Investigating the Status of National Intellectual Property Rights on the Innovation System: Studying the Field of Mena Using the Spatial Panel Approach and Wavelet Analysis

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in Economic Development and Planning, Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Entrepreneurship, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Entrepreneurship, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

3 Professor, Department of Economic planning and Development, Faculty of Economics, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jepr.2026.144361.1299

Abstract

With the advent of the knowledge-based economy, the concept of innovation has attracted serious scholarly and policy attention, prompting countries to seek models that define the trajectory and strategy of innovation at the national level. Among the many factors driving innovation, few have received as much emphasis as the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). Accordingly, this paper examines the impact of IPR and other relevant institutional variables on the national innovation system in a set of MENA countries over the period 2010–2022, employing spatial panel methods and wavelet analysis. The results from the spatial autoregressive (SAR) model show that the spatial lag coefficient of the Global Innovation Index is positive and statistically significant, indicating a positive spatial correlation in innovation performance across the MENA countries studied. The spatial Durbin model (SDM) further reveals that, among the institutional variables, intellectual property rights generate the largest spatial spillover effects. The wavelet analysis provides additional time-frequency insights: in the short run, the Global Innovation Index emerges as the leading variable; in the medium run, the role of intellectual property rights becomes more prominent; and in the long run, the innovation index exhibits a more independent dynamic.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 February 2026
  • Receive Date: 04 September 2025
  • Revise Date: 04 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 13 February 2026
  • Publish Date: 13 February 2026