In 2020, EKOS undertook a review of the methods for measuring the impacts of investments in innovation in Scotland. The study was part of a wider programme of work being progressed by the Scottish Government on behalf of the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board. Specifically the research focused on the activities of the Enterprise and Skills agencies (Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and the Scottish Funding Council).

The objectives of this research were to:

• Identify the baseline data and methods required to improve the evaluation of innovation support interventions in terms of short and longer term outputs and impacts on the Scottish economy.

• Review the existing data and methods used by the agencies to monitor and evaluate innovation support activities.

• Make recommendations for new approaches to address gaps in current data collection and encourage consistent measurement and evaluation across all agencies.

The report was published in February 2021 and is available on the Scottish Government website.