Regional Innovation Disparities in Kazakhstan: Resource–Result Gaps and Policy Implications

Kulshara M. MADENOVA, Faya Shulenbayeva, Adaskhan K. Daribayeva, Aisulu Kulmaganbetova

Economies, 2026

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DOI 10.3390/economies14050192
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

This article examines interregional differences in innovation development in Kazakhstan through the relationship between innovation resources and innovation-related economic outcomes. For an economy seeking diversification, higher productivity, and reduced dependence on raw materials, the key issue is not only the availability of innovation resources, but also the ability of regions to transform them into output, sales, and broader economic effects. Using official regional statistics for 2024, the study compares two groups of indicators: innovation resources and innovation-related economic outcomes. To improve the reproducibility of the analysis, the article constructs a Resource Index and an Outcome Index, calculates the gap between them, and applies coefficients of variation and Spearman’s rank correlation. The results show that interregional disparities are pronounced and multidimensional. The coefficient of variation is higher for the Outcome Index than for the Resource Index, indicating that innovation-related economic outcomes are distributed more unevenly across regions than the resource base. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient indicates a positive but incomplete association between resources and outcomes, meaning that stronger resource positions do not automatically translate into proportionally stronger economic results. The regional typology identifies several resource–outcome configurations, including regions with high resources and strong outcomes, regions with high resources but not fully realized outcomes, regions with moderate resources and strong outcomes, and regions with both low resources and weak recorded outcomes. The findings suggest that innovation policy in Kazakhstan should be territorially differentiated and should focus not only on expanding innovation resources, but also on strengthening the mechanisms that convert resources into economically meaningful outcomes.