A multilevel and multistage efficiency evaluation of innovation systems: a multiobjective DEA approachA multilevel and multistage efficiency evaluation of innovation systems: a multiobjective DEA approach Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication Δημοσίευση σε Περιοδικό με Κριτές 2018-06-272016enEvaluating the efficiency of innovation systems can serve as a substantial enabling tool for policymaking serving to identify best practices and develop potential improvements of actions and strategies. It also serves to provide valuable insight in understanding the nature and dynamics of innovation process at its different stages and levels. The main aim of the paper is to present an integrated assessment and classification framework for national and regional innovation efficiency. The proposed model is based on Data Envelopment Analysis and is formulated as a multiobjective mathematical program in order to consider the objectives and constraints of the different stages and levels of the innovation process. Additionally, the model copes with DEA inconsistencies when ratio measures are employed. In the second part of the study, a multicriteria decision aid approach, based on an ordinal regression model, is applied in order to study how environmental factors on innovation and entrepreneurship affect the estimated efficiency scores. The proposed approach is applied to a set of 23 European countries and their 185 corresponding regions. The results show that there are large differences regarding the efficiency scores of the different stages and levels, implying the existence of significant divergences from the expected norm concerning innovation efficiency. The contribution of the paper lies (i) in the proposed multiobjective model, which is able to model the multiple stages and levels of the innovation process and handle ratio measures without requiring the same set of inputs and outputs at different levels and (ii) in the presented application of the model in the efficiency evaluation of innovation systems, including a meta-analysis of the results based on the framework of the Quadruple Innovation Helix. Such an approach may provide a valuable tool for country/region comparison and policy formulation.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Expert Systems with Applications6263-80 Carayannis, Elias G Grigoroudis Evangelos Γρηγορουδης Ευαγγελος Goletsis Yorgos Elsevier Data envelopment analysis Innovation systems Multilevel efficiency Multiobjective programming Multistage efficiency Ordinal regression analysis