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The assessment and comparison of the S&T innovation competitiveness among the provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin are helpful to better utilize the supporting and leading role of S&T innovation in the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Combined with the real characteristics of S&T innovation in the Yellow River Basin, the study considers five dimensions horizontally: S&T innovation input, S&T innovation output, S&T entrepreneurial condition, S&T innovation revenue, and S&T innovation influence. Vertically, it considers two types of indicators, namely, strength and efficiency, and constructs the index system of evaluation of S&T innovation competitiveness in the Yellow River Basin. A multi-dimensional indicator system for measuring the competitiveness of S&T innovation in the Yellow River Basin is constructed, taking into account the differences in scale and efficiency indicators. Based on this, the study analyzes the evolution trend and current situation of S&T innovation competitiveness of the nine provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin from 2012 to 2021, and further compares the differences in S&T innovation competitiveness among the provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin. The study finds the followings. (1) The nine provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin have formed three echelons with significant differences in the level of S&T innovation competitiveness, and the upstream provinces and regions lag behind noticeably in S&T innovation competitiveness. (2) The evaluation results of five horizontal dimensions show that the low level of S&T entrepreneurship conditions and S&T innovation benefit are the key factors constraining the S&T innovation competitiveness of all provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin. (3) The results of vertical "strength-efficiency" evaluation show that Shandong Province, which is in the first echelon of S&T innovation competitiveness in the Yellow River Basin, should focus on improving its competitive effectiveness in S&T innovation, while the provinces and regions in the third echelon (Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Gansu, Shanxi, and Ningxia) should optimize their competitive strength in S&T innovation. Finally, the study proposes countermeasures to improve the competitiveness of S&T innovation in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]