Challenges of innovation development based on smart specializations in the context of human resource capacity building – on the example of hydrogen technology companies

Purpose: The concept of smart specialization refers to the identification of specializations in areas of potential competitive advantages, for which it is necessary to link the scientific and research spheres with the economy and properly focus processes and resources on building the innovative potential of enterprises. The purpose of this study is to assess the importance of human resource potential in the development of innovation of enterprises implementing hydrogen technologies within selected specialized economic areas of so-called smart specializations. In the search and identification of the research gap, it was assumed that the implementation of hydrogen technologies, can certainly be counted among the activities covered by the support of regions interested in innovation, since these technologies are or are now becoming priorities of EU energy policies. Hydrogen technologies are considered to be technologies of the future, forward-looking and strongly innovative, making them perfectly compatible with the concept of smart specializations. Filling the research gap in current research on smart specializations, which includes an analysis of human resource capacity building in the face of the remaining challenges facing hydrogen technology companies, therefore seems to be a particularly interesting issue. Design/methodology/approach: An analysis based on a quantitative survey conducted on a sample of 150 companies in the energy sector related to the development and deployment of hydrogen technologies was used to achieve the research objective. The study used logistic regression, which is a statistical method of analysis used to model the probability of a binary event. The purpose of using this type of regression was to identify and assess the significance of the determinants of the performance of the companies studied. Findings: The study found that the approach to human resource capacity building for the implementation of smart specialization strategies is changing. The results indicate that human resources and human resource potential of enterprises are crucial for the development of innovation, and this is one of the most important challenges of the future for the surveyed enterprises. Originality/value: The analyses carried out within the framework of the work clearly confirm the direction of activity of hydrogen technology companies within the framework of smart specialization strategies and at the same time indicate that the topic is a niche one, entering a phase of intensive development.