Research Synthesis

Novel Innovation Measures for Regional Development: A Review of Digital-Only Approaches

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Abstract

Traditional measures of regional innovation draw on social, economic, and technological data to construct indexes relevant to policymakers. While useful, such measures contain important drawbacks, such as time lags and high costs. A recent report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on the development of sub-national indicators of innovation highlights alternative methods to measure regional innovation. These digital-only measures utilize open-access, web-based data sources and can be used to inform and support policy via studies and the construction of indexes. Such approaches can augment traditional measures, potentially addressing some of the drawbacks.

Keywords: Digital Innovation Measures, Innovation Policy, Regional Innovation Systems, Policy Recommendations

How to Cite:

Bower, C., (2025) “Novel Innovation Measures for Regional Development: A Review of Digital-Only Approaches”, Reaching Regions 1(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/rreg.18341