Do the regional population traits drive innovation activity?

The study provides unique insights into the role of populational prevailing personality traits in shaping regional innovation activity. It covers the period of 2017–2022 and includes fourteen Czech NUTS III regions. The multivariate regression analysis tests the relationship between selected population traits obtained from the 16Personalities survey, specifically Extraverted over Introverted, and Feeling over Thinking and regional innovation activity measured through patent applications and granted patents. The results, also controlled for other previously identified determinants of innovation, show that in the regions with more Introverted and Thinking individuals, the innovation activity, measured by both indicators, is higher. This finding extends the observations from the individual-level studies, showing that these traits are more likely associated with innovation behaviour.