ICT usage as a key prerequisite for open knowledge environment creation

Development of information and telecommunication technologies (ICT) and growing popularity of the Internet as communication medium were the most important incentives having influenced the global knowledge-based economy for at least two decades. Although the ICT infrastructure development degree is still often considered as an information society measure, it seems that nowadays, when so many people has broadband and mobile access to the Web, more appropriate ones are those reflecting ICT skills and efficient Internet usage qualifications. One of the new concepts is “open innovation”, which in a wider sense could be understood as an exemplification of networked knowledge and innovation exchange method possible thanks to the contemporary Internet revolution. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate the general concept of open innovation environment, which could be created in Poland to facilitate and foster a scientific and innovation-oriented cooperation among different stakeholders, like companies (especially SMEs), universities, public institutions and the mass of individual Internet users. To achieve this goal, the latter part of the paper is dedicated to the electronic survey results analysis and discussion. This survey has been conducted via social media and other electronic communication channels in course of author’s research concerning new models of knowledge diffusion and technology transfer in electronic networks, especially on the Web.