THE ROLE OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN PROMOTING INNOVATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Abstract

This paper highlights the significance of innovation and ICT, in other words, the tendency is to provide proper perception of the importance of ICT regarding innovations condition as one of the key elements for developing Macedonian economy by efficient analysis of the existing data in the Republic of Macedonia and in worldwide. Innovation analysis is not an aim perse, but a powerful tool for understanding the real condition and a basis for suggesting measures for its development. The significance and role of ICT and innovation is great both on company’s and economy’s level. Innovations generally are human activity, and innovation support is the principal task of the management and key responsibility of the companies' managers. The fast development of technology has created new requests in companies in search of new technological improvements by applying new ICT. ICT and innovations are of great importance for the economical development and prosperity in the Republic of Macedonia, which is the main hypothesis, "ICT plays an important role in promoting innovations and innovation activities". Analysis results demonstrated that the developed countries have greater contribution in promoting ICT and innovations. While the results from the empirical research implied to accepting certain hypothesis, which led to accepting the main hypothesis that ICT play important role in promoting innovations and innovation activities in the Republic of Macedonia.

Keywords

• ICT
• innovations
• economical growth
• innovation activities.