From adjustment to structural changes – innovation activity of enterprises in the time of COVID-19 pandemic.

This study contributes to innovation and crisis research by analyzing the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on enterprise innovativeness. We hypothesize that innovative activity both in the form of creative destruction and creative accumulation evolved from adjustments to structural changes during the pandemic. We reviewed scientific articles that focused on COVID-19 and business changes in Central European countries and Russia as well as conducted research in Poland and the Czech Republic. We found both creative destruction and creative accumulation and that early innovative adjustments may turn into structural changes that could lead to improved public health standards, greater digitalization and more sustainable business models as firms continue to cope with epidemic risks. The practical implication is that support for these transformations is needed, to mitigate future pandemics and make businesses more resilient to future pandemic-related crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]