European Innovation Scoreboard 2025.
Date: 2025-07-21
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: EU Member State, EU regional policy, EU research policy, innovation, performance measurement, research and development, research infrastructure

Research and 
Innovation

European Innovation 
Scoreboard
2025

Independent Expert Report
Independent Expert Report

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025

European Commission
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Directorate G - Common Policy Centre
Unit G.1 – Common R&I Strategy & Foresight Service

Contact 

Email 

Paolo Pasimeni, Chief Economist and Head of Unit G.1
Athina Karvounaraki
Alexis Stevenson
 RTD-STATISTICS@ec.europa.eu 
 RTD-PUBLICATIONS@ec.europa.eu

Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
Directorate A - Strategy and Economic Analysis
Unit A.1 – Chief Economist

Contact 

Email 

Román Arjona, Chief Economist and Head of Unit A.1
Xosé-Luís Varela-Irimia
 GROW-A1@ec.europa.eu

European Commission
B-1049 Brussels

Manuscript completed in July 2025
The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the European Commission.

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION

European Innovation Scoreboard 
2025

This production of this report was coordinated by 
Alasdair Reid and Paresa Markianidou

With research and contributions from 
Penelope Giorgi, Marius Kalanta Owen McColgan 
David Rosenfeld, Lucien Schreiber and Lyudymyla Tautiyeva for the 
European Commission, 

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation under the Specific 
Contract LC-0321370 

We  thank  Invest  Europe  for  sharing  data  on  Venture  capital  expenditures,    the 
European Union Intellectual Property Office, Science-Metrix (Elsevier) and Fraunhofer 
ISI for providing data on trademarks and designs, scientific publications and patents, 
DG EUROSTAT Units G2 and G4,  and all National Statistical Offices that shared data. 
We  are  also  grateful  to  all  those  who  participated  in  the  workshops  dedicated  to 
revising the measurement framework. Finally, we extend out thanks to the European 
Commission’s Competence Centre on Composite Indicators and Scoreboards (COIN) at 
the Joint Research Centre (JRC, Ispra) for auditing both the EIS and RIS 2025 editions.

2025

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

 
FOREWORD 

The European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) has become a reference. It offers insights into where 
the  EU  and  its  Member  States  stand  in  terms  of  innovation  performance.  It  reflects  recent 
achievements and gives indications where further efforts are needed.  

The 2025 edition documents the progress that Europe has achieved, as evidenced by the 12.6 
percentage  points  increase  in  our  innovation  capacity  since  2018.  And  while  geographical 
differences remain, it is encouraging to see European innovation accelerating in all Member 
States and presenting fresh opportunities for us to grow stronger together. 

Europe’s future prosperity will critically depend on our ability to innovate. Research and innovation 
are key to boost productivity and competitiveness, drive sustainability and safeguard Europe’s 
economic security. Innovation is a top priority for the Commission, alongside our commitment to 
fighting climate change and strengthening resilience. Through the Competitiveness Compass – 
the key policy document of the Commission – we are actively guiding policy efforts where they 
matter most to create meaningful impact. 

That is why we are launching ambitious initiatives like the Startups and Scaleups Strategy and 
enhancing the Horizon Europe Programme. These initiatives are designed to boost productivity, 
promote sustainability and ensure a secure and thriving economy.  

The Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report highlights areas to improve — such as 
increasing R&D investment, expanding access to growth capital for startups and accelerating 
digital adoption. We are addressing these challenges with the Single Market Strategy, aiming to 
make it simpler, stronger and seamless. On the talent side, our Start-Up and Scale-Up Strategy 
and Choose Europe for Science initiatives are bringing Europe’s brightest minds together and 
attracting new talent. Looking ahead, the future EU Innovation Act promises to build on this 
momentum by using the EIS as a benchmark to modernise research and innovation across the 
Union. 

Finally, resilience is the foundation of competitiveness and innovation. Addressing supply chain 
dependencies, strengthening economic security and enhancing industrial resilience in critical 
sectors are essential for EU businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving global landscape. This 
year’s Scoreboard introduces new insights on how European businesses are strengthening their 
resilience, a sign of Europe’s adaptability and determination.  

This report is a powerful tool and a call for action to boost our innovation performance. Let us 
work together to translate its insights into action, ensuring that innovation remains at the heart 
of Europe’s response to today’s challenges, and a cornerstone of our shared future.

Stéphane Séjourné 
Executive Vice-President  
for Prosperity &  
Industrial Strategy

Ekaterina Zaharieva  
Commissioner for  
Startups, Research &  
Innovation

3

CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..............................................................................................6

1.1 A quarter of a century of tracking trends in innovation performance ...........7
1.2 Europe’s innovation performance remains strong, but the growth has been 
slowing down ..............................................................................................................................................7
1.3 ...... Performance within the EU – Sweden in the top spot, Ireland and Croatia on 
the rise .......................................................................................................................................................10
1.4 Performance of the EU’s neighbouring countries and global competitors .........11
1.5 The EIS: best-available data and a robust and replicable methodology .............12

2. INTRODUCING THE EUROPEAN INNOVATION SCOREBOARD  ............. 13

2.1 Innovation as a driver of competitiveness, sustainability and resilience ...........14
2.2 How does the EIS measure innovation? ..............................................................................17
2.3 How to interpret the EIS results? ...........................................................................................21

3. HOW ARE EU27 MEMBER STATES PERFORMING IN TERMS OF 

INNOVATION? ............................................................................................................. 23

3.1 What is the composition and characteristics of innovation groups?  ...................24
3.2 How do EU27 Member States compare to each other?  ..............................................26
3.3 How do EU27 Member States differ in innovation dimensions? ..............................31
3.4 How are innovation groups performing in each dimension and over time? .......55
3.4.1 Innovation performance by group and dimension .......................................................55
3.4.2 Differences in innovation performance over time  ......................................................57
3.4.3 Is there evidence of convergence in innovation performance between EU27 
Member States?  .....................................................................................................................................67
3.5 How do EU27 Member States perform compared to neighbouring  
countries? .................................................................................................................................................68
3.6 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the neighbouring countries compa-
red to the EU?  ........................................................................................................................................72

4. HOW IS THE EU PERFORMING? ......................................................................... 76

4.1 Has the EU improved compared to previous years?  ....................................................77
4.2 How does the EU compare to its global competitors?  ................................................82
4.3 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the EU compared to its global 
competitors?  ...........................................................................................................................................86

European Innovation Scoreboard 20254

5. INDUSTRIAL RESILIENCE IN A TURBULENT WORLD  .............................. 98

5.1 The concept of resilience  ....................................................................................................... 100
5.2 Capturing industrial and innovation resilience and innovation dependencies in 
the EIS  .................................................................................................................................................... 101
5.3 Dependency of EIS countries on high-tech imports  .................................................. 103

6. COUNTRY PROFILES  ........................................................................................... 108

7. METHODOLOGY  .................................................................................................... 159

7.1 Data sources, data availability and comparison with the EIS 2024.  ................ 160
7.2 Methodology for calculating innovation indexes  ........................................................ 161
7.3 Contextual analysis on the impact of structural differences  
between countries  ............................................................................................................................ 164

LIST OF BOXES

Box 1: Five new indicators in the 2025 EIS framework ........................................................18
Box 2: Country level observations of Innovation Leaders ...................................................58
Box 3: Country level observations of Strong Innovators ......................................................61
Box 4: Country level observations of Moderate Innovators ................................................63
Box 5: Country level observations for Emerging Innovators ..............................................66

European Innovation Scoreboard 20255

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Change in performance of the EU over time .............................................................8
Figure 2: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in 2025, indexed to 
the EU in 2018 and compared to national performance in 2024.  ....................................9
Figure 3: Innovation performance change from 2018 to 2025 – EU versus global 
competitors ...............................................................................................................................................12
Figure 4: The European Innovation Scoreboard and related scoreboards and indica-
tors ................................................................................................................................................................16
Figure 5: EIS measurement framework and underlying questions addressed by 
each indicator ..........................................................................................................................................20
Figure 6: How to use and interpret EIS results .........................................................................22
Figure 7: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in 2025   ...................25
Figure 8: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States,  
compared to 2024 .................................................................................................................................27
Figure 9: Evolution of the innovation performance of the EU27 Member States 
between 2018 and 2025 ....................................................................................................................30
Figure 10: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Human 
resources dimension .............................................................................................................................32
Figure 11: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Attractive 
research systems dimension .............................................................................................................34
Figure 12: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Digitalisation 
dimension ...................................................................................................................................................36
Figure 13: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Finance and 
support dimension .................................................................................................................................38
Figure 14: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Firm invest-
ments dimension ....................................................................................................................................40
Figure 15: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Investments 
in information technologies dimension ........................................................................................42
Figure 16: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Innovators 
dimension ...................................................................................................................................................44
Figure 17: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Linkages 
dimension ...................................................................................................................................................46
Figure 18: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Intellectual 
assets dimension ....................................................................................................................................48
Figure 19: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Sales and 
employment impacts dimension .....................................................................................................50
Figure 20: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Trade 
impacts dimension .................................................................................................................................52
Figure 21: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Resource 
and Labour productivity dimension ...............................................................................................54
Figure 22: Innovation performance of the innovation groups per dimension ............56

European Innovation Scoreboard 20256

Figure 23: Performance Innovation Leaders ..............................................................................59
Figure 24: Performance of Strong Innovators...........................................................................61
Figure 25: Performance Moderate Innovators ..........................................................................64
Figure 26: Performance Emerging Innovators ..........................................................................66
Figure 27: Convergence in innovation performance ...............................................................68
Figure 28: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States and neighbouring 
countries in 2025 ...................................................................................................................................69
Figure 29: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States and neighbouring 
countries (bar chart) (2025 vs 2024) ...........................................................................................70
Figure 30: Innovation performance change for the EU27 Member States and neigh-
bouring countries (2025 vs 2018)..................................................................................................71
Figure 31: Performance of EU27 Member States and neighbouring countries per 
indicator in 2025, compared to the EU average in 2025 ....................................................75
Figure 32: Innovation performance of the EU per dimension and indicator ...............81
Figure 33: Innovation performance of the EU and its global competitors ...................83
Figure 34: Performance change between 2018 and 2025 for the EU and global 
competitors ...............................................................................................................................................84
Figure 35: The EU versus its global competitors .....................................................................85
Figure 36: The EU versus its global competitors in framework conditions .................89
Figure 37: The EU versus its global competitors in investments .....................................90
Figure 38: The EU versus its global competitors in innovation activities ....................92
Figure 39: The EU versus its global competitors in impacts ..............................................94
Figure 40: The EU versus its global competitors (structural indicators) ......................97
Figure 41. Analytical dimensions of enhancing resilience through improving deep 
tech capacity .........................................................................................................................................101
Figure 42: Shares and concentration of non-EU imports in EU and neighbouring 
countries. .................................................................................................................................................105
Figure 44: EIS automation process .............................................................................................164
Table 1: Contextual indicators in the European Innovation Scoreboard – European 
countries ..................................................................................................................................................165
Figure 45: Performance change between 2018 and 2025 per indicator for EU27 
Member States and neighbouring countries ...........................................................................174
Figure 46: Performance change between 2024 and 2025 per indicator for EU27 
Member States and neighbouring countries ...........................................................................175
Figure 47: Differences in structural indicators between EU27 Member States and 
neighbouring countries .....................................................................................................................176

European Innovation Scoreboard 20257

1.   EXECUTIVE  
SUMMARY 

European Innovation Scoreboard 20258

1.1 A quarter of a century of tracking trends in innovation performance 
This year is the 25th anniversary of the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), first published 
in 2001 (following a pilot edition in 2000). Over the past quarter of a century, the EIS has 
become the central tool for monitoring innovation performance and supporting evidence-
based policymaking across the European Union (EU) as well as for neighbouring countries 
and with respect to the EU’s global (partners and) competitors. It helps stakeholders assess 
areas in which they need to concentrate their efforts to boost innovation performance, 
considering the national socio-economic context, which is captured by a complementary 
set of structural indicators to help interpret the results.

Over the last decades, the EIS indicator framework has evolved to better reflect the factors 
influencing innovation performance, the changing socio-economic and geopolitical context, 
and the corresponding policy responses. Based on a revision process undertaken in late 
2024 and early 2025, the EIS 2025 applies a revised indicator framework to the one used 
for 2021-2024. Five indicators were updated to align with new data and evolving EU R&I 
policy priorities. These include two digitalisation indicators and measures of external high-
tech dependence, CO₂ productivity, and labour productivity.

All performance scores described in this report are relative to that of the EU in 2018 and in 
2025, facilitating the tracking of progress and trends and enabling policymakers to identify 
specific areas requiring attention through strategies and programmes at national level.

1.2 Europe’s innovation performance remains strong, but the growth has been 
slowing down 

Since 2018, the EU’s innovation performance has increased by 12.6%-points 

All countries within the EU have increased their innovation performance from the base 
year of 2018; nonetheless, the scale of these increases varies widely, from Luxembourg 
at +0.9%-points to Estonia at +30.0%-points. The innovation performance of 14 countries 
has increased more significantly compared to the EU. Conversely, 13 countries have had a 
smaller increase in their innovation performance in comparison to the EU.

No significant change to the EU’s innovation performance since 2024

The EU’s annual innovation performance has declined marginally at a rate of -0.4%-points 
from 2024 to 2025, continuing a trend of relative stability observed over the past three 
years. Thirteen Member States increased their score in comparison to last year, Malta and 
Luxembourg the most by +7.6%-points and +5.0%-points, respectively. However, the score 
of 14 members decreased more than that of the EU, with the most significant declines seen 
in Czechia (-8.4%-points), and Cyprus (-14.6%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 20259

Figure 1: Change in performance of the EU over time

 A persistent innovation gap across Europe despite a slight reduction in disparities  

Based on their performance relative to the EU average in 2025, the EU27 Member States 
fall into four different performance groups. In performance order, Sweden, Denmark, the 
Netherlands, and Finland are Innovation Leaders with innovation performance above 
125% of the EU average. Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Germany, France and 
Estonia perform above the EU average and are Strong Innovators. Malta, Slovenia, Italy, 
Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Lithuania, Czechia, Greece and Croatia are Moderate Innovators 
with performance below the EU average. Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Latvia, Bulgaria, and 
Romania are Emerging Innovators with performance below 70% of the EU average.

