Paper long abstract:

In this paper it will be analysed how the transition of Croatian industrial institutes was shaped by the influence of different ideologies. It is argued here that the current state of the Croatian innovation system can be partly explained by the influence of, at first glance competing, but actually rather connected ideologies: Yugoslav self-management and economic liberalism. First it will be discussed how and why Yugoslav industrial institutes differed from the industrial institutes of COMECON member states. This difference stems from the official Yugoslav self-management ideology and the subsequent introduction of market socialism. Market socialism also created opportunities for Croatian companies to cooperate intensively with foreign companies during socialism; thus allowing the introduction of the discourses and practices of economic liberalism and techno-globalism in the 1990s and 2000s.

Special emphasis will be given to the interpretation of these processes by Croatian economists and sociologists. This paper is based on qualitative content analysis of official documents, books, articles and interviews by various social and political actors.