Innovation Across Regions: Exploring the Long-Term Link Between Innovation Effort and Outputs in Spain

This study aims to examine the innovation efforts approach through long-term panel data and its impact on innovation outputs, in contrast to the majority of innovation studies that rely on short-term panel data with limited samples. It also addresses the debate and disparity in previous studies concerning the effects of R&D on innovation output. The data source is the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) of Spain’s Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The results show that internal and external innovation efforts in all of Spain and the other regions of Spain had the most positive effect on innovation output among the regions, while Cataluña, Madrid, and Andalucía exhibited the lowest positive effects. The study recommends establishing coordination between research and training centers with an emphasis on the participation of the national and regional levels, to formulate innovation policies adapted to a business environment.