The analysis of innovation performance across EU27 Member States reveals a moderate 
reduction  in  performance  disparities  from  2018  to  2025,  suggesting  slight 
convergence  at  the  EU  level.  However,  divergence  persists  within  specific  performance 
groups. Innovation Leaders show growing disparities, driven by Denmark and Sweden pulling 
ahead. The Strong and Moderate Innovators were both homogeneous, however recently 
there has been a renewed divergence due to faster improvements in certain countries. 
Similarly, the gaps between Emerging Innovators have slightly increased, as some countries 
advance more quickly than others.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202510010210410610811011211420182019202020212022202320242025Summary innovation index10

Figure 2: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in 2025, indexed to the EU 
in 2018

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRomaniaBulgariaLatviaSlovakiaPolandHungaryCroatiaGreeceCzechiaLithuaniaCyprusPortugalSpainItalySloveniaMaltaEUEstoniaFranceGermanyAustriaLuxembourgBelgiumIrelandFinlandNetherlandsDenmarkSweden020406080100120140160Summary innovation index in 2025 (indexed to the EU in 2018)Emerging innovatorsModerate innovatorsStrong innovatorsInnovation leadersIScore in 202411

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018. Coloured bars show countries’ performance 

in 2025, using the most recent data for 32 indicators. The vertical bars show performance in 2024, using the 

next most recent data. 

1.3 Performance within the EU – Sweden in the top spot, Ireland and Croatia on 
the rise 

Sweden returns to the top spot of EU innovators

Sweden regains its position as the most innovative Member State, ahead of Denmark, 
which had been the leading EU Member State from 2020 to 2024. Sweden has increased 
its score by 12.9%-points in comparison to 2018, and by 2.0%-points in the last year. 
Sweden  ranks  first  in  eight  of  the  32  EIS  indicators,  including  R&D  expenditure  in  the 
business sector, Cloud computing in enterprises, and Production-based CO₂ productivity.

Ireland moves up to top the strong innovators group

Ireland ranks top of the Strong Innovators group in 2025, although only just ahead of 
Belgium by 0.5%-points. Ireland’s performance has grown by 13.3%-points from 2018, and 
by 4.1%-points in the last year. Ireland has been on a steady upward trajectory since 2020. 
Indicators significantly contributing to Ireland’s performance growth since 2018 include 
Cloud computing in enterprises, Production-based CO₂ productivity, and Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others.

Changes in performance groups: Croatia moves up, while Cyprus and Hungary 
drop

Croatia has improved its innovation performance by 19.4%-points from 2018 to 2025, 
moving up from the Emerging Innovators group to the Moderate Innovators group. The 
top three indicators contributing to this improvement over the past year are Innovation 
expenditures per person employed, Cloud computing in enterprises, and New doctorate 
graduates.

Cyprus has dropped from the Strong Innovators to the Moderate Innovators performance 
group. While the Cypriot score increased by 17.6%-points since 2018, it fell by 14.6%-points 
in the last year. This outcome can be attributed to large drops in several indicators, notably 
Innovative SMEs collaborating with others, SMEs introducing business process innovations, 
and Employment in innovative enterprises.

Hungary has dropped from the Moderate Innovators to the Emerging Innovators performance 
group,  despite  increasing  its  score  by  16.2%-points  since  2018,  and  by  1.7%-points 
since 2024. In comparison to last year, Hungary recorded a strong performance in Cloud 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202512

computing in enterprises. However, Non-R&D innovation expenditure and Venture capital 
expenditures decreased by around 20.0%-points.

1.4 Performance of the EU’s neighbouring countries and global competitors 

Switzerland is the most innovative European country, the UK becomes a Leader

An  extended  analysis  covering  the  EU27  and  12  other  European  countries  finds  that 
Switzerland is, for the eighth year in a row, the most innovative European country due to 
improving performance on several indicators, notably Venture capital expenditures, Sales 
of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations, and Population involved in lifelong learning. 
The United Kingdom has moved up a group to become an Innovation Leader and is now 
ranked 5th amongst European countries; this is driven by strong increases in Venture capital 
expenditure, High-speed internet access and Cloud computing.

Sustained progress for the majority of the Western Balkan countries

Eight neighbouring countries are in the group of emerging innovators. An improvement in 
innovation performance from 2024 to 2025 is observed for most of the Western Balkan 
accession countries, namely Albania (+4.4%-points), Montenegro (+3.1%-points), Bosnia & 
Herzegovina (+3.0%-points) and Serbia (+2.3%-points). Serbia has the strongest growth in 
the group since 2018 (+10.9% points), followed by North Macedonia (+9.2%-points). 

China has overtaken the EU and USA and is fast catching South Korea in 2025

South  Korea  remains  the  most  innovative  global  competitor  in  2025,  outperforming 
the EU by 35.2%-points. Four other competitors, Canada, China, the United States and 
Australia lead the EU. Compared to EIS 2024, China has overtaken the EU and the US and 
moved into equal second place globally. Since 2018, China has increased the most its 
innovation performance (+44.7%-points), followed by South Korea (+25.8-%points). China’s 
performance improvement can be partly explained by new data becoming available for 
2017-2022 for Direct and indirect government support of business R&D, leading to a large 
upward shift.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202513

Figure 3: Innovation performance change from 2018 to 2025 – EU versus global 
competitors

Note: Performance change is measured as the difference between 2025 and 2018 scores, relative to that of the 

EU in 2018. Due to limited data availability for global competitors, scores are calculated using a smaller set of 

indicators.

1.5 The EIS: best-available data and a robust and replicable methodology
Data  for  the  EIS  is  sourced  primarily  from  Eurostat  and  other  international  statistical 
providers, with input from national statistical offices where needed. The Scoreboard team 
works closely with data providers to ensure the data included is as up to date and robust 
as possible. Since the 2024 edition, the data collection and calculation process for the 
EIS has been automated. The 2025 summary innovation index was calculated using the 
COINr package developed by the European Commission’s Competence Centre for Composite 
Indicators and Scoreboards. The approach provides a highly replicable and easy to follow 
data  pipeline  that  feeds  into  the  COINr  package  and  automatically  provides  the  main 
outputs of the EIS. Moreover, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre audited the 
statistical robustness of the SII composite indicator to ensure transparency and reliability.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025EU average in 2025MexicoSouthAfricaChileIndiaBrazilJapanEUAustraliaUnitedStatesChinaCanadaSouthKorea020406080100120140160Change in summary innovation index between 2018 and 2025Positive change14

2.   INTRODUCING THE 

EUROPEAN INNOVATION 
SCOREBOARD  

European Innovation Scoreboard 202515

2.1 Innovation as a driver of competitiveness, sustainability and resilience
The year 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the European Innovation Scoreboard, 
first published in 2001 (following a pilot edition in 2000). Over the past quarter of a century, 
the EIS has become the central tool for monitoring innovation performance and supporting 
evidence-based policymaking across the European Union (EU) as well as for neighbouring 
countries and with respect to our global (partners and) competitors. This milestone offers 
an opportunity to reflect not only on the progress made, but also on the changing role of 
innovation in addressing Europe’s evolving strategic challenges.

In  a  world  marked  by  rapid  technological  change,  mounting  geopolitical  tensions,  and 
accelerating  environmental  and  demographic  transitions,  innovation  is  a  strategic 
imperative for the EU. It is not only a key driver of productivity and global competitiveness, 
but also a core enabler of the EU’s twin green and digital transitions, strategic autonomy, 
and long-term resilience. The capacity to generate, adopt and scale new ideas – in business, 
the  public  sector  and  society  –  will  determine  Europe's  ability  to  safeguard  its  values, 
address structural challenges, and seize new opportunities in an increasingly multipolar 
world.

Europe’s  innovation  imperative  is  shaped  by  a  set  of  deeply  interconnected 
challenges. Geopolitical volatility and global power competition have exposed Europe’s 
strategic dependencies in critical technologies, raw materials and supply chains – from 
semiconductors to clean energy systems. The climate and environmental crisis demands 
urgent  breakthroughs  in  energy  efficiency,  sustainable  mobility,  circularity  and  nature-
based solutions. The pandemic underlined the importance of strengths in health innovation 
to  react  rapidly  to  protect  well-being.  Demographic  pressures,  skills  mismatches,  and 
uneven digital readiness hold back innovation diffusion, especially among SMEs. Meanwhile, 
global competition in frontier technologies is intensifying, with Europe at risk of being 
left behind competitors despite strong scientific performance in fields such as artificial 
intelligence, quantum computing or biotechnologies1. Lastly, the current geopolitical climate 
has refocused attention on Europe’s defence and security leading to a reinforced attention 
to dual-use technologies and innovations that can safeguard our future2.

On the one hand, innovation policy has evolved little over the last decades, there has been a 
consistent attention given to boost SME innovation and co-operation, to improve intellectual 
property management and knowledge transfer from Europe’s universities and research 
centres, to increase access to finance, notably venture capital, supporting the scaling of 
Europe’s start-ups, etc. On the other hand, innovation policy is increasingly positioned 
as a cross-cutting instrument to deliver on Europe’s strategic priorities, reflecting 

1  See: Eulaerts, O., Grabowska, M. and Bergamini, M., Weak signals in science and technologies 2024 – Technologies at an early stage of development 

that could impact our future, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/6571994

2  See:  European  Commission:  Directorate-General  for  Research  and  Innovation,  Making  the  most  of  EU  research  and  innovation  investments  – 

Rethinking dual use, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/6637451

European Innovation Scoreboard 202516

a shift from addressing only market failures to a transformative innovation policy approach. 
Innovation policy is now expected not only to boost competitiveness by closing the innovation 
gap, as called for by the Competitiveness Compass3, but also to reorient innovation systems 
to address societal and industrial challenges and enable deep, structural change. The Clean 
Industrial  Deal4  seeks  to  foster  decarbonisation  of  energy  intensive  sectors  and  boost 
the cleantech sector. The Horizon Europe Missions are mobilising innovation to accelerate 
systemic transformations in areas such as climate-neutral cities, healthy soils, oceans and 
waters, and cancer5. At the same time, the New European Innovation Agenda (2022)6 aimed 
to  scale  up  deep  tech  and  foster  interconnected  innovation  ecosystems  and  the  2025 
EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy7, through instrument such as the European Innovation 
Council8, improves conditions for startups and scaleups through access to finance, talent 
and public procurement. The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) seeks to 
focus funding from 11 European programmes towards digital and deep-tech innovation, 
clean and resource-efficient technologies and biotechnologies9. Strategic autonomy and 
industrial  resilience  are  increasingly  taking  a  central,  with  the  Chips  Act,  Critical  Raw 
Materials Act, and industrial alliances working to reduce Europe’s external dependencies 
and  strengthen  technological  capacity10.  In  this  context,  innovation  is  a  key  lever  for 
developing  alternatives  to  scarce  inputs,  improving  resource  efficiency,  and  reinforcing 
supply chains. The forthcoming European Innovation Act is designed to bolster innovation 
across the continent by addressing challenges like regulatory fragmentation, limited access 
to venture capital, and inadequate coordination among Member States.

Responding to this evolving economic, social, environmental geopolitical and policy context, 
this year’s EIS adopts a revised indicator framework (presented in more detail in the 
next section). This framework is adopted by both the EIS and the accompanying Regional 
Innovation Scoreboard (RIS) 2025. Along with the Eco-Innovation Index (EII, last published in 
2024), the two scoreboards make up a suite of tools for assessing innovation performance 
in Europe. To support the monitoring of the Startup and Scaleup Strategy, a pilot European 
Start-up Scoreboard (ESS) is being developed in 2025. Several other monitoring platforms 
contribute, along with the EIS, to supporting innovation policy, including: the EU Industrial 
R&D Investment Scoreboard11, ERA Scoreboard and Monitoring Mechanism12, the Innovation 

3  See: https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/competitiveness-compass_en
4  See: https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/clean-industrial-deal_en
5  See:  https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-

horizon-europe_en

6  See: 

https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/support-policy-making/shaping-eu-research-and-innovation-policy/new-european-

innovation-agenda_en

7  See: https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/choose-europe-your-startup-and-scaleup-2025-05-28_en
8  See: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/index_en
9  See: https://strategic-technologies.europa.eu/index_en
10 See: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/industry_en
11 See: https://iri.jrc.ec.europa.eu/scoreboard/2024-eu-industrial-rd-investment-scoreboard
12 See: https://european-research-area.ec.europa.eu/era-monitoring

European Innovation Scoreboard 202517

Output Indicator (IOI)13 and the DESI dashboard for the Digital Decade14. 

Figure 4: The European Innovation Scoreboard and related scoreboards and indicators

Scoreboards,  like  the  EIS  and  the  RIS,  are  valuable  tools  for  informing  policy 
monitoring and evaluation by providing a structured, comparative overview of innovation 
performance across countries and regions. They enable policymakers to monitor trends, 
benchmark progress, and identify areas where interventions may be needed. By aggregating 
a wide range of indicators into accessible composite indices, scoreboards help translate 
complex innovation landscapes into actionable policy insights and support accountability 
by tracking outcomes over time

While scoreboards are effective for descriptive benchmarking and highlighting performance 
gaps,  they  should  not  be  used  alone  to  establish  causality  between  specific  policy 
interventions  and  observed  outcomes.  The  indicators  and  composite  scores  reflect 
correlations and associations rather than cause-and-effect relationships.

