Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22 June 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how the Innovation Index Coalition processes personal data when users visit www.innovationindexcoalition.com, contact us, subscribe to newsletters and updates, access reports or downloads, or otherwise use this website.

We process personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection rules.

1. Data Controller and Contact

For the purposes of this website, the Innovation Index Coalition is responsible for the personal data processed through the website.

Questions about this Privacy Policy or the processing of personal data may be directed to:

Innovation Index Coalition
Email: privacy@innovationindexcoalition.com

Where a specific coalition partner, university, research institution, or contributor independently determines how personal data is processed, that partner, institution, or contributor may be responsible for that processing separately.

2. Scope of this Policy

This Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice applies to personal data processed when users:

  • visit the website;

  • contact us by email or through a form;

  • subscribe to newsletters or updates;

  • access reports, rankings, datasets, downloads, or other materials;

  • use free account, cart, checkout, or download functions, where available;

  • interact with cookies, analytics, or similar technologies on the website.

This policy does not apply to external websites or services operated by third parties, even if they are linked from this website.

3. Free Access and No Payment Data

Reports, downloads, rankings, datasets, and other materials made available through this website are provided free of charge.

No services, reports, downloads, subscriptions, accounts, or other features offered through this website require payment. Users will not be charged for accessing or downloading content from this website.

Because no payment is required, we do not intentionally collect payment card details, bank account information, billing details, or other payment information through this website.

If the website uses cart, checkout, account, or order-style functionality to make free reports or downloads available, technical or administrative data may still be processed. This may include name, email address, selected download, timestamp, IP address, and technical device information.

4. Categories of Personal Data

Depending on how users interact with the website, we may process the following types of personal data:

  • technical data, such as IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, pages visited, date and time of access, error logs, and security logs;

  • contact data, such as name, email address, institutional affiliation, message content, and related communication details;

  • newsletter data, such as first name, last name, email address, subscription status, consent information, and communication preferences;

  • download or access data, such as selected reports or files, download timestamps, account or checkout metadata, and technical access logs;

  • cookie and analytics data, such as cookie identifiers, session information, page views, clicks, approximate location, referring source, and interaction data;

  • information voluntarily submitted through surveys, feedback forms, research forms, or similar website functions.

Users should not submit sensitive personal data through ordinary contact forms unless this is clearly necessary and specifically requested.

5. Purposes of Processing

We may process personal data for the following purposes:

  • to operate, display, and secure the website;

  • to provide access to free reports, rankings, datasets, downloads, and other materials;

  • to manage free cart, checkout, account, or download functions, where used;

  • to respond to messages, requests, and enquiries;

  • to send newsletters or updates where the user has subscribed;

  • to prevent misuse, spam, fraud, or technical attacks;

  • to diagnose technical problems and improve website performance;

  • to understand general website usage through analytics;

  • to maintain records of communication, consent, and compliance;

  • to comply with legal obligations;

  • to protect the rights and interests of the Innovation Index Coalition, its partners, contributors, and users.

6. Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal data only where there is a legal basis under applicable data protection law.

The legal basis may be:

  • legitimate interests, for example operating and securing the website, responding to enquiries, improving website content, and providing access to free reports and downloads;

  • consent, for example for non-essential cookies, Google Analytics, newsletters, surveys, or other optional functions where consent is required;

  • legal obligation, where processing is necessary to comply with applicable law;

  • contractual or pre-contractual necessity, where processing is necessary to respond to a user request, provide access to requested materials, or handle a related communication.

Where processing is based on consent, users may withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

7. Website Platform and Hosting

This website is built and hosted using Squarespace.

Squarespace may process personal data on our behalf to operate, host, secure, maintain, and display the website. This may include technical data, usage data, cookie data, form submissions, newsletter signup data, account data, cart data, checkout data, and download-related data.

Squarespace may use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary for the website to function properly. Depending on the website features used, this may include cookies or local storage for navigation, security, customer accounts, cart functionality, checkout functionality, redirects, fraud prevention, and session management.

Where Squarespace provides analytics, performance, or other non-essential functions involving cookies or similar technologies, these will be used only where legally permitted and, where required, only after consent has been obtained.

8. Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the website and to improve its content, structure, and performance.

