Innovation and human capital in the regional development

Abstract

The article focuses on the issues of innovation and human capital as endogenous factors of regional development. It shows the importance of regional innovation and human capital for improvement of regional competitiveness and increasing development opportunities in an intensifying rivalry between contemporary socio-territorial systems, the regions in particular. The first part of the article has a briefly definitional approach of regional development, paying attention to the many aspects of this process and the importance of internal quality factors and development resources. In the second part of the study innovation of regions was defined as the ability to implement reforms, changes and improvements in the sphere of socio-economic development aimed at improving the effectiveness of mechanisms to support regional development. Pro-development impact of innovation in the territorial dimension was shown in the course of the analysis of the structure and functioning of regional innovation networks, environment and regional innovation strategies. In the third part of the article human capital was characterized as an important factor for development of the region. The significance of this endogenous development resource is shown in the context of the theory of regional innovation systems, the concept of learning region and the concept of the creative class. Included in the article analysis and characterization of pro-development impact of innovation and human capital in the regional level, show the importance of social and cultural phenomena as a soft, non-economic factors of economic growth and development