For example, a country may show improved innovation performance, usually several years 
after a policy change, but the EIS alone cannot prove that the policy was the direct cause of 
the improvement, other factors or external influences may have played a role. Thus, while 
scoreboards are essential for evidence-based policy monitoring and evaluation, they should 
be complemented with in-depth analyses to better understand the mechanisms 
and effectiveness of policy actions. At European level, reports such as the Science, 

13 See: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/923d0196-3133-11f0-8a44-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
14 See: https://digital-decade-desi.digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/

European Innovation Scoreboard 202518

Research and Innovation Performance of the EU (SRIP15), published biennially, build on the 
output of relevant scoreboards to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state of play.

2.2 How does the EIS measure innovation?
Measuring innovation is a complex process, as it goes far beyond counting the number of 
new products or business processes that have been introduced on the market or brought 
into use in society. Innovation activities include all developmental, financial, and commercial 
efforts undertaken by an organisation to improve its performance. Innovation improves living 
standards, and boosts long-term competitiveness and sustainable economic development.

“The term ‘innovation’ can signify both an activity and the outcome of the activity. An 
innovation is a new or improved product or process (or combination thereof) that differs 
significantly from the unit’s previous products or processes and that has been made 
available to potential users (product) or brought into use by the unit (process).” 

Oslo Manual16

The  EIS  considers  a  wide  range  of  factors  that  affect  innovation.  In  line  with  previous 
editions,  the  methodological  framework  of  the  scoreboard  is  based  on  a  total  of  32 
indicators, divided into four main categories and 12 dimensions, to assess the innovation 
performance of the EU, its Member States and selected third countries (Figure 4).

Framework  conditions:  Innovation  stems  from  knowledge-based  activities,  where 
information and expertise come together to drive progress. The EIS assesses the prevalence 
of tertiary education and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) doctorates, 
the trend towards international collaboration and dissemination of research results, and 
the extent of digitalisation, recognising that advanced digital skills and infrastructures are 
instrumental in accessing information and nurturing innovation. 

Investments:  Financial  resources  play  a  vital  role  in  developing  new  solutions  and 
facilitating their adoption by the market or firms. The EIS therefore evaluates the investments 
directed towards R&D and innovation coming from diverse sources such as the public sector, 
venture capitalists, and businesses. In addition, the EIS assesses the investment made by 
businesses in their digitalisation through indicators on Cloud computing in enterprises and 
Employed ICT specialists, reflecting the growing importance of advanced digital tools and 
skills in Europe's innovation systems.

Innovation activities: To evaluate a country’s innovation activities, the EIS places an 

15  See:  https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/support-policy-making/support-national-research-and-innovation-policy-making/srip-

report_en

16 OECD/Eurostat (2018), Oslo Manual 2018: Guidelines for Collecting, Reporting and Using Data on Innovation, 4th Edition, The Measurement of 

Scientific, Technological and Innovation Activities, OECD Publishing, Paris/Eurostat, Luxembourg, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264304604-en.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202519

emphasis  on  small  and  medium  enterprises  (SMEs),  measuring  their  introduction  of 
novel  products  or  business  processes  and  the  degree  to  which  they  collaborate  or  co-
publish across different sectors. As highlighted before, an invention must be successfully 
commercialised or exploited to be considered an innovation. Therefore, the EIS examines 
how often companies translate inventions into marketed products or related assets. To 
gauge the intellectual capital of a country, the EIS also quantifies the number of patents, 
trademarks, or designs generated by innovators. 

Impacts:  Lastly,  the  EIS  evaluates  the  impact  of  innovation  activities  on  sales  and 
employment, trade, and Resource and Labour productivity. It includes indicators such as 
Employment in innovative enterprises, Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations, 
and the export value of medium- and high-tech products or knowledge-intensive services. 
To reflect industrial and strategic resilience, the EIS now includes an indicator on high-
tech imports from partners outside of the EU27, capturing Member States’ reliance on 
external sources for high-tech goods and services. In addition, the EIS goes beyond purely 
economic metrics by including environmental and social impacts, assessed through three 
forms of productivity: Resource productivity, Production-based CO₂ productivity, and Labour 
productivity.

As  part  of  a  small-scale  revision  of  the  indicator  framework  for  the  EIS  and  RIS,  five 
indicators were updated in 202517. The revision fine-tuned the measurement framework 
considering newly available data and to better reflect evolving European R&I policy priorities; 
the new indicators are presented in Figure 4 and described in Box 1.

Box 1: Five new indicators in the 2025 EIS framework

High-speed internet coverage measures how many households have access to ultra-
fast internet (via fibre or similar). It shows the quality of a country’s digital infrastructure.

Cloud computing assesses the share of businesses using advanced online services like 
data storage, accounting, or customer management tools. It reflects the extent to which 
enterprises are adopting more advanced digital technologies.

High-tech imports from outside the EU show how much a country relies on non-EU 
countries for high-tech products and services. A higher share means greater dependence 
on external suppliers18.

17 Reid, A., et al. (2025). European Innovation Scoreboard 2025: Technical report on the revision of the scoreboard methodology. Independent expert 

report prepared for the European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation.

18  This  indicator  has  been  assigned  a  negative  direction  in  the  index  calculation,  meaning  that  lower  reliance  on  high-tech  imports  from  non-EU 

countries results in a higher score (relative to the EU). This reflects the idea that less dependence indicates greater industrial resilience.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202520

Production-based  CO₂  productivity  evaluates  how  much  economic  value  is 
generated for each unit of CO₂ emitted. Higher scores mean greater efficiency and lower 
environmental impact.

Labour  productivity  reflects  how  much  economic  value  is  created  for  each  hour 
worked. Higher scores reflect greater efficiency and innovation-driven growth.

The  EIS  draws  on  extensive  data  sourced,  primarily,  from  European  (Eurostat)  and 
international  statistical  services  and  other  providers  of  specialised  data  (patents, 
publications, and venture capital). While many indicators are based on data collected at 
the firm level, the results are aggregated to provide comparable insights at both national 
and international levels. Eurostat services provided the EIS team support in interpreting 
statistics19 derived from the Community Innovation Survey (CIS)20, as well the Community 
survey on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usage and e-commerce in 
enterprises21. For countries that do not regularly transmit data to Eurostat, notably in the 
Western Balkans, data is collected directly by the EIS team through cooperating with and 
support from national statistical offices (NSOs). The EIS team is grateful for the support 
of Eurostat and all data providers including Invest Europe, national statistical offices, etc. 

In addition, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) Competence Centre on Composite Indicators 
and Scoreboards carries out a statistical audit on the EIS and RIS to provide a statistical 
assessment of the composite indicators and contribute to improving transparency and 
reliability  of  the  results.  Further  explanations  on  the  methodology  for  collecting  and 
analysing data are found in section 7 of this report and in the EIS Methodology Report22.

19 See: European Commission: Eurostat, European business statistics methodological manual for statistics on business innovation – 2024 edition, 

Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2785/0952308

20 See: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/website/cis/library.html
21 See: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Statistics_on_ICT_usage_and_e-commerce_introduced#cite_note-1
22 See: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/statistics/performance-indicators/european-innovation-scoreboard_en

European Innovation Scoreboard 202521

Figure 5: EIS measurement framework and underlying questions addressed by each 
indicator

European Innovation Scoreboard 202522

2.3 How to interpret the EIS results?
The summary innovation index (SII) provides a single, comparable score that reflects the 
overall innovation performance of each country. It is calculated as the unweighted average 
of the 32 indicators, i.e. each indicator is assigned an equal weight. To ensure comparability, 
scores present performance relative to the EU average rather than absolute values. For 
example, a score of 110.0 in 2025 indicates that the country is performing 10.0%-points 
above the EU average in 2018. To assess the innovation performance of a country over 
time, SII scores are presented relative to the EU score for the baseline year (2018). 

A comprehensive understanding of national innovation performance, and its evolution over 
time, requires the consideration of multiple metrics and contextual factors. Countries are 
grouped into performance categories (Emerging, Moderate, Strong, and Leader) based on 
how their SII compares to the EU average in the current year. Country rankings, presented 
either  among  EU27  Member  States  or  including  neighbouring  countries,  provide  an 
additional comparative perspective. Strengths and weaknesses are identified by comparing 
a country’s indicator scores to the EU average, highlighting areas of relative advantage 
or lag. Taken together, and complemented by structural indicators that provide relevant 
context, these elements should enable a nuanced interpretation of innovation performance 
within and across countries.

Users are encouraged to consult the interactive online tool23, explore individual country 
profiles, and access the underlying data and methodology files to conduct their own analysis 
or draw tailored insights. Figure 6 below provides further guidance on how to interpret 
SII  values,  rankings,  reference  years,  indicator  classifications,  and  available  supporting 
resources.

23 See: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/performance-indicators/european-innovation-scoreboard/eis-2025#/

European Innovation Scoreboard 202523

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025

1

Figure 6: How to use and interpret EIS results

How to assess a country:

•  Countries are assessed using the Summary Innovation Index (SII), a composite indicator based on 32 indicators 

covering various aspects of innovation.

•  Based  on  their  SII  score  relative  to  the  EU  average,  countries  are  classified  into  Innovation  Leaders,  Strong 

Innovators, Moderate Innovators, or Emerging Innovators.

Reference years:

•  Data can be indexed to the current year (2025) or the baseline year (2018). Always check which is used.
•  Indexing  to  the  current  year  shows  performance  relative  to  the  2025  EU  average.  E.g.  Sweden  performs  at 

120.0% of the EU average in 2025.

•  Indexing to the baseline year shows performance change over 8 years. E.g. in 2025, Sweden performs at 151.8% 
of the EU average in 2018. Indexing to the baseline year is especially useful for showing trends in line charts, or 
changes from year to year.

Indicators:

•  The SII is the unweighted average of 32 indicators, grouped into 12 dimensions and 4 pillars, covering key areas 

like digitalisation, human resources, and intellectual assets.

•  Structural indicators provide contextual information, but are not included in the SII calculation.

Rankings:

•  Countries are ranked based on their SII score. E.g. Sweden ranks 1st in the EU in 2025; Switzerland ranks 1st 

overall, including neighbouring countries.

•  Each indicator can be ranked among EU Member States and neighbouring countries, showing relative performance.
•  Within each country, the top three and bottom three indicators (based on scores) are identified as strengths and 

weaknesses, highlighting what contributes most positively or negatively to overall performance.

Resources:

•  Main report: EU-wide results, trends, and comparisons with global competitors.
•  Online tool: Interactive data exploration and analysis.
•  Country profiles: In-depth analysis with interpretation.
•  Methodology  report: Explanation  of  how data  and  scores  were  calculated.  Data  and replication  files  are  also 

available.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202524

3.   HOW ARE EU27 MEMBER 
STATES PERFORMING IN 
TERMS OF INNOVATION? 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202525

This section discusses the innovation performance of the 27 EU Member State and then 
compares the performance of 12 neighbouring European countries.

3.1 What is the composition and characteristics of innovation groups? 
Based on their SII in 2025, the EU27 Member States are categorised into four different 
groups, namely Innovation Leaders, Strong Innovators, Moderate Innovators, and Emerging 
Innovators. More specifically:

 •

Innovation Leaders are Member States with performance above 125% of the 
EU average in 2025. This group includes four Member States, ranked by order of 
performance: Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Finland. 

 • Strong Innovators are Member States with a performance between 100% and 

125% of the EU average in 2025. This group includes seven Member States, ranked 
by order of performance: Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Germany, France, and 
Estonia.

 • Moderate Innovators are Member States with performance between 70% and 

100% of the EU average in 2025. This group includes 10 countries, ranked by order of 
performance: Malta, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Lithuania, Czechia, Greece 
and Croatia.

 • Emerging Innovators are Member States that have a performance level below 70% 
of the EU average in 2025. This group includes six Member States, ranked by order of 
performance: Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Latvia, Bulgaria, and Romania.

Three Member States have moved from one performance group to another: 

 • Croatia has improved its innovation performance by 19.4%-points during the period 
of 2018 to 2025, resulting in its advancement from the Emerging Innovators to 
the Moderate Innovators performance group. Between 2024 and 2025, Croatia 
has particularly improved in the dimensions of: Firm investments (+35.5%-points); 
Investments in information technologies (+28.7%-points); and Human resources 
(+11.8%-points). 

 • Cyprus has dropped from the Strong Innovators to the moderate innovator’s 

performance group. However, in comparison to 2018 it has still increased its score 
by 17.6%-points. Cyprus particularly underperformed between 2024 and 2025, and 
declined in dimensions such as: Innovators (-82.0%-points); Linkages (-76.8%-points); 
and Impact on sales and employment (-52.5%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202526

 • Hungary has moved from the Moderate Innovators to the Emerging Innovators group, 

despite an overall increase in its score of 16.2%-points since the 2018 baseline 
and a small year-on-year gain of 1.7%-points. Hungary’s position has weakened 
due to year-on-year declines in several dimensions, including Finance and support 
(-21.0%-points), Innovators (-10.6%-points), and Firm investments (-7.7%-points).

 • Sweden regains its position as the most innovative Member State, ahead of Denmark 
which was the leading EU Member State from 2020-2024. Sweden has increased its 
score by 12.9%-points in comparison to 2018, and 2.0%-points in the last year. While, 
Ireland has become the leader of the Strong Innovators group in 2025, although only 
ahead of Belgium by 0.5%-points. Ireland’s performance has grown by 13.3%-points 
from 2018, and 4.1%-points in the last year.

