It is estimated that the service sector in Poland is characterised by a low level of innovativeness. The authors of the article carried out an analysis of the course of innovative processes in the service sector in Poland in 2001-2006, highlighting, among other things, determinants of changes in the number of innovative service companies, intensity and dynamics of outlays on innovation by type and source of funding thereof as well as they defined the main directions of innovation growth in the light of globalisation processes in the Polish economy. The analysis was carried out based on the results of relevant statistical surveys carried out by the CSO and other secondary sources. The outcomes of analysis confirm the thesis of too low involvement of service firms in innovation implementation, though recently this involvement has been growing. This growth trend is caused, first of all, by service outsourcing at manufacturing enterprises, information and telecommunication technologies, activities of the network of academic incubators of entrepreneurship supporting development of small service firms.