Russia versus Belarus comparison in the global innovation index ranking

Evaluation of a country’s innovation activity is a challenging issue of the last few decades. When comparing two states, it enhances the interest in such evaluations and reliability thereof. The in-depth analysis allows both to figure out the specifics of innovation dynamics and to yield remedies and suggestions for improving innovation policy. The research purpose is to specify the patterns of innovation dynamics in Russia and Belarus predicated on the Global Innovation Index (GII) data, to conduct a comparative analysis of the innovation dynamics of the two countries for the period from 2016 to 2024, and to develop recommendations aimed at increasing the GII pillar values. The methods used are multiple regression analysis, t-test as a tool for comparative analysis, graph construction and visual analysis of comparative charts, and estimation of polynomial trends. Some critical GII components to play the key role in calculating the final indicator have been identified; negative dynamics in the innovation resources values along with predominantly positive dynamics in innovation outcomes of both countries have been revealed; topmost downfall has been noted in most GII pillars in 2020; the major GII components for Russia and Belarus have been calculated. Wherein, inter-country differences in the dynamics of both the final indicator and a number of its components have been proven.