Figure 7: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in 2025  

Emerging innovators

Moderate innovators

Strong innovators

Innovation leaders

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
27

3.2 How do EU27 Member States compare to each other? 
Figure 8 shows the scores for the SII for all EU27 Member States in 2025, relative to the EU 
in 2018 and compares them to their SII score in 2024 (applying the new framework not the 
EIS 2024 framework). The results show that 11 Member States rank above the EU average 
and 16 below. Compared to 2024, the ranking in 2025 remains unchanged for 13 Member 
States while 14 Member States have shifted positions upwards or downwards. Malta shifted 
upwards by four positions between 2024 and 2025, while Cyprus dropped 5 positions.

Using  2018  as  the  base  year,  we  see  that  Malta,  Luxembourg,  Ireland,  Slovenia,  Italy, 
Portugal, Romania, Poland, Sweden, Spain, France, Hungary, and Latvia have increased 
their innovation performance since 2024. The scores for the remaining Member States 
decreased or remained stable. The changes range from Malta at +7.6%-points to Cyprus 
at -14.6%-points. The EU’s score declined slightly by 0.4%-points, from 113.0 in 2024 to 
112.6 in 2025.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202528

Figure 8: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States, compared to 2024

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018. Horizontal coloured bars show countries’ 

performance in 2025, using the most recent data for 32 indicators. The vertical bars show performance in 2024, 

using the next most recent data.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRomaniaBulgariaLatviaSlovakiaPolandHungaryCroatiaGreeceCzechiaLithuaniaCyprusPortugalSpainItalySloveniaMaltaEUEstoniaFranceGermanyAustriaLuxembourgBelgiumIrelandFinlandNetherlandsDenmarkSweden020406080100120140160Summary innovation index in 2025 (indexed to the EU in 2018)Emerging innovatorsModerate innovatorsStrong innovatorsInnovation leadersIScore in 202429

Compared to 2018, all EU27 Member States improved their innovation performance, with 
increases ranging from 0.9%-points in Luxembourg to 30.0%-points in Estonia. The EU 
average stood at +12.6%-points. Several countries recorded notably strong improvements 
well above the average, including Croatia (+19.4%-points), Poland (+18.0%-points), Cyprus 
(+17.6%-points),  and  Lithuania  (+17.4%-points),  followed  closely  by  Slovenia,  Malta, 
Czechia, Hungary, and Italy, each posting gains of over 15.0%-points.

Several other Member States performed close to or slightly above the EU average, such 
as  Greece  (+15.3%-points),  Spain  (+13.9%-points),  Ireland  (+13.3%-points),  Sweden 
(+12.9%-points), Denmark (+12.3%-points) and Belgium (+11.7%-points). More moderate 
progress  was  observed  in  Portugal,  Finland,  Germany,  Slovakia,  Austria,  Romania  with 
increases  between  8.0%-points  and  9.0%-points.  Meanwhile,  France  (+7.4%-points), 
Bulgaria (+6.3%-points), Latvia (+4.9%-points), and Luxembourg (+0.9%-points) recorded 
the smallest improvements since 2018.

Leading  in  the  Strong  Innovators  –  the  case  of  Ireland:  Ireland’s  performance 
has increased by 13.3%-points between 2018 and 2025 and now ranks as the best 
performing  among  the  Strong  Innovators  for  the  first  time.  Indicators  experiencing 
an  impressive  growth  of  above  100.0%-points  from  2018  include  Cloud  computing 
(+221.5%-points),  High-speed  internet  access  (+169.2%-points),  Production-based 
CO₂  productivity  (+122.5%-points)  and  Innovative  SMEs  collaborating  with  others 
(+117.7%-points).  For Cloud  computing  the  government  has  galvanised  this  through 
the Digital Ireland Framework24, which promotes the adoption of digital technologies 
across the economy. This is supported by a well-developed cloud infrastructure and the 
presence of major tech firms like Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM, whose services are widely 
used by businesses which helps enterprises gain access to Cloud computing solutions. 
High speed internet success can be attributed to the National Broadband Plan which is 
the Irish Government’s €2.7 billion initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to over 
560,000  premises  nationwide,  primarily  in  rural  and  underserved  areas,  with  over 
125,000 connections completed as of 202525. 

Change in performance groups – the case of Cyprus: Cyprus has fallen from Strong 
to Moderate Innovators, despite an overall performance increase of 17.6%- points since 
2018. Cyprus’ decline is the result of a combination of factors. A key driver was the 
significant drop in several indicators based on the 2022 Community Innovation Survey 
(CIS), in particular: Innovative SMEs collaborating with each other (-223.9%-points), SMEs 
introducing business process innovations (-102%-points), and SMEs introducing product 
innovations (-61.3%-points). In small economies like Cyprus, CIS results can be sensitive 
to sampling composition, leading to large year-on-year variations. In addition, the revised 

24 https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/publications/harnessing-digital-the-digital-ireland-framework/
25 https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/national-broadband-plan/

European Innovation Scoreboard 202530

measurement framework had a negative, though limited, impact on Cyprus’ performance, 
notably related to the new indicator High-tech imports from partners outside the EU. 
The country's relatively small market size and geographical location may help explain 
its reliance on high-tech imports from non-EU partners. Together, these factors led to 
the  significant  decline.  However,  the  revision  of  the  measurement  framework  alone 
cannot explain the shift in performance group. Cyprus continues to record high gains 
since 2018, through the successful development of Centres of Excellence via the Horizon 
2020 and Horizon Europe "Widening" and "Teaming" programmes. For example, the KIOS 
Centre of Excellence at the University of Cyprus has obtained over €40 million in EU and 
national funds (2017–22), while the PHAETHON Energy centre of excellence received 
€15 million from Horizon Europe and €30 million from government tapping into strategic 
R&I infrastructure. Additionally, the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation’s Strategic 
Infrastructure Project, co-funded by the EU and the Research and Innovation Foundation 
(RIF), was launched in late 2023 to establish a national space research hub.

Drivers  of  change  –  the  case  of  Croatia:  Croatia’s  innovation  performance  has 
increased  by  19.4%-points  between  2018  and  2025,  moving  the  country  from  the 
Emerging Innovators to the Moderate Innovators group. Indicators showing particularly 
strong  growth  since  2018  include  Venture  capital  expenditures  (+190.4%-points), 
Cloud computing (+184.2%-points), and Innovation expenditures per person employed 
(+84.4%-points).  Croatia’s  progress  is  aided  by  a  developing  startup  ecosystem, 
supported through government-backed initiatives such as the World Bank–financed DIGIT 
project, which aims to strengthen institutional research capacity, support applied R&D, 
and accelerate digital transformation across firms. These efforts are complemented by 
national programmes led by HAMAG-BICRO and the Digital Croatia Strategy 2032, which 
seek to enhance digitalisation and incentivise private-sector investment in R&D 

Drivers  of  growth  –  the  case  of  Poland:  Poland’s  innovation  performance  has 
improved by 18.0%-points between 2018 and 2025, placing it third in the EU27 in terms 
of growth over this period. There have been significant improvements in key indicators 
such as Cloud computing (+389.3%-points), High-speed internet access (+68.2%-points), 
and Government support for business R&D (+57.0%-points). Poland’s improvements in 
Firm investments and Digitalisation may be due, in part, to targeted national funding 
initiatives. The government has launched the Critical Technology Support Fund (PLN 4 
billion / ~€1 billion) to support business investments in biotechnology, digital technologies, 
and resource-efficient innovations. An additional PLN 800 million (~€200 million) has 
been allocated to the Digital and Environmentally Friendly Transformation Fund, aimed 
at accelerating the shift towards Industry 4.0 and green technologies. These schemes 
complement  existing  programmes  such  as  Ścieżka  Smart,  which  in  2025  alone  will 
provide over PLN 2.3 billion (~€800 million) in funding for R&D and commercialisation 
projects, including dedicated calls for consortia of companies and research organisations. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202531

Figure 9: Evolution of the innovation performance of the EU27 Member States between 
2018 and 2025

Note: Performance change is measured as the difference between 2025 and 2018 scores, relative to that of the 

EU in 2018.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025EU average in 2025RomaniaBulgariaLatviaSlovakiaPolandHungaryCroatiaGreeceCzechiaLithuaniaCyprusPortugalSpainItalySloveniaMaltaEUEstoniaFranceGermanyAustriaLuxembourgBelgiumIrelandFinlandNetherlandsDenmarkSweden020406080100120140160Change in summary innovation index between 2018 and 2025Positive change32

3.3 How do EU27 Member States differ in innovation dimensions?
This section explores how performance is changing within each pillar and how the EU and 
EU27 Member States are performing within each pillar.

Human Resources

The Human resources dimension measures the availability of a high skilled and educated 
workforce  and  includes  three  indicators:  New  doctorate  graduates,  Population  with 
completed  tertiary  education  and  Population  aged  25-64  involved  in  lifelong  learning 
activities.

For  this  dimension,  the  best-performing  Member  States  are  three  Innovation  Leaders 
– Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands and two Strong Innovators, Luxembourg and 
Ireland.  Luxembourg  holds  the  top  position.  The  bottom  five  in  the  Human  resources 
dimension  consist  of  two  Moderate  Innovators  (Croatia  and  Italy)  and  three  Emerging 
Innovators  (Romania,  Bulgaria  and  Hungary).  Nevertheless,  all  five  improved  their 
performance since 2024. Croatia stands out with an increase of 11.8%-points.

All Innovation Leaders and Strong Innovators except for Germany exceed the EU average 
in 2025 on the Human resources dimension. Moderate Innovators are equally split, with 
five above the EU average (Spain, Slovenia, Portugal, Lithuania, Cyprus) and five below it 
(Malta, Greece, Czechia, Croatia, Italy). Overall, the EU average stands approximately in the 
middle of the distribution with 15 Member States scoring higher and 12 scoring lower than 
the EU average.

Compared  to  2024  the  EU  average  for  the  Human  resources  dimension  improved  by 
3.7%-points  driven  by  increased  performance  by  21  Member  States.  Luxembourg 
(+28.0%-points)  has  experienced  the  strongest  improvement,  followed  by  France 
(+18.8%-points) and Slovenia (+17.9%-points). Performance decreased for six Member 
States with strongest declines in Slovakia (-4.4%-points), Cyprus (-2.4%-points) and Austria 
(-2.4%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
33

Figure 10: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Human resources 
dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202534

Attractive research systems

The Attractive research systems dimension measures the international competitiveness 
and attractiveness of the national science base by considering the number of International 
scientific co-publications, the most cited scientific publications (among the top 10%) and 
the presence of foreign doctorate students.

The top five performers are three Innovation Leaders (Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden), 
one  strong  (Luxembourg)  and  one  moderate  innovator  (Cyprus).  The  best  performing 
Member  State  is  Luxembourg,  followed  by  Denmark  and  the  Netherlands.  Cyprus,  a 
moderate innovator ranks fifth. In contrast, the bottom five Member States include four 
Emerging  Innovators  (Latvia,  Poland,  Romania,  Bulgaria)  and  one  Moderate  Innovator 
(Croatia). 

More than half of the Member States (15) rank higher than the EU in 2025. All Innovation 
Leaders and Strong Innovators rank above the EU average. Among the Moderate Innovators 
four rank above the EU average and six below it. Cyprus stands out by ranking fifth just 
behind Sweden.

Between 2024 and 2025, the EU average for the Attractive research systems dimension 
remained relatively stable with a 0.3%-point increase. The performance has increased for 
21 Member States with Luxembourg (+11.2%-points), Cyprus (+10.9%-points) and Ireland 
(+6.5%-points) experiencing the highest performance growth. Performance has decreased 
for six Member States with the strongest decline experienced by Malta (-13.0%-points) 
followed by Latvia (-6.2%-points) and Estonia (-2.6%-points).

Between 2018 and 2025, the EU average improved by 13.0%-points. This increase was 
driven by improvements in the performance of 25 Member States. Cyprus recorded the 
highest  performance  growth  (+76.0%-points),  followed  by  Malta  (+71.6%-points)  and 
Estonia (+65.1%-points). Performance decreases are recorded for only two Member States, 
Belgium (-27.6%-points) and France (-7.3%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202535

Figure 11: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Attractive research 
systems dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202536

Digitalisation 

The Digitalisation dimension measures the penetration of digital technologies and includes 
two indicators: High-speed internet access and Individuals with above basic overall digital 
skills. This dimension has been revised by adapting one indicator, namely by replacing 
Broadband  penetration  with  High-speed  internet  access,  which  offers  a  more  accurate 
reflection of digitalisation, although measured at the household level.

The best performing Member States for this dimension are three Innovation Leaders, the 
Netherlands, Denmark and Finland, followed by two Moderate Innovators Malta and Spain. 
At the other end of the scale, Greece and Italy, are ranked at the bottom, below three 
Emerging Innovators (Latvia, Bulgaria and Slovakia).

All Strong and Leading Innovators perform above the EU average in 2025, except for Austria 
and Germany. Germany in particular scores below the EU average in both indicators under 
the dimension of Digitalisation but especially in the case of Individuals who have above 
basic overall digital skills (at 67.7% of the EU average in 2025). Among the Moderate 
Innovators, three Member States are above the EU average (Malta, Spain and Portugal) and 
seven (Lithuania, Cyprus, Czechia, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and Greece) below it. In the case 
of Emerging Innovators only one Member State, Hungary, ranks above the EU average with 
all other Member States ranking below it.

In comparison to 2024 the EU average improved by 9.7%-points. This increase was driven 
by 22 Member States with an improved performance. Among those Cyprus (+34.8%-points), 
Belgium (+30.4%-points) and Czechia (+24.4%-points) experienced the strongest increase. 
On the other hand, performance has decreased for five Member States with the strongest 
decline for Luxembourg (-7.9%-points), Croatia (-6.3%-points) and Latvia (-5.3%-points).

