Cohesion and Competition of Europe: Innovation Policy from the Perspective of Networks and Entropy

This study analyzes the innovation performance of the European Union in the context of the European Research Area (ERA). Literature related to the Systems of Innovation, network studies, Framework Programs and the European Research Area will be used to establish a theoretical framework for policy analysis. It forms a database from three different resources to establish a European Research and Innovation Network, which appears as a result of policy and program implementation at the European level. The evaluation of the European Union’s innovation performance is discussed for developing policy recommendations, which are derived from theoretical arguments as well as analytical studies, based on network analysis and the notion of entropy. The implementation of a relatively simple rule by the European Commission, in addition to policies focusing on the development of countries’ diversity and absorptive capacity, which are structural holes, may make an important contribution to improving cohesion and competition within the European Research Area, as well innovation in the European Union.