Digital Innovation Performance Evaluation of European Union Member and Candidate Countries with IDOCRIW and CRADIS Methods

This study evaluates the digital innovation performance of European Union (EU) members and candidate countries by applying a novel integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. Specifically, the IDOCRIW method is employed to determine objective weights for digital innovation indicators derived from the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024 report, while the CRADIS method is utilized to assess and rank country performance. The research incorporates indicators directly related to digital innovation, including ICT use, software spending, mobile app creation, GitHub activity, high-tech and ICT exports, mobile application creation, e-participation, and university–industry collaboration. The results highlight significant disparities in digital innovation performance among the analysed countries. Cyprus, Ireland, and the Netherlands emerged as the top performers, whereas Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia ranked lowest. The integrated model provides a robust and transparent framework for comparative innovation analysis, offering valuable insights for policymakers aiming to enhance digital innovation capacity.