Economic growth is a process of long-term transformation shaped by complex interactions between technology, economy, institutions and social factors. A considerable number of studies have shown that among these factors technological advancement and particularly new knowledge generation capabilities may be one of the most important determinants of economic growth and development. Significant disparities in development levels can be observed between Polish regions. The aim of this paper is to

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... his paper is to look for the sources of these disparities in regional capacity for new knowledge creation. The research method adopted in this paper is based on statistical analysis of the relationship between variables describing new knowledge generation capabilities and GDP per capita in two periods: 2003–2004 and 2012–2013 in 16 Polish regions. Correlation and regression analysis results show that there is a strong positive relationship between regional differences in new knowledge generation capabilities and variations in GDP per capita. The relationship is very strong when one considers three aspects of these capabilities: R&D employment and R&D expenditures denoting inputs to the new knowledge generation process and patenting activity representing its output. These results may serve as an indication for innovation policy at regional level.