Tomasz Kijek is a Professor at the Department of Microeconomics and Applied Economics at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland. His current scientific interests include economics of innovation and knowledge, spatial aspects of innovation processes, and productivity and efficiency analyses. He has had more than 100 articles published in refereed journals.Arkadiusz Kijek is a Professor at the Department of Statistics and Econometrics at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland. His primary research interests are econometrics, statistics, data analysis, and business cycles. He has authored or co-authored over 50 articles published in refereed journals.Anna Matras-Bolibok is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Microeconomics and Applied Economics at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland. Her research interests focus on the role of innovation in regional economic development. She has authored or co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed papers and scientific reports for local and regional government authorities.