Demand for Knowledge in the Process of European Economic Integration

Demand for knowledge has become the main engine for knowledge driven economic development. In this respect, to make national and European initiatives effective, it is necessary to define the demand for knowledge, able to contribute to European dynamic development. With regards to solution of this problem, the main objective of this thematic collection is to gain a better understanding of demand for knowledge in the process of European economic integration as an engine for innovative development in a globalized world. The collection is also oriented to define problems and possible solutions for governmental, business, educational, academic, non-governmental and international institutions, which could be used as a background for their policy-making. The main topics discussed here are: • Demand for Knowledge in Modern Development; • Sectoral and Regional Aspects of Innovation; • Institutional Dynamics of Demand for New Knowledge; • Legal Framework for Developing Demand for New Knowledge; • Demand for Social Sciences and Humanity; • Human Factor in Knowledge Society. The collection consists of 28 papers presenting results of research of 37 authors from 3 Austrian, 1 British, 11 Bulgarian, 1 Finish, 1 Hungarian, 1 Rumanian and 1 Turkish academic organization. A debt of gratitude is owed to authors, all of which took the challenge to discuss the demand for knowledge from the perspective of social sciences and humanities. Acknowledgments for this collection are due to the consulting scientific advisory board from the Bulgarian Academy of sciences: Member-corr. Prof. Atanass Atanassov – scientific secretary for social sciences of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Chairman), Member-corr. Prof. Vassil Prodanov – director of Institute of Philosophical Studies, Prof. D.Sc. Kostadinka Simeonova – director of Center of Science Studies and History of Science, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mitko Dimitrov – director of Institute of Economics, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tatyana Kotseva – director of Institute of Center for Population Studies, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Velina Topalova – director of Institute of Sociology, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veselin Tzankov – director of the Institute of Legal Studies, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Veselina Rusenova – director of the Institute of Psychology, managed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mitko Dimitrov, and from the Union of scientists in Bulgaria, which reviewed the papers. With many thanks are accepted the comments of colleagues, who participated in a conference in Sofia and a workshop in Dryanovo in 2006, from Austria – Anja Bauer, Martin Felix Gajdusek and Dr.Liliana Mateeva; from Bulgaria – Member-corr. Prof. Atanass Atanassov, Member-corr. Prof. Vasil Prodanov, Prof. D.Sc. Kostadinka Simeonova, Prof. D.Sc. Georgi Mintchev, Prof. D.Sc. Marta Sugareva, Prof. Dr. Nadejda Nikolova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bojana Gingeva, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gancho Ganchev, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Liliana Pavlova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nikolay Mateev, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Plamen Pachev, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vesselin Mintchev, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vassil Sivov, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vassil Tsankov, Dr. Adelina Milanova, Dr. Veselina Maneva, Dragomir Gospodinov, Kamelia Lilova, Radoslav Stanolov, Vasil Kovatchev; from Greece –George Srogylopoulos – Chairman of Logotech SA, Athens; from FYROM / Macedonia – Katerina Šumanovska, from Romania – Dr. Claudia Tuclea; from Turkey – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexi Danchev, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Michael Andy MacAdams. Highly is appreciated the English language editing and layout made by Diana Dimitrova, also the assistance of Ivanka Nacheva, Magdalena Nickolova, Rozalina Tsvetarska and Zlatka Pandeva. The collection of the papers became possible thanks to the organizational and financial support of the Institute of Economics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Austrian Science Office Sofia (ASO), and the Union of scientists in Bulgaria.