This paper contributes to literature by giving more precise measures to technological innovation in order to estimate its economic value and assess its impact on the financial performance of companies in Europe. Focus is given to European patent system which is different from the American one. Financial and innovation data are collected during 1990-2012, for 599 companies belonging to 15 industries. According to market value approach, the relationship between market-to-book ratio and knowledge assets is proved to be positive andsignificant. Innovation is more valuable when it contributes to wider knowledge transfer, haslarger geographical and technological scopes and radical character.
