Manama, A PhD thesis at a University in Bahrain found that Central Asian countries have achieved the most efficient innovation ecosystem performance while the African region is the highest.

The study concluded that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Eastern Europe and Africa were not as efficient as Central Asia in the input-oriented model.

The GCC countries, Eastern Europe and Central Asia were not as efficient as Africa in output, the study found.

The GCC, established in 1981, includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The thesis, part of the requirements for obtaining a PhD degree in innovation management, looked at the regional innovation system and its vital role in enhancing added value in national economies.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Saffar, the researcher, said that the regional innovation system depends on human capital and the ability to convert patents into value-added products.

He pointed out that his research aimed to assess the efficiency of the regional innovation system for countries in transition, including the countries of the GCC, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa, and the top ten innovative countries according to the Global Innovation Index for 2021.

The factors used to evaluate efficiency included research and development expenditures, number of researchers, foreign direct investment, patents, private patent applications, published scientific research, scientific production index, high-tech exports, and information and communication technology.

Secondary data was collected from the Global Innovation Index report (2014 - 2021) to evaluate the efficiency of regional innovation.

In light of the results, the thesis recommended investing in innovation, including research and development expenditures and human capital to develop the national capacity for innovation.

Source: Bahrain News Agency