Between 2018 and 2025, the EU average improved by 43.2%-points driven by an improved 
performance  for  all  Member  States  but  one,  Luxembourg  (-4.2%-points).  The  largest 
performance increases are recorded for Cyprus (+93.0%-points), Ireland (+84.9%-points) 
and Hungary (+76.3%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202537

Figure 12: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Digitalisation 
dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202538

Finance and support

The Finance and support dimension measures the financing capacity of innovation and 
includes  three  indicators:  R&D  expenditures  in  universities  and  government  research 
organisations, Venture capital expenditures and Direct government funding and tax support 
for business R&D.

The best performing Member States are two Strong Innovators, France and Belgium and 
three Leading Innovators Sweden, Denmark and Finland. The bottom of the ranking includes 
two  Moderate  Innovators  (Cyprus  and  Malta)  and  three  Emerging  Innovators  (Latvia, 
Bulgaria and Romania). Among the Moderate Innovators Cyprus has experienced a decline 
compared to 2024.

Only 10 Member States are above the EU average with the remaining 17 below the EU 
average. Among these 10 we find Member States from three performance groups including 
all Leading Innovators, four Strong Innovators (France, Belgium, Estonia, Austria) and two 
Modest Innovators (Spain and Portugal).

The EU average in the Finance and support dimension declined by 4.4%-points between 
2024 and 2025. Between 2024 and 2025, all Leading Innovators performance declined 
ranging from -26.9%-points for Denmark, followed by the Netherlands with -25.5%-points 
and Finland and Sweden with -7.5%-points and -7.1%-points, respectively. The decline 
is driven by Venture capital expenditures in the case of all Leading Innovators26. Overall, 
performance improved in only eight Member States, while in the remaining 19 performance 
declined.  Ireland  stands  out  with  a  growth  of  17.4%-points  followed  by  Bulgaria  with 
4%-points and Malta with 3.8%-points.

Although the EU average in the Finance and support dimension declined between 2024 and 
2025, compared to the base year of 2018, the EU grew by 13.2%-points. The countries 
with the most pronounced increases in Finance and support since 2018 include Estonia 
(+70.6%-points), Croatia (+51.7%-points) and Denmark (+47.9%-points). In contrast, Malta 
(-62.7%-points), Hungary (-35.8%-points) and Latvia (-28.7%-points) experienced notable 
declines.

26 The Venture capital expenditures indicator is defined as private equity raised for investment in companies. Management buyouts, management 
buy-ins, and venture purchase of quoted shares are excluded. More specifically, buyouts are defined according to Invest Europe as financing provided 
to acquire a company. A significant amount of borrowed capital may be used to meet the cost of acquisition, typically by purchasing majority or 
controlling stakes. According to the raw data used for the EIS 2025 edition, total investments have increased but the overall decline in the indicator 
comes from an increase in buyouts and an increase in GDP.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202539

Figure 13: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Finance and 
support dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202540

Firm investments 

The  Firm  investments  dimension  measures  the  innovation  expenditures  of  the  private 
sector and includes the following indicators: Business R&D expenditures, Non-R&D and 
innovation  expenditures  as  a  percentage  of  turnover  and  Innovation  expenditures  per 
person employed27.

The best performing Member State in 2025 in this dimension is Sweden a Leading Innovator. 
The top five Member States also include Germany and Belgium, both Strong Innovators 
with a comparable performance, followed by Malta, a Moderate Innovator and Denmark, a 
Leading Innovator.

Among  the  best  performers  in  Firm  investments,  a  diverse  composition  of  Member 
States is observed, representing three different performance groups: Leading, Strong and 
Moderate Innovators. The Member States ranking at the bottom include a Strong Innovator, 
Luxembourg, with a score of 43.7, or 57.0%-points below the EU average. Other Member 
States  with  a  low  ranking  include  a  Moderate  Innovator,  Cyprus,  and  three  Emerging 
Innovators, Bulgaria, Latvia and Romania.

Among  the  EU27  Member  States,  only  nine  ranked  above  the  EU  average  in  2025.  All 
Innovation Leaders exceed the EU average in 2025 while among the Strong Innovators, 
France, Estonia and with a notable distance Luxembourg, rank below the EU average.

Between  2024  and  2025,  the  EU  average  declined  by  2.7%-points.  Most  of  the  EU27 
Member States (19) experienced a decline in Firm investments with only eight Member 
States  recording  growth.  Among  the  Member  States  experiencing  improvement,  Malta 
stands out with a 87.2%-point increase, followed by Croatia (+35.5%-points) and Sweden  
(+10.4%-points).

27 The latter two indicators are obtained from the CIS survey data in 2022. While they represent the most recent data of the CIS survey conducted 

every two years, the results are subject to a time lag of three years.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202541

Figure 14: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Firm investments 
dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202542

The declines in Firm investments observed in many EU27 Member States over the past 
year is also evident when compared to the 2018 baseline. Specifically, 17 Member States 
experienced a decline, while 10 showed growth in their performance compared to 2018. The 
largest increases were in Malta with an increase between 2018 and 2025 of 75.6%-points, 
followed by Croatia with 19.1%-points and Belgium with 16.6%-points.

Investments in information technologies

The  Investments  in  information  technologies  dimension  captures  business  uptake  of 
information technologies and includes two indicators: Cloud Computing and Employed ICT 
specialists.

In  2025,  the  top  performing  Member  States  in  this  dimension  include  three  Leading 
Innovators  (Finland,  Sweden  and  the  Netherlands),  followed  by  two  Strong  Innovators 
(Estonia, Ireland). At the other end of the scale, France, a Strong Innovator, ranks fourth 
from the bottom. The rest of the Member States with a comparatively low performance 
include two Moderate Innovators, Greece and Spain, and two Emerging Innovators, Bulgaria 
and Romania.

All Leading and Strong Innovators perform above the EU average, except for France. Among 
the Moderate Innovators, three perform above the EU average (Malta, Cyprus and Italy) 
while seven fall below it. The Emerging Innovators all rank below the EU average, except 
for Poland, which ranks above it.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202543

Figure 15: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Investments in 
information technologies dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202544

In comparison to 2024, the EU average has increased by 14.5%-points. This positive result is 
driven by 26 Member States recording growth with only one exception, Cyprus (-6.4%-points). 
The  Member  States  with  the  most  notable  improvements  in  their  performance  include 
Poland (+66.6%-points), Hungary (+49.3%-points) and Malta (+32.9%-points).

Between 2018, the base year, and 2025 all Member States experienced improvement, with 
Poland (+126.7%-points), Cyprus (+110.3%-points) and Estonia (+103.6%-points) showing 
the most significant increases.

Innovators

The Innovators dimension reflects SMEs' innovation activities in introducing innovations 
in products and business processes. It includes two indicators, SMEs introducing product 
innovations and SMEs introducing business process innovations from the CIS.

Although its performance decreased between 2024 and 2025, Greece ranks at the top 
with a score of 181.4 relative to the EU in 2025. Among the top five performers, Greece is 
joined by one Strong Innovator, Belgium, another Moderate Innovator, Italy, and two Leading 
Innovators, Sweden and Finland.

Among EU27 Member States, all Leading Innovators and Strong Innovators apart from 
Luxembourg perform above the EU average in 2025. In total 14 Member State rank above 
the EU average in 2025.

In comparison to 2024, the EU average declined by -7.5%-points. Only seven Member 
State’s performance increased between 2024 and 2025 most notably Italy (+36.4%-points), 
Luxembourg  (+13.3%-points)  and  Portugal  (+7.3%-points).  The  largest  declines  are 
observed in Cyprus (-82.0%-points), Croatia (-60.1%-points) and Czechia (-52.5%-points).

Over  the  longer  run,  compared  to  2018,  the  EU27  has  increased  its  performance  by 
15.7%-points driven by growth in innovation activities in 19 Member States. Countries 
contributing the most include Greece (+64.5%-points), followed by Slovenia (+50.1%-points) 
and Belgium (+47.5%-points). Performance has decreased in eight Member States with the 
strongest declines in Portugal (-52.5%-points), Finland (-24.2%-points) and Luxembourg 
(-19.5%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202545

Figure 16: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Innovators 
dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202546

Linkages

The  Linkages  dimension  includes  three  indicators  measuring  innovation  capabilities 
by  looking  at  Collaboration  between  innovating  firms,  Research  collaboration  between 
the private and public sector, and Job-to-job mobility of Human resources in Science & 
Technology (HRST).

The  top  performing  Member  States  in  the  Linkages  dimension  include  all  Innovation 
Leaders, led by Finland and a Strong Innovator, Luxembourg. The Member States at the 
bottom of the rank are all Emerging Innovators.

Overall, most of the Member States rank above the EU average (16) in 2025 including all 
Leading and Strong Innovators as well as five Moderate Innovators. The 11 Member States 
below the EU average include five Moderate Innovators and all six Emerging Innovators.

In comparison to 2024, the EU average has declined by -10.1%-points. Only nine Member 
States record growth, with a majority (18) Member States declining. The Member States 
with the highest improvements in performance since 2024 include Ireland (+48.2%-points), 
Sweden (+31.5%-points) and Latvia (+17.8%-points). Notable declines are observed for 
Cyprus (-76.8%-points), Greece (-36.2%-points) and Estonia (-35.5%-points).

Over the longer run, the EU average improved by 35.9%-points between 2018 and 2025. 
Most  Member  States  (24)  showed  improvement  among  which  most  notably  Ireland 
(+88.0%-points),  Cyprus  (+87.7%-points)  and  Luxembourg  (+72.5%-points).  The  three 
countries that declined were Denmark (-25.7%-points), Greece (-7.2%-points) and Romania 
(-4.7%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202547

Figure 17: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Linkages dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202548

Intellectual assets 

The  Intellectual  assets  dimension  captures  different  aspects  of  Intellectual  Property 
Rights (IPR), as measured by Patent Cooperation Treaty patent applications,  Trademark 
applications and Design applications.

The top five Member States in the Intellectual assets dimension are a mix of Leading and 
Strong  Innovators  with  Austria,  a  Strong  Innovator,  in  the  lead,  followed  by  Innovation 
Leaders Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, as well as Luxembourg - a Strong Innovator.

More than half of EU27 Member States (16) perform below the EU average in 2025 and 11 
above it. All Innovation Leaders exceed the EU average. Among the Strong Innovators, four 
Member States are above the EU average in 2025 (Austria, Luxembourg, Estonia, Germany) 
and three below it (Belgium, France and Ireland). Among the Moderate Innovators, three 
(Italy, Malta, and Cyprus) are above the EU average in 2025 and the majority are below 
it. The Emerging Innovators are all below the EU average with Bulgaria leading just below 
the EU average.

The EU27 performance for Intellectual assets has declined by -6.3%-points compared to 
2024. This result is due to the consistent decline across Member States except for three 
Member  States,  namely  Hungary  (+0.2%-points),  Latvia  (+1.7%-points)  and  Romania 
(+3.2%-points) with increases in their performance in 2025 compared to 2024. The countries 
experiencing the sharpest decline are Malta (-27.6%-points), Denmark (-17.0%-points) and 
Austria (-14.8%-points).

Looking back at the base-year of 2018, the decline in performance at the EU level is more 
pronounced with -17.0%-points. This result is explained by a consistent decline across 21 
Member States and only six with an increase in their performance. The Member States with 
the sharpest declines in Intellectual assets since 2018 are Luxembourg (-45.2%-points), 
Malta (-43.2%) and Denmark(-36.9%-points). Member states recording growth compared 
to the 2018 base-year include Lithuania (+21.3%-points), Estonia (+10.2%-points) and 
Croatia (9.7%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202549

Figure 18: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Intellectual assets 
dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202550

Impact on Sales and Employment

The impact of innovation activities for businesses is measured by the Sales and employment 
impacts dimension that is based on two indicators: Employment in innovative enterprises 
and Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations. 

The label for this dimension was adjusted compared to previous editions of the EIS to better 
reflect the scope of its indicators (see section 2.2). 

The  highest  ranked  Member  States  include  Leading,  Strong  and  Moderate  Innovators. 
Ireland, a Strong Innovator, is in the lead, followed by Greece and Italy, both Moderate 
Innovators. Germany as a Strong Innovator and Finland as a Leading Innovator complete 
the top five Member States.

The composition of countries below and above the EU average in 2025 is varied with a mix 
of Member States from the different performance groups. Among the Leading Innovators, 
the Netherlands ranks below the EU average as well as three Strong Innovators (Austria, 
France and Luxembourg). Emerging Innovators all rank below the EU average.

Compared to 2024, the EU has declined by -4.4%-points. Most Member States (21) experience 
declines, while only six show growth. The Member States with the sharpest declines include 
Cyprus (-52.5%-points), Bulgaria (-31.6%-points) and Finland (-29.0%-points). In contrast, 
the Member States with the highest growth are Italy (+20.7%-points), Spain (+9.6%-points) 
and France (+8.1%-points).

Between 2018 and 2025, the trend for the EU average is positive with a small growth 
of 1.5%-points. This result is due to nearly even distribution of changes among Member 
States, with approximately half showing positive (15) and the other half negative (12) 
growth. The Member States contributing to growth include Slovenia (+36.4%-points), Italy 
(+26.1%-points) and Sweden (+22.4%-points). In contrast Luxembourg (-35.3%-points), 
Slovakia (-24.6%-points) and Austria (-20.5%-points) experienced declines.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202551

Figure 19: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Sales and 
employment impacts dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202552

Trade impacts

The Trade impacts dimension is composed of three indicators: Exports of medium and high-
tech products, Knowledge-intensive services exports and High-tech imports from outside 
the EU.

The label for this dimension has been changed to reflect the inclusion of the indicator 
High-tech imports from outside the EU in the revised EIS framework. The change aims to 
capture industrial resilience as an integral part of innovation performance and is based on 
a technical report carried out as part of the EIS 202528.

The top performer in the Trade impacts dimension is Germany, a Strong Innovator. The top 
five Member states represent different performance groups, namely Denmark and Sweden 
as Leading Innovators, Slovenia, a Moderate Innovator and Ireland, a Strong Innovator. The 
bottom five Member States include predominantly moderate Innovators (Greece, Cyprus, 
Croatia and Lithuania) and one Emerging Innovator Latvia.

