Measuring Innovation

During my last year as an undergraduate at the University of Toronto, I spent time with the research team of the Innovation Systems Research Network. I was fascinated by the concept of technology clusters (check out Richard Florida's book, The Rise of the Creative Class), and whether their performance could be measured. Particularly challenging was determining the causal relationships in cluster formation.

One widely adopted model for measuring innovation is Michael Porter's of Harvard University. I am fascinated by his "lens," although I have wondered about the transferability of his model to other countries.