Google Analytics may process information such as pages visited, links clicked, files accessed or downloaded, browser type, device type, operating system, approximate geographic location, referring source, session duration, and interaction data.

Google Analytics is provided by Google. Depending on the user’s location and applicable arrangements, personal data may be processed by Google Ireland Limited, Google LLC, or other Google entities.

We use Google Analytics for aggregated website statistics and performance analysis. We do not use Google Analytics to identify individual users.

Google Analytics must not be used to collect directly identifying information such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, or payment details. Users should not submit such information through URLs, search fields, or other inputs that may be captured by analytics tools.

Where required by law, Google Analytics will be used only after the user has given consent through the website’s cookie or consent settings.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

This website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Cookies are small text files or similar technologies stored on or accessed from a user’s device. They may be used to make the website work, remember settings, support security, manage sessions, enable account or checkout functions, provide downloads, or measure website usage.

The website may use the following types of cookies:

  • necessary cookies, which are required for the website to function properly;

  • functional cookies, which may remember user choices or preferences;

  • analytics cookies, which help us understand how the website is used;

  • marketing cookies, which are not intended to be used unless such technologies are expressly introduced later.

Necessary cookies may be used without consent where they are required for the website to function.

Non-essential cookies, including analytics, preference, performance, or tracking cookies, will be used only where legally permitted and, where required, only after consent has been obtained.

Users may manage, refuse, or withdraw cookie consent through the website’s cookie settings where available, or by changing browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect website functionality, including forms, account functions, cart functions, checkout functions, downloads, or security features.

10. Forms, Email Communication, and Newsletters

If users contact us by email or through a website form, we process the information provided in order to respond to the enquiry and manage the communication.

If users subscribe to newsletters or updates, we process the information provided for the purpose of sending those communications. Newsletter subscription is voluntary. Users may unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe option in the communication, where available, or by contacting us.

Form submissions and newsletter data may be processed through Squarespace or other service providers used to operate the website and manage communications.

11. Recipients and Service Providers

Personal data may be shared with the following categories of recipients where necessary:

  • Squarespace, as website platform and hosting provider;

  • Google, as provider of Google Analytics;

  • website hosting, infrastructure, and security providers;

  • email or newsletter service providers;

  • analytics or cookie management providers;

  • coalition partners or contributing institutions, where relevant to the request or processing purpose;

  • professional advisers, where necessary;

  • public authorities, regulators, or courts, where required by law.

We do not sell personal data to third parties.

12. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Typical retention periods may include:

  • technical logs for a limited period needed for security, maintenance, and troubleshooting;

  • analytics data according to the applicable Google Analytics retention settings;

  • contact messages for as long as needed to respond and maintain appropriate records;

  • newsletter data until the user unsubscribes or withdraws consent, unless longer retention is needed to document consent or compliance;

  • consent records for as long as needed to document compliance;

  • download or checkout records for as long as needed to provide access, document activity, maintain security, or meet administrative requirements.

When personal data is no longer needed, it will be deleted, anonymised, or otherwise handled in accordance with applicable data protection rules.

13. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or unauthorised access.

These measures may include secure hosting, access controls, encryption where appropriate, software updates, backups, monitoring, and other security practices.

No website, email system, analytics tool, or online service can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

14. Data Subject Rights

Subject to the conditions and limitations set out in applicable data protection law, users may have the right to:

  • access their personal data;

  • correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data;

  • request deletion of personal data;

  • restrict processing;

  • object to processing;

  • receive personal data in a portable format;

  • withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;

  • avoid certain automated decisions, where applicable.

To exercise these rights, users may contact us using the contact details in this Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice. We may need to verify the user’s identity before responding.

15. External Links

This website may contain links to external websites, publications, datasets, platforms, tools, or other third-party resources.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, security, or data processing activities of third-party websites or services. Users should review the privacy policies of any external websites they visit.

16. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the website, processing activities, legal requirements, or institutional arrangements.

The updated version will be published on this website with a revised “Last updated” date.

17. Right to Lodge a Complaint

If users believe that their personal data has been processed in violation of applicable data protection law, they have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority.

Before filing a complaint, users are encouraged to contact us so that we can try to address the concern.