Building a more competitive and smarter Europe as a goal of the cohesion policy of the European Union – the perspective of the Polish economy

The primary objective of this article is to illustrate the strategic goals outlined in the European Union's cohesion policy PO1, "A more competitive and smarter Europe" in the context of Poland for the period 2021-2027, and provide an overview of the initial experiences of Poland in implementing these goals.A secondary objective is to present the features and evaluate the European Union's cohesion policy concerning support for research and innovation (R&I), particularly within the programming period of 2021-2027.Design/methodology/approach: The research employed various methods, including a literature analysis focusing on EU funds, cohesion policy and innovation, an analysis of EU strategic and programming documents for the period 2021-2027, as well as analysis of the financial data contained therein, mainly relating to the area of "A more competitive and smarter Europe".This specific area, constituting a key aspect of the EU cohesion policy, serves as the primary focus of the study, with particular attention given to its application in Poland.The deductive method was employed for reasoning, and the research findings were presented using graphical methods.Findings: The funding allocated to R&I in the EU has been progressively increasing.In the period from 2000 to 2006, the allocation was approximately EUR 26 billion, and for the years 2021-2027, there is a planned investment of EUR 137.5 billion in this area.These funds are designated to be utilized under one of the five objectives of the EU cohesion policy for 2021-2027, specifically PO1, known as "A more competitive and smarter Europe".The implementation of the PO1 objective aims to bridge the innovation and digital divide across the EU.In Poland, a substantial investment of EUR 16,046 billion is earmarked to achieve this goal.The initial competition organized in Poland under the SMART path has demonstrated significant interest in these funds, presenting an opportunity to enhance the country's innovativeness.Research limitations/implications: The research faced limitations, particularly in maintaining the consistency of homogeneous financial data.The primary source utilized was the Cohesion Data Platform, chosen for its up-to-date information.Another constraint was the nascent stage A. Malkowska, A. Bera, A. Malkowski, I. Penza of competitions for EU funding under SMART paths, which significantly restricted the availability of research material.Practical implications: The research can be used by potential beneficiaries of EU funds to create innovative projects that can be submitted to subsequent SMART competitions in the future.Originality/value: Considering that the topic revolves around a relatively recent subject, namely Smarter Europe in the 2021-2027 perspective, and is grounded in the most current data available as of the end of 2023, the article contributes to both domestic and foreign literature on the subject of subsidy support instruments directed towards enterprises through state institutions.