SMEs' CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY PERFORMANCE AND THEIR SUPPORT WITHIN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

The article deals with the role of small and medium-sized enterprises, especially of the so-called high-tech enterprises, in terms of their contribution to the knowledge-based society performance in the Czech Republic. The research is based on background research of relevant scientific literature, official statistics and documents, as well as on authors’ study of preliminary research works related to this issue. Our attention is focused on (absolute) efficiency indicators of high-tech enterprises (revenues and value added) and on their relation to the number of employees. The analysis is performed both by size and industry groups covering the period 1995-2005. Special attention is paid to the comparison of monitored indicators achieved in high-tech enterprises operating both in manufacturing and in services, considering the importance of the tertiary sector in developed economies. SMEs represent a significant element of each market economy; they are considered as important innovation potential bearers and have significant impact on regional cohesion. Therefore they are supported both at the European Union level and at the national level. Such support has its tradition and is characterized by new trends and new (currently having been prepared) instruments. The aim of this article is to find answers to the following issues: ? Is the reason for promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises rather in their capacity of being market stabilizers with regard to the employment issue, or of contributors to the knowledge-based economy performance in the Czech Republic? ? Is there an upward trend in the efficiency indicators and in the high-tech enterprises development indicators in the Czech Republic and does this trend correlate with growth of wealth in the Czech economy? ? Does the trend of the high-tech services indicators correspond to increasing contribution of the tertiary sector to the creation of wealth in comparison to the high-tech manufacturing companies’ indicators? ? Do support tools correspond to trends and needs of small and mediumsized enterprises in the Czech Republic?