Among the Member States only Germany ranks above the EU average in the dimension 
of Trade impacts. The remaining 26 Member States are all below the EU average. This is 
explained by Knowledge-intensive services exports, for which the EU27 overall performance 
is close to the top of the ranking29.

In comparison to 2024, the EU average has declined by 2.0%-points. The countries with 
the highest growth compared to 2024 are Estonia (+8.2%-points), Denmark (+6.0%-points) 
and Slovenia (+3.9%-points). The countries with the most notable declines include Cyprus 
(-7.4%-points), Hungary (-5.9%-points) and Austria (-5.3%-points).

Between 2018 and 2025 the EU average increased by 1.6%-points. The largest increases 
are recorded for Slovenia (+19.1%-points), the Netherlands (+17.5%-points) and Denmark 
(+13.1%-points). In contrast most notable declines over the longer periods since 2018 
are  observed  for  Cyprus  (-25.6%-points),  Luxembourg  (-13.9%-points)  and  Ireland 
(-13.2%-points).

28  Kalanta  et  al  (2025).  European  Innovation  Scoreboard  2025  -  Exploratory  study  on  the  linkages  between  innovation  and  resilience.  European 

Commission (Brussels). DOI: 10.2777/0663803

29 The EU27 score for Knowledge-intensive services exports is calculated using extra-EU service exports (consistent with the calculation for global 
competitors)  while  scores  of  EU27  Member  States  include  exports  to  other  EU27  Member  States,  which  may  explain  why  the  EU-wide  score  is 
relatively higher than might be expected from an average of EU27 Member States.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202553

Figure 20: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Trade impacts 
dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202554

Resource and Labour productivity 

The Resource and Labour productivity dimension measures the impact of innovation activity 
on  economic  output,  decarbonisation  of  production  and  resource  use.  It  includes  three 
indicators: Resource productivity, Production-based CO₂ productivity and Labour productivity.

The label for this dimension has been changed (previously Environmental Sustainability) to 
better reflect the scope of the indicators it includes: 1) two new indicators on productivity 
have been added, Production-based CO₂ productivity and Labour productivity and 2) two 
indicators have been removed, Air emissions by fine particulates PM2.5 in industry and 
Development of environment related technologies.

The countries leading in the Resource and Labour productivity dimension include three 
Strong Innovators with Ireland at the top of the ranking followed by Luxembourg. Two 
leading Innovators follow, Denmark and the Netherlands while France, a Strong Innovator, 
completes the top five. The bottom five is composed of a mix of Strong (Estonia), Moderate 
(Czechia) and Emerging (Romania, Poland, Bulgaria) Innovators. 

Between 2024 and 2025, the EU average has increased by 12.4%-points. The Member 
States are nearly evenly divided, with 12 countries above the EU average and 15 below. 
The majority of the Leading and Strong Innovators are above the EU average with two 
exceptions: Finland, a Leading Innovator and Estonia, a Strong Innovator.

Compared  to  2024,  all  Member  States  improved  their  performance.  The  strongest 
growth was experienced by Portugal (+20.9%-points), Spain (+20.1%-points) and France 
(+16.0%-points). The countries with the most notable positive change compared to 2018 
include  Ireland  (+84.8%-points),  Denmark  (+53.1%-points)  and  Malta  (+47.2%-points). 
The  Member  States  which  grew  the  least  include  Sweden  (+13.7%-points),  Cyprus 
(+15.2%-points) and Bulgaria (+21.1%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202555

Figure 21: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States in the Resource and 
Labour productivity dimension

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018 for each dimension. Horizontal coloured bars 

represent countries’ performance in 2025, while diamonds and vertical bars indicate their performance in 2018 

and 2024, respectively. The colours denote each country’s overall performance group based on the 2025 SII.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202556

3.4 How are innovation groups performing in each dimension and over time? 

3.4.1  Innovation performance by group and dimension
Despite  overall  progress,  the  2025  data  reveal  persistent  performance  gaps  between 
innovation performance groups. The most striking disparities remain between the Moderate 
and Emerging Innovators, while the gap between Innovation Leaders and Strong Innovators 
is narrower but still evident in key dimensions. These gaps highlight the challenges many 
countries face in catching up, particularly in areas such as research excellence, digitalisation, 
and innovation finance.

In 2025, the average performance difference between the Innovation Leaders and Strong 
Innovators is 18%-points, 28%-points between the Strong and Moderate Innovators, and 
33%-points between the Moderate and Emerging Innovators (see Figure 22). 

Looking at performance by dimension, Innovation Leaders maintain the highest average 
score  (136%  of  2018  EU  average)  followed  by  Strong  Innovators  (118%),  Moderate 
Innovators (90%) and Emerging Innovators (57%). In most dimensions, each performance 
group outperforms the performance group below them, however there are two exceptions: 

 •

 •

In Trade impacts, Emerging Innovators score slightly higher (87%) than Moderate 
Innovators (86%)

In Resource and Labour productivity, Strong Innovators outperform Innovation 
Leaders, scoring 130% versus 123%

The gap between Innovation Leaders and Strong Innovators is relatively narrow in just two 
dimensions: such as Sales and employment impacts (3%-points) and Innovators (4%-points). 
However,  the  gap  between  these  two  groups  is  most  apparent  in  three  dimensions: 
Investment  in  information  technologies  (35%-points),  Digitalisation  (29%-points)  and 
Attractive  research  systems  (27%-points).  Nonetheless,  as  previously  stated,  Strong 
Innovators also lead in Resource and Labour productivity, with a 7%-point advantage over 
Innovation Leaders.

Between  Strong  and  Moderate  Innovators,  the  smallest  gap  is  seen  in  Sales  and 
employment impacts (5%-points). However, much larger differences exist in: Finance and 
support (53%-points), Attractive research systems (41%-points), Linkages (41%-points), 
and Resource and Labour productivity (40%-points). The Moderate Innovators group does 
not outperform Strong Innovators in any dimension. 

Finally,  Moderate  versus  Emerging  Innovators  shows  consistently  wide  gaps.  The  only 
exception is Trade impacts, where Emerging Innovators score just 1%-point higher. The next 
closest dimensions, Digitalisation (10%-points), Investments in information technologies 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202557

(15%-points), and Intellectual assets (15%-points), still favour Moderate Innovators. The 
largest  gaps  are  seen  in Innovators  (73%-points),  and Sales  and  employment  impacts 
(69%-points), again in favour of Moderate Innovators. 

Figure 22: Innovation performance of the innovation groups per dimension

Note: Average scores for each performance group are defined as the unweighted average of the relative-to-EU 

scores of the Member States within that group. As these unweighted averages do not consider differences in 

country size, results are not directly comparable. For this reason, average scores for the performance groups 

have been adjusted such that the unweighted average of the four groups for each dimension equals 100.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202554141851194215183124791318910245148771305014484122701408510538127111123441458512672132871094512211411987122861055712390130ResourceandlabourproductivityTradeimpactsSalesandemploymentimpactsIntellectualassetsLinkagesInnovatorsInvestmentsininformationtechnologiesFirminvestmentsFinanceandsupportDigitalisationAttractiveresearchsystemsHumanresources020406080100120140160Adjusted score per dimension in 2025Emerging innovatorsModerate innovatorsStrong innovatorsInnovation leaders58

3.4.2  Differences in innovation performance over time 
All comparisons presented in this section are based on the data published in the 2025 
edition.  While  changes  over  time  are  discussed,  these  reflect  the  latest  available  data 
series and methodological adjustments. As a result, some indicator values may differ from 
those published in previous editions due to data revisions, updates in statistical sources, or 
changes in national methodologies. To ensure consistency, all historical comparisons are 
recalculated using the most recent dataset rather than comparing across editions directly.

Innovation Leaders 

In 2025, Sweden (scoring 155.5% of the EU average in 2018) became the top performer 
in the EU, with consistently strong results since 2018. Denmark (152.0%) follows closely, 
despite a slight decline from its 2024 peak. The Netherlands (145.3%) and Finland (141.1%) 
also remained firmly in the top tier, each showing stable and high innovation output over 
the period. 

Innovation  Leaders  have  strengthened  their  positions  through  investments  in 
digital technologies and venture capital, alongside improvements in efficiency and 
sustainability outcomes, although there has been a decline in their performance 
in Intellectual assets. 

Since 2018, Innovation Leaders have made notable gains across several dimensions, with 
the  most  pronounced  improvements  seen  in  Investments  in  information  technologies, 
Firm investments, and Resource and Labour productivity. In Investments in information 
technologies,  the  Netherlands  (+74.9%-points),  Denmark  (+56.3%-points),  and  Finland 
(+29.5%-points) all recorded substantial increases. Sweden, while showing no change in 
this area, still holds the highest overall score at 278.6. 

In the Finance and support dimension, all Innovation Leaders improved their performance, 
including Denmark (+47.9%-points), Sweden (+43.0%-points), Finland (+42.4%-points), 
and the Netherlands (+11.5%-points). Resource and Labour productivity also saw strong 
advances,  with  Denmark  (+53.1%-points)  again  leading,  followed  by  the  Netherlands 
(+37.9%-points), Finland (+21.1%-points), and Sweden (+13.7%-points). 

At  the  more  granular  indicator  level,  similar  trends  emerge,  with  the  most  significant 
improvements  concentrated  within  the  previously  highlighted  dimensions.  Venture 
capital  expenditures  have  increased  markedly  across  all  four  countries,  with  Sweden 
(+244.8%-points) and Finland (+205.9%-points) more than tripling their scores since the 
2018 baseline. Denmark also came close to tripling its performance (+179.2%-points), 
while  the  Netherlands  registered  a  improvement  (+50.9%-points).  Cloud  computing  in 
enterprises  has  seen  substantial  growth,  with  the  Netherlands  (+243.1%-points)  and 
Denmark (+207.5%-points) more than tripling their scores, and Finland (+81.8%-points) 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202559

almost doubling. Sweden’s score has remained stable since 2018 (and currently stands at 
155.9% of the 2025 EU average), although it remains joint top in the EU for this indicator 
alongside Denmark and Finland. Notable progress is also evident in Production-based CO₂ 
productivity, with Denmark more than doubling its score (+116.6%-points), the Netherlands 
nearly doubling (+86.5%-points), and Finland making strong gains (+64.0%-points). Sweden 
also improved, albeit more modestly (+16.6%-points). 

However, there has been a pronounced decline in the Intellectual assets dimension among 
the Innovation Leaders. Denmark experienced the sharpest drop (–36.9%-points), followed 
by more moderate decreases in Sweden (–15.1%-points), Finland (–15.0%-points), and 
the Netherlands (–11.7%-points). This decline has been primarily driven by a significant 
reduction in Design applications, which nearly halved in Denmark (–87.3%-points), and fell 
considerably in Sweden (–37.6%-points) and Finland (–29.8%-points). The Netherlands saw 
a more modest decline in this indicator (–5.1%-points). 

Box 2: Country level observations of Innovation Leaders

Sweden’s innovation performance increased consistently from 2018 to 2023, with a 
slight dip from 2023 to 2024. However, Sweden has attained their highest score this 
year at 155.5% of the EU average  in 2018 and growth of 12.9%-points.

Denmark experienced year-on-year growth from 2018 to 2023, however a drop of 
4.8%-points from 2024 to 2025 has seen them slip from being the leader to a score 
of 152.0. 

The Netherlands maintained steady growth with limited volatility, achieving a peak 
of 148.2 in 2023. However, in the previous two years there was a slightly decline with 
respect to the score which settled at 145.3 in 2025. 

Finland demonstrated strong improvement between 2018 and 2023. Their quickest 
increase in score came in the period of 2020 to 2023. However, in the past two years, 
the scores have declined consecutively and now sit at 141.1.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202560

Figure 23: Performance Innovation Leaders

Note: Performance is relative to that of the EU in 2018. The graph on the left shows the average performance of 

the Innovation Leaders calculated as the unweighted average of the respective Member States. All vertical 

scales in Figure 23-Figure 26 span a range of 70.0%-points to allow an easy comparison of the results between 

the four performance groups.

Strong Innovators 

For the Strong Innovators, Ireland (138.6% of the EU average in 2018) now leads the 
group, while Belgium (138.1%) dropped to second in 2025, closely followed by Luxembourg 
(128.9%) and Austria (128.3%). Germany (125.1%) and France (122.3%) also remained 
among the Strong Innovators, maintaining stable high-level performance. Estonia (118.0%) 
stands out for its upward trajectory, significantly narrowing the gap with leading countries 
through sustained innovation gains since 2018. 

Strong  Innovators  have  seen  notable  progress  in  digital  and  collaborative 
domains, though performance in Intellectual assets has lagged, particularly in 
design-related outputs. 

Since the 2018 baseline, Strong Innovators have made steady progress in adopting digital 
technologies,  with  most  countries  recording  notable  improvements  in  Investments  in 
information technologies. Estonia leads the group with a 103.6%-point increase, followed 
by Austria (+85.0%-points), Germany (+79.4%-points), and Luxembourg (+63.2%-points), 
Ireland (+62.7%-points) and Belgium (+55.7%-points) also posted solid gains, while France 
(+6.1%-points) showed only marginal improvement over the baseline. 

Under  the  Digitalisation  dimension,  nearly  all  Strong  Innovators  recorded  substantial 
advances.  Ireland  stands  out  with  the  highest  increase  (+84.9%-points),  followed  by 
Austria (+66.1%-points), Germany (+60.6%-points), and France (+52.9%-points). Belgium 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025100110120130140150160170'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25Summary innovation indexDenmarkFinlandNetherlandsSweden100110120130140150160170'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25Summary innovation index61

(+47.6%-points) and Estonia (+45.9%-points) also improved strongly. Luxembourg was the 
only country to register a decline in this dimension (–4.2%-points). 

