Innovation Impacts: Measurement and Assessment (2013)

The Canadian Council of Canadian Academies (CCCA) has released a report on the socio-economic impacts of research investment.

"It is widely accepted and understood that innovation is critical to economic competitiveness and social progress. To ensure that innovation investments are spent most effectively and remain a priority in the face of public austerity measures, it is essential that decision-makers obtain the most reliable estimates of the impacts of innovation investments. To help prepare for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation asked the Council of Canadian Academies to assess best practices in measuring the socio-economic impacts of government spending on research and innovation activities that could be applied in the Ontario context." (from CCCA web site)

The report includes:

  • A new conceptual framework that is helpful for understanding innovation impact measurement and assessment at t he program level and within the innovation ecosystem, respectively;
  • An extensive academic and public policy literature review of leading-edge measurement methodologies; and
  • An overview of international best practices for measuring the socio-economic impacts of innovation.

The report is available on the CCCA web site.