Abstract

This article constitutes an attempt at a critical assessment of the Polish Strategy for Responsible Development (which became operational in February of 2017). The strategy discussed herein purports to introduce a new development model, one which calls for «creating conditions for increasing the incomes of Polish citizens, along with increasing cohesion in the social, economic, environmental and territorial dimension». The authors comment on the fundamental premises of the Strategy, its objectives, and main characteristics, focusing on the viability of the development model embedded in the said strategy. Referring in particular to the area of industrial policy, they evaluate the validity of the selection of so-called strategic industrial sectors from the perspective of its potential impact on the pursuit of the Strategy’s main objectives. They also tackle the issue of the attainability of selected strategic objectives, taking into account the current condition of the national economy. The research methodology applied by the authors involves the analysis of successful development strategies of selected countries, which were invoked in the discussed strategy as references for Poland’s new development model, to assess their validity in the contemporary and local context, as well as an evaluation of the congruence between the document’s specific objectives from the perspective of the potential overall impact on the economic development of the country. The Strategy for Responsible Development constitutes an evidence-based approach to elaborating on the mid-term strategy of economic development. Upon identifying five development traps that adversely affect the long-term development prospect the strategy calls for a more activist approach by the state to stimulating development processes. The comprehensive reforms envisioned in the discussed document appear to address the majority of challenges faced by the Polish economy, however, the proposed selection of strategic sectors appears, in some cases, to disregard the objective socio-economic conditions of contemporary Poland. The authors conclude that, even though the Strategy effectively identifies the development factors that will be instrumental for the country’s economic success in the midterm perspective, the proposed approach to conducting development policy leaves certain issues unaddressed and may result in some sub-optimal outcomes.