Measuring innovation performance and innovative capabilities

Assistant professor Anders Richtnér, PhD Anna Brattström, Professor Johan Frishammar (Luleå University of Technology), dr Jennie Björk and Professor Mats Magnusson (Royal University of Technology).

Despite its importance, the measurement of innovation has so far received much less attention than it deserves. Most companies seem to rely on relatively narrow and specific metrics and ratios as indicators of innovation. Existing metrics focuses largely on productivity measures, and only in exception regards are taken to factors that are crucial to collectively optimize both incremental product enhancements and innovation efforts of more fundamental nature, which implies including uncertainty and option thinking.

This project examines the options available to measure innovation and innovation capability, and will create metrics, indicators and models that better reflect the global trends and product development methodologies that are increasingly being used. Special emphasis is devoted to “trade-offs” and options in measuring innovation in different innovative domains.