Linkages improved across the group, with Ireland again leading with an 88%-point increase. 
Luxembourg  (+72.5%-points),  France  (+39.9%-points),  and  Belgium  (+30.1%-points) 
also made strong gains. Estonia (+25.4%-points), Austria (+21.0%-points), and Germany 
(+18.1%-points) posted more moderate improvements, ensuring that all countries advanced 
in this dimension. 

At the more detailed indicator level, the strongest improvements remain concentrated in 
digital technologies and collaborative linkages. Cloud computing in enterprises has surged 
across  the  group,  with  Estonia  (+292.9%-points),  Germany  (+252.0%-points),  Austria 
(+241.2%-points), and Ireland (+221.5%-points) all more than tripling their baseline scores 
since 2018. Belgium (+190.4%-points) and Luxembourg (+149.3%-points) also recorded 
major gains, while France showed no change on this indicator, and is at 164.4% of the EU 
average in 2025. 

High-speed  internet  access  similarly  improved,  with  Ireland  leading  (+169.2%-points), 
followed  by  Austria  (+156.7%-points)  and  Germany  (+132.1%-points).  France 
(+123.3%-points) and Belgium (+96.7%-points) also doubled in comparison to their baseline 
or close to doubled. Estonia (+63.9%-points) posted large progress, while Luxembourg saw 
a modest increase (+13.1%-points). 

Public-private  co-publications  grew  significantly  in  Luxembourg  (+222.5%-points), 
Austria (+123.5%-points). Ireland (+75.9%-points), Belgium (+71.5%-points) and Estonia 
(+68.4%-points) also greatly strengthened their performance. Germany (+33.7%-points) 
made modest gains, while France recorded only a slight improvement (+3.1%-points). 

However,  there  has  been  a  decline  in  the  dimension  of  Intellectual  assets  among  the 
Strong Innovators. Luxembourg experienced the sharpest drop (–45.2%-points), followed 
by Germany (–27.6%-points), Austria (–23.5%-points), Ireland (-17.2%-points), Belgium 
(-13.1%-points) and France (–11.7%-points). Estonia was the only nation to increase their 
score in this dimension at 10.2%-points. Much like the Innovation Leaders, this decline 
has been primarily driven by a significant reduction in the indicator Design applications, 
Luxembourg  recorded  the  sharpest  drop  (–77.5%-points),  followed  by  Germany 
(–57.8%-points) and Austria (–48.4%-points). Moderate decreases were observed in France 
(–17.7%-points), Belgium (–17.4%-points), and Ireland (–13.0%-points), while Estonia was 
the only country in the group to improve slightly (+5.4%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202562

Box 3: Country level observations of Strong Innovators

Ireland  demonstrated  strong  upward  momentum,  moving  from  125.3%  of  the  EU 
average in 2018 to 138.6% in 2025, with sustained growth particularly after 2020. 

Belgium consistently improved its score from 126.4 in 2018 to a high of 138.9 in 2024, 
with only a minor dip in 2025 (reaching 138.1). 

Luxembourg fluctuated over the period, peaking in 2019 (130.1), declining through 
2024, and recovering to 128.9 in 2025. 

Austria saw gradual improvements in innovation performance from 2018 (120.1) to a 
peak in 2024 (132.3), followed by a slight decline in 2025 (128.3). 

Germany rose from 116.4 in 2018 to 127.8 in 2022, then stabilised around 127 before 
a slight drop to 125.1 in 2025. 

France experienced modest but steady progress, increasing from 114.9 in 2018 to 
122.3 in 2025. 

Estonia recorded the strongest relative growth, rising from 88.0 in 2018 to 118.0 in 
2025, with its largest gains occurring between 2019 and 2022.

Figure 24: Performance of Strong Innovators

Note: Performance is relative to that of the EU in 2018. The graph on the left shows the average performance of 

the Strong Innovators calculated as the unweighted average of the respective Member States. All vertical scales 

in Figure 23-Figure 26 span a range of 70.0%-points to allow an easy comparison of the results between the 

four performance groups. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 20258090100110120130140150'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25Summary innovation indexAustriaBelgiumGermanyEstoniaFranceIrelandLuxembourg8090100110120130140150'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25Summary innovation index63

Moderate Innovators 

Among Moderate Innovators, Malta (at 107.0% of the EU average in 2018) and Slovenia 
(106.6%) led the group in 2025, followed by Italy (104.7%), Spain (104.3%), and Portugal 
(102.2%), all of which crossed the 100% threshold30. All other Member States in the group 
have declined in performance, with Cyprus (94.7%), in particular, dropping from the Strong 
Innovators to the Moderate Innovators group; while Lithuania (91.2%), Czechia (90.8%) and 
Greece (85.3%) scores dropped compared to 2024, Croatia (80.6%) joined this group this 
year, continuing a gradual upward trend. 

Moderate Innovators have made strong progress in Digitalisation, Linkages, and 
research attractiveness, though performance in Intellectual assets has generally 
declined. 

Since  the  2018  baseline,  Moderate  Innovators  made  substantial  progress  in  adopting 
digital technologies, with most countries recording strong improvements in Investments in 
information technologies. Cyprus leads the group with a 110.3%-point increase, followed 
closely by Malta (+97.2%-points) and Italy (+96.4%-points). Lithuania (+81.9%-points) and 
Croatia (+79.4%-points) also posted strong gains, while Czechia (+65.5%-points), Portugal 
(+57.9%-points),  and  Spain  (+39.8%-points)  registered  more  moderate  improvements. 
Greece  (+35.4%-points)  and  Slovenia  (+31.2%-points)  showed  the  smallest  increases, 
though both still advanced on their 2018 baselines.

Under  the  Linkages  dimension  the  performance  group  achieved  solid  progress,  with 
only one country, Greece, experiencing a decline (–7.2%-points). Cyprus stood out with 
an 87.7%-point increase, followed by Italy (+64.5%-points), Malta (+59.8%-points), and 
Slovenia  (+48.9%-points).  Croatia  (+47.8%-points),  Spain  (+46.7%-points),  Lithuania 
(+42.4%-points),  and  Portugal  (+38.4%-points)  also  improved  significantly.  Czechia 
recorded a smaller gain (+19.9%-points). 

All Moderate Innovators improved their performance in Attractive research systems since 
2018, though the pace of progress varies significantly across countries. Cyprus again tops 
the dimension with a 76.0%-point improvement, followed closely by Malta (+71.4%-points) 
and  Slovenia  (+40.9%-points).  Czechia  (+33.9%-points)  and  Lithuania  (+29.9%-points) 
made  good  progress,  while  Portugal  (+15.9%-points),  Greece  (+14.1%-points),  Croatia 
(+13.5%-points),  and  Spain  (+12.2%-points)  recorded  more  modest  growth.  Italy 
(+11.2%-points) posted the smallest gain in this dimension. 

When analysing at the indicator level, strong improvements are concentrated within the 
previously highlighted dimensions. In Cloud computing in enterprises, several countries have 

30 

These scores are referenced to the 2018 index and are the normalised scores of the countries.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202564

more than quadrupled their baseline scores since 2018, including Italy (+326.9%-points), 
Malta (+313.9%-points), and Cyprus (+308.8%-points). Czechia (+238.9%-points), Croatia 
(+184.2%-points),  and  Lithuania  (+178.3%-points)  also  made  substantial  gains,  while 
even  the  lowest  scoring  countries  in  this  group,  such  as  Greece  (+117.9%-points)  and 
Spain (+95.9%-points), saw impressive increases. Public-private co-publications have also 
expanded, particularly in Cyprus (+212%-points), Malta (+124.1%-points), and Slovenia 
(+79.0%-points), with improvements seen across all countries. 

In terms of internationalisation of research, most countries saw growing shares of foreign 
doctorate students since 2018, led by Malta (+293.8%-points), Cyprus (+137.0%-points), 
and  Slovenia  (+84.4%-points).  Czechia  (+71.4%-points),  Portugal  (+44.1%-points),  and 
Lithuania (+42.3%-points) also saw steady increases, while Greece (+5.5%-points) and 
Spain (+29.7%-points) made modest gains. Only two countries, Croatia (+3.8%-points) and 
Italy (+2.5%-points), recorded small declines. 

However, much like the Leading Innovators and Strong Innovators, the Moderate Innovators 
have also declined in the dimension of Intellectual assets by 18.3%-points, one of two 
dimensions they have fallen in, with the other being Trade impacts at only 0.5%-points. 
Design applications was the largest driver of this drop in the Intellectual assets dimension. 
While  Lithuania  (+21.3%-points)  and  Croatia  (+9.7%-points)  had  moderate  gains 
since  2018  in  that  dimension,  most  countries  declined.  The  sharpest  drops  in  Design 
applications  were  recorded  in  Malta  (-128.5%-points)  and  Cyprus  (-76.2%-points), 
followed by Portugal (-41.5%-points) and Italy (-27.1%-points). Other countries, including 
Czechia (+14.0%-points), Spain (+12.8%-points), Greece (+12.7%-points), and Slovenia 
(+5.7%-points), also registered moderate decreases, pointing to a general downward trend 
in the generation or registration of design-related intellectual property in this group.

Box 4: Country level observations of Moderate Innovators

Malta showed steady growth, moving from 90.3% of the EU average in 2018 to 107% 
in 2025, with a minor dip in 2023. 

Slovenia progressed from 89.8 in 2018 to 106.6 in 2025, with a particularly strong 
performance post-2021. 

Italy rose steadily to a high of 107.5 in 2022, then dipped in 2023 before recovering 
to 104.7 in 2025. 

Spain improved from 90.4 in 2018 to 104.3 in 2025, with stable gains from 2021 
onward. 

Portugal increased from 93.2 in 2018 to 102.2 in 2025, with a brief drop in 2021 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202565

(reaching 89.5) before rebounding. 

Cyprus recorded a sharp rise between 2020 and 2021 (from 80.3 to 104.6), peaking in 
2023 (109.9), before falling to 94.7 in 2025. 

Lithuania improved from 73.8 in 2018 to 94.7 in 2024, with a small decline to 91.2 
in 2025. 

Czechia increased from 74.4 in 2018 to 99.1 by 2023–2024, followed by a drop to 
90.8 in 2025. 

Greece experienced consistent growth between 2018 (70.0) and 2024 (88.2), with a 
slight dip to 85.3 in 2025. 

Croatia  steadily  improved  its  score  from  61.2  in  2018  to  a  high  of  81.6  in  2024, 
followed by a slight decline in 2025 (reaching 80.6).

Figure 25: Performance Moderate Innovators

Note: Performance is relative to that of the EU in 2018. The graph on the left shows the average performance of 

the Moderate Innovators calculated as the unweighted average of the respective Member States. All vertical 

scales in Figure 23-Figure 26 span a range of 70.0%-points to allow an easy comparison of the results between 

the four performance groups. 

Emerging Innovators 

In  2025,  Hungary  (at  78.3%  of  the  EU  average  in  2018)  was  the  highest-performing 
emerging innovator and only marginally below the threshold of the moderate innovators, 
reflecting strong recent momentum. Poland (74.2%) and Slovakia (70.5%) followed closely, 

European Innovation Scoreboard 20255060708090100110120'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25Summary innovation indexCyprusCzechiaGreeceSpainCroatiaItalyLithuaniaMaltaPortugalSlovenia5060708090100110120'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25Summary innovation index66

with Latvia (63.9%) maintaining a slower but stable trajectory. Bulgaria (51.6%) showed 
moderate gains, while Romania (42.4%) remained the lowest-performing country in the EU, 
despite incremental progress over the period.

Driven by advances in digital technologies and efficiency, Emerging Innovators 
continue  to  improve,  with  only  a  noteworthy  drop  in  Non-R&D  innovation 
expenditures since 2018. 

Since the base year of 2018, Emerging Innovators have made notable gains across several 
dimensions, with the most pronounced improvements seen in Investments in information 
technologies,  Digitalisation  and  resource  labour  and  productivity.  In  Investments  in 
information  technologies,  Poland  has  more  than  doubled  its  score  (+126.7%-points), 
while Hungary (+88.6%-points) and Latvia (+86.6%-points) have almost doubled. Bulgaria 
(+48.2%-points),  Slovakia  (+44.6%-points),  and  Romania  (+30.1%-points)  have  all 
substantially increased their result. 

In  the  Digitalisation  dimension,  Hungary  (+76.3%-points),  Romania  (+39.4%-points), 
Slovakia  (+36.4%-points),  Bulgaria  (+33.6%-points),  and  Poland  (+28.5%-points)  all 
markedly  improved  on  this  dimension.  However,  Latvia  (+0.9%-points)  only  marginally 
improved  compared  to  2018.  Resource  and  Labour  productivity  also  saw  strong  and 
convergent  advances,  with  Hungary  (+34.0%-points)  leading,  followed  by  the  Romania 
(+31.4%-points),  and  the  remaining  countries  of  Poland  (+25.5%-points),  Slovakia 
(+25.5%-points),  Latvia  (+22.4%-points),  and  Bulgaria  (+22.2%-points)  all  clustering 
around the same improvements. 

At the indicator level, these trends persist across key metrics. Cloud computing in enterprises 
has seen incredible growth, with Poland (+389.3%-points) quintupling in this indicator, along 
with Hungary (+268.4%-points) and Latvia (+224.5%-points) more than tripling their scores, 
and Slovakia (+135.5%-points) more than doubling; finally, Romania (+91.1%-points) and 
Bulgaria (+88.5%-points) also almost their baseline from 2018. High-speed internet access 
improved  greatly  across  all  six  countries,  with  Hungary  (+136.1%-points)  double  their 
baseline from 2018, along with Romania (+88.2%-points) and Slovakia (+77.4%-points) 
almost doubling; Poland (+68.2%-points) and Latvia (+43.0%-points) also impressed in 
comparison to 2018. Progress is also evident in Production-based CO₂ productivity, with 
Romania (+75.0%-points) making impressive progress here, and Hungary (+58.1%-points), 
Latvia (+49.5%-points), and Bulgaria (+43.1%-points) making large improvements also; 
Poland (+37.0%-points) was the worst performer, however still improved markedly. 

