using the example of Poland, Estonia, Belarus, and Hungary. These countries have indicators of startup ecosystem development similar to those of Ukraine. However, they are characterized by significant government participation in the formation of the national startup sector. In recent years, Ukraine has made progress in developing its startup ecosystem, but the role of the state in this process remains minimal. The aim of the article is to study the level of development of national start-up ecosystems in countries of Central and Eastern Europe as well as instruments of state support for ecosystems in this region, which can be used by Ukraine to stimulate the development of its national start-up industry. The article provides a comparative analysis of Ukraine with other countries of Eastern Europe according to rankings of startup ecosystems, competitiveness and innovativeness of the economy, business conditions, and level of education. It is established that Ukraine has high positions in the rankings of start-up ecosystems. However, it lags behind other countries of the region in rankings of national economies. In most countries of Eastern Europe, the state is an important agent of the startup ecosystem. Using the examples of Estonia, Poland, Hungary, and Belarus, the instruments of state stimulation of start-ups are studied. They are developed, as a rule, as part of strategic programs for digitalization of the country, development of innovative entrepreneurship and high-tech industries. The article identifies the priority areas of state support for start-up ecosystems in these countries, namely, legislative initiatives aimed at liberalization of the conditions of activities of new entrepreneurial structures; public investment; development of human resources; creation of competence centers; media and event management.
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