Comprehensive Neo-Schumpeterian Economics and the Lisbon-Agenda: Detecting Patterns of varying Future-Orientation in Europe

Abstract

The paper shows that Comprehensive Neo-Schumpeterian Economics (CNSE) is an adequate theoretical approach accompanying the enforcement of the aims of the Lisbon Agenda. The CNSE approach is based on the principie of innovation and the idea of future orientation penetrating all spheres of economics which can be summarized in three domains ofeconomic life: industry, finance and public sector, the 3-pillars ofCNSE. The CNSE approach is applied to an empirical study of 18 OECD countries using a three step procedure: In a first step country patterns ofpillars are identified in a cluster analysis. This gives a fine grained picture of institutional and structural set-ups for the countries under study. In a second step within the pillar clusters a performance analysis is exercised in order to rank the countries. Because of the similarities ofcountries within a cluster this comparative analysis can be done whereas for countries belonging to different clusters this comparison would lead to wrong conclusions. In a final step as a crude representation of macro-economic performance the cluster composition is sorted by the average growth rates ofthe economies. This allows a first correlation of pillar composition and growth performance.