Template-type: ReDif-Paper 1.0 
Author-Name: Iizuka, Michiko
Author-Email: iizuka@merit.unu.edu
Author-workplace-name: UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University
Author-Name: Hollanders, Hugo
Author-Email: h.hollanders@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Author-workplace-name: UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University
Title: The need to customise innovation indicators in developing countries
Abstract: Innovation is becoming more and more important as a driver of economic 
	 growth. In developed countries, a diverse set of innovation indicators 
	 has been developed to monitor innovation performance and the impact of 
	 innovation policies. Developing countries have been late to jump on this 
	 bandwagon and are now faced with a set of well-established innovation 
	 indicators that might not be that well suited to measure innovation in 
	 their economies.  
	 Existing innovation indicators can be broadly classified into three 
	 different types: Science & Technology (S&T) indicators, Innovation 
	 survey indicators, and Composite innovation indicators combining 
	 different indicators, including S&T and Innovation survey data, into one 
	 indicator. All of these have their own particular strengths and 
	 weaknesses, and they score above or below average on a wide range of 
	 attributes considered to be favourable, if not downright necessary, for 
	 innovation indicators.  
	 This paper argues that, for innovation indicators, and for innovation 
	 survey indicators in particular, data collection has to be customised to 
	 the different socio-economic structures of developing countries. For 
	 this, the definition of innovation has to become more inclusive by 
	 recognising the multitude of innovation actors and processes in 
	 developing countries. Developing countries also need to build competence 
	 regarding innovation indicators, not only within their statistical 
	 systems but also among their policy makers.
Keywords: innovation, indicators, developing countries, policy use
Classification-JEL: O38, O32, O29, P47
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 20170810
Number: 2017-032
File-URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2017/wp2017-032.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2017032