Jan Sulmicki
pages: 66-75, JEL classification: O1, Q01, Key words: R&D, transformation, Poland, Abstract: Basing on official statistical data, the article presents changes in R&D taking place in Poland in 1975-2009. In 1975 the Polish centrally-planned economy held a strong position in Europe, especially if we measure it by the number of scientific and technical staff employed in research and development. After transition to a market economy, the level of employment in R&D continually decreased and in 2009 reached 40% of the level from 1975. At the same time, the European Union experienced growth of employment in R&D; for example in Spain R&D employment grew 17-fold (by 1688%).Poland will need to increase its innovativeness in order to effectively compete in the global economy.