Abstract
<jats:p>The report is a comprehensive study devoted to the analysis of cooperation between vocational education and businesses in the context of the development of smart specializations in the Podlaskie Province. The main objective of the research was to assess the level and quality of links between vocational schools and businesses, and to identify directions for action to better adapt vocational education to the needs of the regional labor market and innovation processes. The authors of the report adopted a broad research perspective, combining an analysis of the theoretical foundations of the concept of smart specializations with an assessment of the practical experiences of cooperation between schools and enterprises. The study provides a detailed characterization of the region’s smart specializations and relates them to the challenges arising from the 4.0 and 5.0 industrial transformations. It also takes into account the legal and institutional conditions for cooperation between education and business.</jats:p>