bstract: Considering the strategic importance of innovation activities, various studies have been employed pertaining to gauging innovation performance both micro and macro levels. While theoretical frameworks to identify and measure capabilities of the national innovation systems (NISs) of countries do exist, what remains striking is the lack of thorough account of the structural and dependence relationships expressed in a series of equations. Dedicated to remedy this research gap of the literature, the main purpose of this study is to develop and test a hypothesized model through the PLS-SEM approach for the NISs of European countries. The developed model enables decision makers concerned with innovation to comprehend the dynamics of innovation systemically and to have valid and reliable variables which represent the antecedents of national innovation capabilities of the EU countries.
Keywords: National innovation systems, PLS-SEM approach, antecedents of innovation.
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