A multivariate approach in measuring innovation performance

Abstract

The goal of this research is to propose a procedure of innovativeness measurement, taking Summary Innovation Index methodology as a starting point. In contemporary world, innovative activity is perceived as a source of competitiveness and economic growth. New products, utility models, trademarks and creative projects are an important element of present socio-economic reality. In particular, authors focus on selection and application of multivariable statistical analysis to distinguish factors influencing innovativeness of EU economies to the highest degree. The result of quantitative analyses is linear ordering of EU countries by the level of their innovativeness based on the reduced set of diagnostic variables. The rating was compared with the outcome presented in Innovation Union Scoreboard (IUS) with Summary Innovation Index (SII). Conducted analysis proves a convergence between authors’ results and existing ratings of innovativeness. Nevertheless, the main conclusion is that the methodology of innovativeness assessment remains an open issue and requires further research. Especially, it should first and foremost concentrate on deeper verification of a small set of variables that have the strongest impact on innovativeness. It is both, in economic and social interest, to get a clear picture of innovativeness driving forces.