Innovative development of the agricultural sector in the Visegrad Group countries

Subject and purpose of work: Analysis of the innovative development trends of the agricultural sector in the Visegrad Group countries in 1995–2019. Investigation of the impact of innovation on value added to GDP by the sector and the patent activity. Materials and methods: Secondary data used in the current research were taken from Eurostat, World Bank and European Patent Office databases. They were analyzed by applying OLS models and Granger causality tests. Results: First, composition of R&D expenses in each Visegrad country was examined. Then its relationship to agricultural GDP and the number of the patents granted was tested by means of OLS models. Forecasting the relationship between variables examined was carried out by running Granger causality tests. Conclusions: There was a constant growth in agricultural innovation activity investment from 1995 to 2019. Nevertheless, the countries examined have not yet reached the EU’s objective concerning the R&D intensities. Innovation activity had a positive impact on the value added to GDP by agriculture and on the number of the patents granted.