Research Report

Benchmarking Local Innovation

ERC Research Report

Author

ERC

Associated Themes
  • Innovation

Firms’ ability to innovate successfully plays an important role in their ability to sustain growth and competitiveness. This report provides innovation benchmarks for local areas in England, updating our previous analysis published in 2015.
The benchmarks are based on a new analysis of data from the 14,000 firms which responded to the UK Innovation Survey 2015. The analysis is designed to provide representative results for each local economic area. Information is provided on ten benchmarks including new indicators for organisational innovation.
Three benchmarks focus on forms of organisational and marketing innovation. Three further metrics relate to the inputs and structure of firms’ innovation activity with a focus on R&D, design investment and collaboration. Arguably the most important, the remaining four metrics relate to the outcomes from firms’ innovation reflecting both the extent of innovation across the population of firms as well as the success of innovation.
Our analysis highlights the diversity of innovation activity across the UK. Some local areas are marked by strengths in organisational innovation but weaker elsewhere; others exhibit higher levels of collaborative behaviour and R&D. Both suggests the value of differentiated local innovation strategies which can build on existing strengths and remedy weaknesses.


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