Exploring a Sustainable Pathway Towards Enhancing National Innovation Capacity from an Empirical Analysis

Sylvia Novillo-Villegas (), Ana Belén Tulcanaza-Prieto, Alexander X. Chantera and Christian Chimbo
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Sylvia Novillo-Villegas: Intelligent and Interactive Systems Laboratory (Si2Lab), Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador
Ana Belén Tulcanaza-Prieto: Grupo de Investigación Negocios, Economía, Organizaciones, y Sociedad (NEOS), Escuela de Negocios, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170124, Ecuador
Alexander X. Chantera: Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Carrera de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador
Christian Chimbo: Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Carrera de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-25

Abstract: Innovation is a strategic driver of sustainable competitive advantage and long-term economic growth. This study proposes an empirical framework to support the sustained development of national innovation capacity by examining key enabling factors. Drawing on an extensive review of the literature, the research investigates the interrelationships among governmental support (GS), innovation agents (IA), university–industry R&D collaborations (UIRD), and innovation cluster development (ICD), and their influence on two critical innovation outcomes, knowledge creation (KC) and knowledge diffusion (KD). Using panel data from G7 countries spanning 2008 to 2018, sourced from international organizations such as the World Bank, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the World Economic Forum, the study applies regression analysis to test the proposed conceptual model. Results highlight the foundational role of GS in providing a balanced framework to foster collaborative networks among IA and enhancing the effectiveness of UIRD. Furthermore, IA emerges as a pivotal actor in advancing innovation efforts, while the development of innovation clusters is shown to selectively enhance specific innovation outcomes. These findings offer theoretical and practical contributions for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders aiming to design supportive ecosystems that strengthen sustainable national innovation capacity.

Keywords: national innovation capacity; governmental support; innovation agents; R&D projects; knowledge creation; knowledge diffusion; innovation cluster development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:6922-:d:1713363

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