Smart growth as a challenge for Poland in the light of the Europe 2020 strategy

Aim/purpose – The aim of the paper is to present smart growth, which is one of the pillars of the Europe 2020 strategy, as a challenge for Poland. Design/methodology/approach – The paper includes a critical analysis of the literature, analysis of domestic and EU documents, and Eurostat statistical data. Comparative analyses in time and space were conducted using basic statistical methods (descriptive characteristics of distributions, measures of dynamics). Findings – The analysis carried out in the paper showed that Poland’s position against the EU-28 countries in terms of smart growth is relatively good. It is mainly noticeable in the implementation of education-related targets, whereas Poland’s situation in the R&D area is much poorer. Research implications/limitations – The main implications include the fact that the identified degree of Poland’s implementation of the elements of smart growth, may be a basis for drawing up necessary actions to be taken in the analysed areas. Originality/value/contribution – The paper evaluates the implementation of the smart growth targets included in the Europe 2020 strategy in Poland against the EU-28 countries and shows the status and perspectives of the implementation of smart growth in Poland in the light of domestic documents.