dr Monika Knefel

In 2018, she defended her doctoral dissertation in economic sciences at the Poznań University of Economics (Faculty of International Business, Department of Tourism). The title of her dissertation was “Smart Specialization in Tourism as a Tool for Regional Development,” and the research was conducted using the example of health tourism in the Świętokrzyskie region, focusing on innovative solutions protected by patent law.

Her academic specialization encompasses innovation management.

An expert in smart specializations, innovation creation, and implementation, she has been actively involved since 2013, including serving as the President of the Board of the “Circle of Health Tourism” Economic Chamber. Since 2016, she is the owner of the European Institute of Intelligent Specialization Research, Dr. Monika Knefel, the creator of the innovation brokerage service 2.0, nominated for the Tourism Trends Awards 2018 in the Newcomer of the Year category. Her expertise lies in managing the implementation of research and development projects. Since 2008, she has held the Certificate of the Minister of Finance and provides pro-innovation consultancy. She is also an expert in health tourism for the Competence Council for the Tourism Sector and evaluates proposals for organizations such as NCBiR, PARP, and the Marshal’s Office of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. A member of the Świętokrzyskie Innovation Council, she is a co-founder and representative member of the Polish Tourism Council.