Demand-oriented S&T policies as an alternative strategy for post-socialist countries

The paper shows that in the changing environment of Eastern Europe, a demand-oriented industrial economic approach is required to identify possible starting points for an efficient S&T policy. The methodology developed from this investigation is then briefly applied to the software, shipbuilding and computer industries in Eastern Europe. Findings indicate that Western models do not work in Eastern Europe and that the required policy measures differ immensely between the different sectors. Thus, for instance, a specific S&T policy is not required for the computer industry while in the case of the software sector several possible starting points could be identified.