How important are institutions for innovation and global competitiveness?

Abstract

Several studies show the importance of innovation to increase the competitiveness of countries. The literature indicates the existence of many factors that influence this relationship, including institutional ones. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of institutions on the countries’ competitiveness. For this, data from 137 countries, present in the Global Competitiveness Report, published regularly by the World Economic Forum, and statistical mediation models were used. The results confirm the hypothesis that the institutions in the countries mediate the influence of innovation on global competitiveness. Therefore, the countries’ institutional structure should receive more attention as a relevant factor for competitiveness and economic growth. This article contributes to the discussion on the role of the country’s institutional environment for economic performance at the international level. The development of policies to improve national systems of innovation needs to deal with the institutional environment to help competitiveness.