The economic impact of the Innovation Union

Specific challenge: This topic will gather evidence on the impact of the EU innovation policy on growth and jobs in the EU and its Member States.

Scope:  The impact of the 34 IU commitments, both individually and as a whole, needs to be analysed. The analysis should look at the innovation ecosystem, identify the routes through which the 34 commitments impact on economic performance and measure the impacts.

To identify the full economic impact of the IU, the proposals need to take into account the system's interdependences as well as its complex and adaptive characteristics. In line with the IU approach, a broad concept of innovation going beyond R&D needs to be used. The scope is therefore broader than analysing the ability of policies to limit market failures and should cover both direct and dynamic effects of the policies considered. Economic performance should be measured against (but not be restricted to) GDP, added value, productivity, well-being, net and gross job creation in both skilled and unskilled positions. A methodology that will allow the research to take into account more recent developments of Innovation Policy occurring after the 2010 landmark, with an appropriate cut off point is within scope. 

Policy recommendations are out of the scope of this topic. The topic focuses on gathering and presenting evidence showing the relation between the policies and the effects.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of EUR 3 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected impact:  The evaluation of the impact of innovation policies is of great importance to calibrate on-going actions and plan future ones. Understanding how innovation policy and specifically the EU innovation policy impacts on economic performance can inform future innovation policy design and adaptation of existing measures to increase effectiveness. This action will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the full impact of innovation policy in the economy. This type of assessment will strengthen the evidence base of the IU allowing for a more effective policy design in terms of its impact on economic performance.

Type of action: Research and innovation actions