Key Factors in Forming a National Innovation System: Evidence from Uzbekistan
Keywords:
national innovation system, innovation infrastructure, innovation ecosystem, R&D expenditure, intellectual property, technology transfer, public-private partnership, UzbekistanAbstract
This article presents a systematic analysis of the primary factors that shape a national innovation system (NIS). Drawing on data from the Global Innovation Index (GII), the World Bank Human Capital Index, and Uzbekistan's national statistics, the study evaluates the country's current innovation performance in a comparative regional context and identifies the principal determinants of NIS maturity: institutional and legal environment, R&D financing, human capital quality, innovation infrastructure, and international technological integration. A three-level analytical framework (macro, meso, micro) is applied to structure the factors and assess policy levers. The findings reveal a structural gap between the country's relatively developed human capital base and critically low R&D investment, an institutional trap that constrains the transition from adaptive to radical innovation. Practical recommendations are proposed to accelerate the advancement of Uzbekistan's NIS toward the Top 60 in the GII by 2030.
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