Abstract. Purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between national culture and the capacity of the nation to innovate. Thernmotivation of study was driven by the differences national innovative capacity in the open access knowledge era. The total sample wasrninvolved in this study is 77 countries. Hofstede’s national culture Index and Global Competitiveness Index were used to measure nationalrninnovative capacity variable and national culture variable respectively. The study involved two control variables namely categorization ofrnnational income (low, upper low, upper medium and high) and the Human Development Index. Bivariate correlation analysis and multiplernregression analysis were applied. The findings indicated that national culture classification namely individualism, long-term orientation, andrnindulgence were found positively and significantly related to national innovative capacity. Power distance and uncertainty avoidance nationalrnculture classification showed a negative and significant relationship with national innovative capacity. Masculinity national culture was foundrnno relationship with national innovative capacity. Human Development Index as a control variable showed a positive and significantrnassociation with national innovative capacity. There is no indication association between income categorization and national innovativerncapacity