Purpose

This research paper aims to contribute to the field of innovation performance benchmarking by identifying appropriate benchmarking groups and exploring learning opportunities and integration directions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a multi-dimensional innovation-driven clustering methodology to analyze data from the 2019 edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII). Hierarchical and K-means Cluster Analysis techniques are applied using various sets of distance matrices to uncover and analyze distinct innovation patterns.

Findings

This study classifies 129 countries into four clusters: Specials, Advanced, Intermediates and Primitives. Each cluster exhibits strengths and weaknesses in terms of innovation performance. Specials excel in the areas of institutions and knowledge commercialization, while the Advanced cluster demonstrates strengths in education and ICT-related services but shows weakness in patent commercialization. Intermediates show strengths in venture-capital and labour productivity but display weaknesses in R&D expenditure and the higher education quality. Primitives exhibit strength in creative activities but suffer from weaknesses in digital skills, education and training. Additionally, the study has identified 35 indicators that have negligible variance contributions across countries.

Originality/value

The study contributes to finding the relevant countries’ grouping for the enhancement of communication, integration and learning. To this end, this study highlights the innovation structural differences among countries and provides tailored innovation policies.

中文翻译：

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创新驱动集聚 更好对标国家创新

目的

本研究论文旨在通过确定适当的基准测试群体并探索学习机会和整合方向，为创新绩效基准测试领域做出贡献。

设计/方法论/途径

该研究采用多维度创新驱动的聚类方法来分析2019年版全球创新指数（GII）的数据。使用各种距离矩阵集应用分层和 K 均值聚类分析技术来发现和分析不同的创新模式。

发现

这项研究将 129 个国家/地区分为四个组：特殊组、高级组、中级组和初级组。每个集群在创新绩效方面都表现出优势和劣势。特殊集群在机构和知识商业化领域表现出色，而高级集群在教育和信息通信技术相关服务方面表现出优势，但在专利商业化方面表现出弱点。中间企业在风险资本和劳动生产率方面表现出优势，但在研发支出和高等教育质量方面表现出弱点。原始人在创造性活动方面表现出优势，但在数字技能、教育和培训方面却存在弱点。此外，该研究还确定了 35 个指标，这些指标在各国之间的差异贡献可以忽略不计。

原创性/价值

该研究有助于寻找相关国家的分组，以加强沟通、融合和学习。为此，本研究凸显了各国创新结构差异，并提出了量身定制的创新政策。