Innovation procurement as capability-building: Evaluating innovation policies in eight Central and Eastern European countries

Abstract

After decades of impressive growth, the new member states of the European Union are once again in transition, but this time from imitation to innovation-driven competitiveness. This paper evaluates the relationship between both public funding and public procurement for innovation (PPI) and firm-level innovation output and outcome additionality, in eight Central and Eastern European countries. Matching estimates on a sample of 41,623 firms suggest that PPI has a large effect on innovation and output, and the highest additionality is sometimes achieved when firms receive both financial support and innovation-oriented public procurement. We argue that policy-makers aiming to strengthen indigenous innovation capabilities should place stronger emphasis on PPI.