The Innovation Union had the objective of strengthening Europe’s potential for innovation, and has set out 13 general objectives and 34 specific policy commitments associated with these objectives. This project delivered a system of assessment for these commitments. The approach started with the evaluation of the state of achievement of the individual commitments, but putted crucial emphasis on their effects on the innovation system as a whole, as well as on the wider economic effects of innovation. The idea was to retrace the chain of effects of these commitments, from their implementation to their final impact in terms of competitiveness, growth and employment.