Data-Driven Innovation Ecosystems: Accelerating Economic Growth Through Strategic Technology Adoption

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has transformed the structure of modern innovation ecosystems and reshaped the mechanisms through which economic growth and technological productivity are achieved. This study investigated the role of data-driven innovation ecosystems in accelerating economic growth through strategic technology adoption, with particular emphasis on data analytics capability, digital infrastructure availability, research and development investment, and digital platform integration. A quantitative longitudinal research design was employed using a dataset comprising 180 observations across 15 countries and six major economic sectors between 2012 and 2023. The sectors included manufacturing, financial services, digital commerce, healthcare technology, telecommunications, and public digital services. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using regression modeling to evaluate the relationships between digital transformation variables and innovation productivity indicators. The empirical results revealed that data analytics capability exhibited the strongest effect on innovation productivity, with a standardized regression coefficient of β = 0.48 (p < 0.001), indicating that higher analytical capacity significantly improved innovation performance across sectors. Digital infrastructure availability also demonstrated a strong positive influence on economic productivity with β = 0.41 (p < 0.001), highlighting the importance of connectivity networks, cloud computing platforms, and digital communication systems in supporting technological development. Research and development investment showed a statistically significant but moderate effect (β = 0.28, p = 0.002), confirming that financial commitment to research remains a crucial component of innovation-driven growth. The regression model explained 64% of the variation in innovation productivity (R² = 0.64), suggesting that integrated digital technology adoption significantly shapes innovation ecosystem performance. Sectoral analysis further indicated that digital commerce and financial services recorded the highest digital adoption scores (82.4 and 79.8 respectively) and demonstrated stronger innovation productivity indices compared with sectors with lower digital transformation maturity. Economies categorized as advanced digital ecosystems achieved an average innovation productivity score of 78.4 and economic growth rate of 4.56%, while early-stage digital transformation economies recorded 64.2 and 3.08% respectively. Overall, the findings confirmed that data analytics capability, digital infrastructure development, and integrated digital technology adoption collectively enhance innovation productivity and economic growth within data-driven innovation ecosystems.