Dynamics of the Innovative Activities and the Long-term Intangible Assets of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Bulgaria

The present report contains a retrospective analysis of the innovative activities of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Bulgaria. It discusses the national innovation policy in the conditions of an economic crisis. The problematic spheres are commented. The innovation index of Bulgarian companies is accepted as the main criterion and indicator as a composite measure of innovation activity, which distinguishes between the levels of novelty of an innovation (new to the company, new to the national market and new internationally) and the types of innovations combined by a company (product, process, marketing and/or organizational). Four years analysis is made for the innovation intensity in Bulgarian firms. As a result total number of enterprises which introduce different innovations increased between 3 and 9 percent. In this paper the relationship between innovation intensity and the volume of firm's intangible assets is found. A four-year retrospective analysis is made of the long-term intangible assets (LTIA) of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises on the basis of their balance sheets. The statistic data have been processed graphically. The development trends are outlined by economical sectors. The authors conclude that Bulgaria needs an integrated national strategy for scientific, technological and innovation development, for defining priorities (economic sectors, technological fields) which will become the driving factor for the development of the economy as a whole; for applying working mechanisms in order to achieve the strategic goals of Bulgaria as part of the EU.