Abstract Background and Purpose: The field of innovation represents for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a fundamental challenge. If the number of innovative SMEs is to rise, it is necessary to identify key factors determining their innovation activity and eliminate the innovation barriers. The main purpose of the paper is to present the results of primary research focused on identification (evaluation) of key factors and barriers determining innovation activities in Slovak SMEs. The division of SMEs into three groups of enterprises: innovation leaders, modest innovators and non-innovators enables to identify the differences in managers’ perception of the main factors and barriers determining innovation activities in various types of SMEs and to formulate policy implications for Slovak SMEs. Design/Methodology/Approach: Results of the empirical research were processed using MS Excel and the statistical analysis of the data in R3.2.4. statistical system was done. For statistical tests we assumed significance level (α = 0.1). Results: Evaluating the importance of the key factors a majority of enterprises (64.71%) indicated financial resources as the most important factor for the innovations. There is no statistically significant difference in individual (analysed) factors between innovation leaders, non-innovators and innovation followers (modest innovators). The results gained from Fisher exact test (p-value = 0.11) indicated a small difference in evaluating the significance of individual barriers between innovation leaders, non-innovators and modest innovators. Majority of enterprises also see as the main barriers to develop innovation activities bureaucracy and corruption and inappropriate state support of innovation activities. Conclusion: The main implications (conclusion) coming from the research are basic recommendations for state policy makers as well as SME’s managers to foster innovation activities in enterprises. They refer to the areas of financial resources, high-quality human resources, cooperation and participation of SMEs in different networks and clusters, systematic institutional support to SMEs, well-created vision and clearly formulated aims, and willingness of enterprises to innovate. Recommendations are summarised following the results of factor’s and barrier’s evaluation.

中文翻译：

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斯洛伐克的创新领袖，谦虚的创新者和非创新型中小企业：创新活动的关键因素和障碍

摘要背景和目的：创新领域对中小企业（SME）构成了根本性挑战。如果要增加创新型中小企业的数量，就必须确定决定其创新活动的关键因素，并消除创新障碍。本文的主要目的是介绍主要研究结果，这些研究专注于确定（评估）斯洛伐克中小企业创新活动的关键因素和障碍。将中小型企业划分为三类企业：创新领导者，谦虚的创新者和非创新者，可以识别出管理者对决定各种类型的中小型企业创新活动的主要因素和障碍的看法的差异，并为斯洛伐克中小型企业制定政策含义。设计/方法/方法：使用MS Excel处理实证研究的结果，并对R3.2.4中的数据进行统计分析。统计系统已经完成。对于统计检验，我们假设显着性水平（α= 0.1）。结果：大多数企业评估关键因素的重要性（64.71％）表示，财务资源是创新的最重要因素。创新领导者，非创新者和创新追随者（适度的创新者）之间的个体（分析因素）在统计上没有显着差异。Fisher精确检验（p值= 0.11）得出的结果表明，在评估创新领导者，非创新者和谦虚创新者之间的个体壁垒的重要性方面存在微小差异。大多数企业还把发展创新活动的主要障碍视为官僚主义和腐败以及国家对创新活动的不适当支持。结论：研究的主要含义（结论）是为国家决策者和中小型企业的管理人员开展企业创新活动提供的基本建议。它们涉及以下领域：财务资源，高质量的人力资源，中小企业在不同网络和集群中的合作与参与，对中小企业的系统性机构支持，理想的愿景和明确制定的目标以及企业的创新意愿。根据因素和障碍评估的结果总结建议。该研究的主要含义（结论）是为国家决策者和中小企业管理者开展企业创新活动的基本建议。它们涉及以下领域：财务资源，高质量的人力资源，中小企业在不同网络和集群中的合作与参与，对中小企业的系统性机构支持，理想的愿景和明确制定的目标以及企业的创新意愿。根据因素和障碍评估的结果总结建议。该研究的主要含义（结论）是为国家决策者和中小企业管理者开展企业创新活动的基本建议。它们涉及以下领域：财务资源，高质量的人力资源，中小企业在不同网络和集群中的合作与参与，对中小企业的系统性制度支持，理想的愿景和明确制定的目标以及企业的创新意愿。根据因素和障碍评估的结果总结建议。中小企业在不同网络和集群中的合作与参与，对中小企业的系统性体制支持，良好的愿景和明确制定的目标以及企业的创新意愿。根据因素和障碍评估的结果总结建议。中小企业在不同网络和集群中的合作与参与，对中小企业的系统性体制支持，良好的愿景和明确制定的目标以及企业的创新意愿。根据因素和障碍评估的结果总结建议。