Open Access
Article
SciPap-2146
Differences in Methodological Approaches to Evaluate Innovation Performance in European Countries
by
Ramil Namazov 1,* 
and Rashidatu Bassabi 2
1 Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Regional Economics, Masaryk University, Lipová 41a, Brno 602 00, Czechia
2 Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Regional Economics, Masaryk University, Lipová 41a, Brno 602 00, Czechia
* Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract: In the context of transition to green, digital and knowledge economy, measuring innovation performance is of great importance to understand and improve national and regional competitiveness. Institutional structures in innovation systems that ensure the coordination and interaction of innovation activities within the country, undertake the tasks of regulating innovation activity and executing and carrying out competitive development programs based on reported assessments and performance metrics. This paper brings a comparison of selected innovation performance indices. The primary aim is to evaluate how these indices measure, assess and categorize innovation performance in the European contexts. Four important frameworks are considered in the study: the Global Innovation Index (WIPO), the European Innovation Scoreboard (European Commission), Global Competitiveness Index (World Economic Forum) and the Bloomberg Innovation Index framework. The study assesses innovation success by analysing different assessment methods, indicators and weighting systems. The analysis shows that innovation assessment is multidimensional, while European indices reflect regional characteristics and assessments are concentrated across different actors, scales and sectors. By providing a comparative analysis of innovation assessment frameworks, this study improves the understanding of methodological differences and indicator weights and provides important conclusions on how these changes affect the assessment of innovation performance in European countries. This contributes to the ongoing debate on improving innovation measurement approaches to better respond to the dynamic challenges of contemporary innovation ecosystems.
Keywords: Comparative Analysis, Innovation Systems, Innovation Indices, Innovation Benchmarking, Innovation Frameworks.
JEL classification: O31 - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives, R59 - Other
Received: 28 November 2024 / Revised: 7 July 2025 / Accepted: 7 July 2025 / Published: 10 July 2025
