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Introduction
Emergingtechnologies,suchasinformationtechnology,educationaltechnologies,biotech-
nology,createthepotentialforgreaterefciency,newbusinessopportunitiesandeconomic
growth.Thereforethesetechnologiesconstituteanimportantstrategicelementdefiningthe
futureofEuropeanUnion(EU)inthe21stcentury.
Theincreasedinterestinemergingtechnologiesandinnovationsnotonlyisaresult
ofthedeepeningknowledgeregardingitandthecomplexityofthetopic,butalsoreflects
anappreciationoftheimportantroletheyplayindeterminingtheeconomicwelfareand
qualityoflifeintheEU.TheEuropeancompetitiveadvantageonglobalsceneaswell
asitsimprovementsinthequalityoflifeisdeterminedbythecapacityofEUregions,
communitiesandindividualstotransformtheseadvancedtechnologiesintosocio-eco-
nomicbenefits.Numerouspoliticaldeclarationsandtheoreticalconceptsemphasizetheir
significance,butprovideratherweakevidenceoftheirroleintheempiricalstudies.The
emergenceofthesenewtechnologies,andtheirincreasingconvergencepresentboth
opportunitiesandchallenges,whichshouldbeinvestigatedbyresearchersandfurther
onconsideredbypolicymakers.
Thefollowingstudydiscussesfirstly,theroleofemergingtechnologiesandinno-
vationsinbuildingeconomicprosperityandqualityoflifeinPolandandtheEU,and
secondlypointtothemajorpresentandfuturechallengesrelatedtothesetechnologies
onnational,regionalandindividuallevels.
Thebookcontainssevenchapters.Thefirstchapteropensthediscussiononthedrivers
andsocio-economicchallenges,suchassustainabilityinrelationwith21stcenturyinnova-
tionsandtechnologicaladvances.Thesecondchapteremphasizesthekeyroleofprivate
firmsandclustersforthedevelopmentandadoptionofthesetechnologicaladvancesand
givessomepossiblepolicyactionstoboostprivateR&Dinvestmentsandinnovativecli-
mate.Thethirdchaptertakesuptheroleoflatestdevelopmentsandinnovationsinmeet-
ingthechallengesofenvironmentalsustainability.Therecentreportofthe2030Water
ResourceGrouppredictsthattheworldwidewatersupply-to-demandgapislikelytoreach
approximately40%by2030unlesssignificantefciencygainscanbemade.Itfurther
onpredictsthatbytheyear2050,around60%oftheworld’spopulationcouldexperience
severewatershortages.IntheEU,waterscarcityanddroughtsalreadyafectonethird
oftheEUterritoryacrossdiferentlatitudes.Thesamechapteroutlinessomeofthechal-
lengesandsuggestssomeexploitabletechnologicalsolutionsinthisfield.
Thefourthchapterdiscussestheimportantroleplayedbytheentrepreneurialcul-
ture,geographicalproximityandsocialcapitalnetworkinginenhancinginnovationsand
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