Entrepreneurial activity and national innovative capacity in selected European countries

Abstract

The present article assesses the role of entrepreneurship in strengthening the national innovative capacity of the European countries. For this purpose, we use the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data for the entrepreneurial activity, while the innovative capacity is assessed based on the Global Innovation Index and the Summary Innovation Index. Our panel data estimations for the period 2009–2012 show that the total entrepreneurial activity does not influence the national innovative capacity. Furthermore, the role of opportunity or innovation-driven entrepreneurs in enhancing the national innovative capacity cannot be documented, either in the Central and Eastern European countries or in the Western European countries. Our findings are robust regarding the change in data sample, control variables or the way national innovative capacity is assessed.