Innovation propensity of the SME sector in emerging markets: evidence from Poland

This article addresses the need for further understanding of innovation among firms in the SME sector in Poland. The study focuses on the analysis of primary data. The sample size was equal to 500 firms from the SME sector, of which 273 agreed to participate in the study. The study offers two major conclusions. First, it confirms that there is no one typical challenge the SME sector faces with respect to its approach to innovation. The challenges to innovation can be discerned along three dimensions: innovation conceptualisation, innovation implementation and functional area innovation. Second, the data confirm that Polish SME firms generally struggle with commercialisation.