Olimpija Hristova Zaevska, PhD, Founder and Managing Director of Elson Solutions, delivered a lecture on the role of innovation in accelerating economic growth to young researchers from across the Western Balkans.
The lecture was held within the Future of Economy Academy, organized by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, in Peja, Kosovo, and brought together emerging researchers interested in economic development, innovation policy, and regional competitiveness.
Innovation Beyond Individual Projects
The session emphasized that innovation-driven growth requires more than isolated projects or start-up activity. Sustainable impact depends on the development of strong innovation ecosystems and clusters that connect research institutions, businesses, finance, and public policy. Such ecosystems enable ideas to move from research to market and to scale effectively.
A key focus of the discussion was the importance of innovation value capture, particularly through patenting and intellectual property protection. Without mechanisms that allow innovators and economies to retain value, innovation struggles to translate into long-term economic gains.
The Need for Strategic Focus
The lecture also addressed the current gap in many Western Balkan economies, where innovation strategies remain fragmented or underdeveloped, with limited attention given to how innovation contributes to productivity, competitiveness, and structural transformation. Without a coordinated strategic approach, economic leapfrogging—both in innovation capacity and overall development—becomes extremely difficult.
By engaging directly with young researchers, the session encouraged critical reflection on how policy design, institutional frameworks, and regional cooperation can better support innovation-led growth.
Commitment to Knowledge Exchange
Through participation in initiatives such as the Future of Economy Academy, Elson Solutions continues to support regional capacity building, knowledge exchange, and evidence-based economic thinking, contributing to the development of more resilient and competitive economies across the Western Balkans.
