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Abstract: This study provides a comparative analysis of the national intellectual property ecosystems in Croatia and Slovenia. In contrast to national innovation systems, national intellectual property ecosystems are rarely studied. The starting point for the research was the institutions within the national innovation system. The authors examined which institutions – such as research and business agencies, technology transfer offices, incubators, intellectual property offices, and inventors’ associations – provide intellectual property-related services. In addition, they analysed industrial property data (patents, industrial designs, trademarks) and innovation indexes. Findings indicate that while Slovenia has outperformed Croatia in several industrial property and innovation indicators, a decline over the last ten years in some key areas, such as national patent applications and innovation indexes, may suggest emerging vulnerabilities. Croatia, on the other hand, is showing signs of strengthening its intellectual property ecosystem and engagement with digital tools, which may position it more favourably in the future. By identifying gaps and challenges within each ecosystem, this study highlights opportunities for mutual learning, where Croatia and Slovenia can adopt best practices from one another to enhance their intellectual property strategies.
Keywords: intellectual property, national innovation systems, support institutions, industrial property, technology transfer, innovation indexes
Published in DiRROS: 17.08.2026; Views: 187; Downloads: 78
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Abstract: Empowering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students as active participants in their learning is increasingly critical for fostering sustainability-oriented competencies in higher education. There is a growing need to develop curricula that integrate sustainability, entrepreneurship, and interdisciplinary skills to prepare students for complex societal challenges. This study hypothesises that participatory, learner-centred approaches enhance students’ acquisition of sustainability-focused innovation competencies. A mixed-methods study was conducted, including surveys, co-design workshops, and the development of digital learning modules to assess students’ awareness, self-assessed knowledge, and preferred learning methods. Results indicate significant gaps between the perceived importance of key sustainability competencies ‒ such as financial literacy, circular economy practices, and environmental monitoring ‒ and students’ self-assessed proficiency, as well as a preference for practical, collaborative, and problem-based learning formats. The findings demonstrate that participatory, learner-centred interventions can effectively translate competence gaps into educational solutions, fostering engagement, practical skills, and scalable models for sustainable innovation in higher education.
Keywords: innovation competencies, STEM
Published in DiRROS: 03.07.2026; Views: 339; Downloads: 154
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Keywords: most, ponovna uporaba, reciklirani materiali, armirana zemljina, aditivna proizvodnja, partnerstvo za inovacije, bridge, reuse, recycled materials, geosynthetic reinforced soil, additive manufacturing, innovation partnership
Published in DiRROS: 17.03.2026; Views: 581; Downloads: 0
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Abstract: Quantum technologies are central to the global innovation race. While national strategies are designed to secure technological sovereignty, the relationship between strategic timing and actual innovation output is complex. However, the fundamental question remains: does policy actively drive the innovation cycle or merely follow it? This study addresses this relationship by focusing on the temporal alignment between the release of national quantum strategies and the resulting patent application volume across countries (2014–2023). Utilizing PATSTAT data, with a focus on the patent application date, we establish that the global application peak occurred in 2022. This finding reveals a significant temporal paradox: while early movers like the US (National Strategic Overview for Quantum Information Systems and Related Documents, 2018) and the Netherlands (National Agenda for Quantum Technology, 2019) acted proactively, the majority of nations (including Germany, France, and Japan) released their strategies in 2023—after the innovation peak had already been reached. We further analyse the China situation (leading patent volume without a publicly available strategy) and the Netherlands paradox (early strategy despite low domestic patent count). The study's primary quantitative measure is the lag time between a strategy's publication date and the subsequent peak in a nation's domestic quantum patent applications. By analysing this temporal gap, the research provides empirical evidence to validate the effectiveness of strategic foresight versus reactive policymaking
Keywords: quantum technologies, national strategies, innovation flows, patent activity
Published in DiRROS: 03.02.2026; Views: 612; Downloads: 409
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Abstract: Ljubljana was the first post-socialist city awarded with the title European Green Capital. The title awarded by the European Commission is given to a city that is achieving high environmental standards, is setting ambitious goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development, and can act as a role model to inspire other cities and promote best practices to all other European cities. The article is based on a hypothesis that at the moment when Ljubljana applied for (and was awarded) the European Green Capital title, it had strong strategic spatial planning and successful territorial governance, as well as the interweaving of both. To prove the hypothesis, the timetable and characteristics of the strategic spatial planning and territorial governance in Ljubljana are presented in this article and critically evaluated. Critical evaluation and analyses are also assessed using a qualitative research method, i.e., semi-structured in-depth interviews among experts from four professional fields including spatial planning, urbanism, architecture, and management. The results confirmed the hypothesis: Ljubljana’s sustainability-oriented strategic spatial plan prepared by a variety of stakeholders, experts, and citizens, as well as the effective governance system established by the mayor, a manager by profession, were two factors that coincided at a crucial moment. This was recognized by the European Commission and Ljubljana was awarded a prestigious title. Ljubljana can therefore serve as an excellent sustainable example for other post-socialist cities in terms of strategic spatial planning and governance.
Keywords: sustainable city development, urban planning, post-socialist city, sustainable innovation
Published in DiRROS: 10.02.2025; Views: 1721; Downloads: 893
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