While no major declines were recorded at the dimension level among Emerging Innovators, 
a  pronounced  downward  trend  is  evident  across  all  countries  in  Non-R&D  innovation 
expenditures since 2018. Poland experienced the sharpest decline (-48.5%-points), followed 
by Latvia (-46.3%-points) and Hungary (-41.9%-points), while Bulgaria (-18.2%-points), 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202567

Slovakia  (-17.8%-points),  and  Romania  (-14.2%-points)  all  saw  more  moderate  but 
consistent drop.

Box 5: Country level observations for Emerging Innovators

Hungary showed strong and continuous progress, rising from 62.1%-of the EU average 
in 2018 to 78.3% in 2025, with marked gains after 2021. 

Poland recorded consistent growth over the period, improving from 56.1 in 2018 to 74.2 
in 2025, with notable acceleration after 2022. 

Slovakia moved from 62.2 in 2018 to a high of 71.6 in 2024, before a modest drop to 
70.5 in 2025. 

Latvia remained relatively stable, increasing gradually from 59.0 in 2018 to 63.9 in 
2025, despite a small dip in 2021. 

Bulgaria improved steadily from 45.2 in 2018 to a peak of 53.8 in 2024, before a slight 
decline to 51.6 in 2025. 

Romania progressed slowly, rising from 34.2 in 2018 to 42.4 in 2025, despite a slight 
dip in 2023.

Figure 26: Performance Emerging Innovators

Note: Performance is relative to that of the EU in 2018. The graph on the left shows the average performance of 

the Emerging Innovators calculated as the unweighted average of the respective Member States. All vertical 
scales in Figure 23-Figure 26 span a range of 70.0%-points to allow an easy comparison of the results between 

the four performance groups.

European Innovation Scoreboard 20252030405060708090'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25Summary innovation indexBulgariaHungaryLatviaPolandRomaniaSlovakia2030405060708090'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25Summary innovation index68

3.4.3  Is there evidence of convergence in innovation performance between EU27 
Member States? 
To  analyse  convergence  in  innovation  performance  across  EU27  Member  States  and 
within performance groups, the coefficient of variation was used, calculated as the ratio 
of the standard deviation of the Summary Innovation Index to its mean. This metric helps 
determine  whether  lower-performing  countries  are  catching  up  to  higher-performing 
ones (indicating convergence), or whether the gap between top and bottom performers is 
widening (indicating divergence). Understanding this convergence is particularly important 
for the EU, as it carries significant implications for both economic and social cohesion.

The analysis indicates a moderate positive convergence trend at the EU level over the 2018-
2025 period, as shown by a slight, yet consistent, decrease in the coefficient of variation for 
all EU27 Member States (Figure 27). The highest levels of divergence are observed among 
countries at the extremes of the performance spectrum, namely the Innovation Leaders 
and Emerging Innovators, while countries in the middle tiers, such as Strong and Moderate 
Innovators,  exhibit  greater  internal  convergence  around  the  EU  average.  As  a  result,  it 
points to lower variation and greater convergence within these middle-tier groups. However, 
dynamics still take different trends across the performance groups:

 •

Innovation Leaders: This group displays the highest level of internal divergence. 
After a phase of convergence from 2021 to 2023, the group has experienced a sharp 
increase in disparities since 2023. This growing divergence is mainly driven by the 
continued strong performance of Denmark and Sweden, which are pulling ahead of 
other Innovation Leaders such as the Netherlands and Finland (Figure 23). 

 • Strong Innovators: Among the four performance groups, Strong Innovators exhibit 
the most consistent convergence trend. The internal variation within this group 
declined steadily up to 2022, after which a plateau and slight uptick in divergence 
is observed. This recent change is partly due to Ireland and Belgium increasing their 
performance at a faster rate than the rest of the group (Figure 24). 

 • Moderate Innovators: This group shows a similar convergence pattern to the 

Strong Innovators, but with a more noticeable reversal since 2024. While the group 
had become increasingly homogeneous over time, divergence has increased in 
the most recent period. This shift can be attributed to above-average performance 
improvements in countries like Malta, Slovenia, Spain, and Portugal, which are pulling 
away from the rest of the group (Figure 25). 

 • Emerging Innovators: This group has seen a marginal increase in divergence since 
2018. Although countries such as Croatia, Poland, and Slovakia have significantly 
improved their innovation performance, others like Romania, Bulgaria, and Latvia 
have progressed at a much slower pace. As a result, the internal performance gap has 
widened slightly, limiting convergence within the group (Figure 26). 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202569

Figure 27: Convergence in innovation performance

Note: Lines show the coefficient of variation of the summary innovation index. defined as the ratio of the 

standard deviation to the mean, indexed to 2018.

3.5 How do EU27 Member States perform compared to neighbouring countries? 
The innovation performance of the 12 neighbouring (non-EU) European countries (Albania, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, 
Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom) compared with that of the EU27 
Member States is examined in this section. The performance progress concerns only the 
indicators  for  which  data  is  available  as  data  availability  varies  across  countries.  The 
neighbouring countries are strategic partners for the EU, with a mix of highly advanced 
economies and economies in transition, some of which are on the path to EU accession. 

Four of the neighbouring countries score above the EU average in 2025, namely Switzerland, 
the UK, Norway, and Iceland. Switzerland ranks first in the enlarged ranking outperforming 
all EU27 Member States in 2025. However, its innovation performance has seen a slight 
decline, the country recording a 1.6%-point decrease compared to 2024 and an overall 
1.7%-point  decrease  in  performance  since  2018.  The  United  Kingdom  outperforms  24 
EU27 Member States with an improvement of 1.2%-point in 2025 marking a breakthrough 
into the Innovation Leaders group. The UK’s performance reflects a long-standing positive 
trend with a 12.2%-point increase in performance since 201831. Norway ranks third among 
Strong Innovators group but registers a 0.9%-point decrease compared to 2024. Performing 
at 121.6% of the EU average in 2025, it builds on a positive trend since 2018, with a strong 
13%-point increase over the period. Finally, Iceland ranks sixth in the Strong Innovators 

31 For the United Kingdom, data from 2020 is used, based on an earlier edition of the Community Innovation Survey (CIS). 

European Innovation Scoreboard 20250.00.20.40.60.81.01.21.41.61.820182019202020212022202320242025Coefficient of variationAll EU Member StatesEmerging innovatorsModerate innovatorsStrong innovatorsInnovation leaders70

group in 2025. It outperforms Germany, France and Estonia in the group despite a marginal 
0.1%-point decrease in performance compared to 2024. 

The other eight neighbouring countries are in the group of Emerging Innovators. Three EU27 
Member States are heading the rankings of the group, i.e. Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. 
Türkiye follows the trio and ranks 4th among Emerging Innovators in 2025, registering a 
2.7%-point increase compared to 2024. Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina 
have registered the highest growth since 2024 in the group with a 4.4%, 3.1% and 3%-
point increase in performance respectively. Serbia ranks 6th in 2025 outperforming Bulgaria 
and Romania and building on the strongest growth among EU neighbouring countries in 
the group, with a 10.2%-point increase since 2018. Compared to 2024, Ukraine, North 
Macedonia and Moldova register a decline of 1.3, 0.8 and 0.03%-points in performance 
respectively. Finally, Bulgaria and Ukraine record the strongest decline compared to 2024, 
as Bulgaria’s performance decreased by 2.2%-points ranking 32nd and 37th in EIS 2025 
respectively.

Figure 28: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States and neighbouring 
countries in 2025

Emerging innovators

Moderate innovators

Strong innovators

Innovation leaders

European Innovation Scoreboard 202571

Figure 29: Innovation performance of the EU27 Member States and neighbouring 
countries (bar chart) (2025 vs 2024)

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018. Horizontal coloured bars show countries’ 

performance in 2025, using the most recent data for 32 indicators. The vertical bars show performance in 2024, 

using the next most recent data.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMoldovaBosnia&HerzegovinaUkraineRomaniaAlbaniaNorthMacedoniaMontenegroBulgariaSerbiaLatviaTürkiyeSlovakiaPolandHungaryCroatiaGreeceCzechiaLithuaniaCyprusPortugalSpainItalySloveniaMaltaEUEstoniaFranceGermanyIcelandAustriaLuxembourgNorwayBelgiumIrelandFinlandUnitedKingdomNetherlandsDenmarkSwedenSwitzerland020406080100120140160Summary innovation index in 2025 (indexed to the EU in 2018)Emerging innovatorsModerate innovatorsStrong innovatorsInnovation leadersIScore in 202472

Figure 30: Innovation performance change for the EU27 Member States and neighbouring 
countries (2025 vs 2018)

Note: Performance change is measured as the difference between 2025 and 2018 scores, relative to that of the 

EU in 2018.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025EU average in 2025MoldovaBosnia&HerzegovinaUkraineRomaniaAlbaniaNorthMacedoniaMontenegroBulgariaSerbiaLatviaTürkiyeSlovakiaPolandHungaryCroatiaGreeceCzechiaLithuaniaCyprusPortugalSpainItalySloveniaMaltaEUEstoniaFranceGermanyIcelandAustriaLuxembourgNorwayBelgiumIrelandFinlandUnitedKingdomNetherlandsDenmarkSwedenSwitzerland020406080100120140160Change in summary innovation index between 2018 and 2025Negative changePositive change73

3.6 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the neighbouring countries compared 
to the EU? 
The findings indicate that eight out of 12 of the EU neighbouring countries perform below 
70% of the EU average, despite improvements over 2018-2025 period, notably in terms 
of their Attractive research systems and Investments in information technologies. Figure 31 
illustrates the performance of EU27 Member States and neighbouring countries in 2025 
for all EIS indicators, relative to the EU average performance in the same year. Additional 
information on trends in performance change as compared to 2018 and 2024 can be found 
in Annex 1 (Figure 45 and Figure 46). The overview of differences in structural indicators 
for both neighbouring countries and the EU27 Member States can be found in Annex 2 
(Figure 47). This section presents the main developments across the 12 dimensions of the 
EIS 2025.  

On  three  dimensions,  i.e.  Finance  and  support,  Firm  investments,  and  Trade  impacts 
dimensions, the EU neighbouring countries continue to face difficulties, struggling 
to  mobilise  sufficient  funding  and  financial  support  for  innovation  activities,  while  the 
challenging  global  context  adds  to  the  constraints  in  trade  of  innovative  products.  On 
Knowledge-intensive services exports, only UK and Norway register a performance over 
100% from the EU neighbouring countries. On Exports of medium and high-tech products, 
the EU27 Member States are top performing countries, while Switzerland and UK despite 
being Innovation Leaders perform below 100% of the EU average. 

Government support of business R&D remains a challenge in Switzerland and Norway as 
well as in seven EU neighbouring countries of Emerging Innovators group. At the same time, 
the UK and Iceland are joined by Türkiye in performing above 125% of EU average on this 
indicator, outperforming 21 EU27 Member States. However, the UK registered the lowest 
performance on R&D expenditure in public sector among Innovation Leaders with below 
70% of the EU average for this indicator in 2025. 

R&D and Non-R&D innovation expenditures by firms are constrained across the EU and 
neighbouring countries reflecting persistent economic volatility amid geopolitical tensions, 
gaps in talent and skills32. For instance, Norway together with Luxembourg registered a 
below 70% performance of EU average on R&D expenditure in the business sector – the 
lowest results in the category of Strong Innovators. In contrast, North Macedonia performed 
at above 125% of EU average on Non-R&D innovation expenditure by firms in 2025. 

Despite challenges across Finance and support and Firm investments dimensions, the EU 
neighbouring countries perform relatively similarly to the EU27 Member States on the 
Innovators dimension. Indeed, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina perform 
above 125% of EU average on SMEs introducing product innovations, followed by Albania 

32  European  Commission  (2024),  The  Draghi  Report  on  EU  Competitiveness.  Available  at:  https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/

draghi-report_en (Accessed: 23 June 2025).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202574

with over 100% performance which exhibits a positive trend on this indicator since 2018. 
Furthermore,  Switzerland,  Norway,  UK  and  Iceland  register  over  100%  of  EU  results 
on  this  indicator,  joined  by  17  EU27  Member  States  with  equivalent  performance.  The 
results on SMEs introducing business process innovations are slightly worse for the EU 
neighbouring countries, as Switzerland performs below 70% of EU average together with 
Moldova. Montenegro leads on this indicator in the Emerging Innovators group and among 
EU neighbouring countries with 169.9% of EU performance, followed by Serbia with over 
154.6% performance in 2025. 

EU neighbouring countries, much like the EU27 Member States, have registered an increase 
in Investments in information technologies since 2018. However, challenges persist in Cloud 
computing with EU neighbouring countries performing below 70% on this indicator except 
for Serbia (78.5%) in the Emerging Innovators group and Norway outperforming five EU27 
Member States out of seven on this indicator in the Strong Innovators group. 

Areas  with  significant  room  for  improvement  for  EU  neighbouring  countries  include 
Human resources, coupled with sustained efforts on Attractive research systems, as well 
as Intellectual assets and Resource and Labour productivity. 

On Human resources, nine out of 12 EU neighbouring countries lag the EU27 Member 
States with performance below 70% of EU average on New doctorate graduates indicator. 
In 2025, only Switzerland and the UK lead the way with 125% performance compared 
to EU average joining the EU27 Member States such as Sweden, Denmark and Finland in 
Innovation Leaders group. 

When it comes to Attractive research systems, the EU neighbouring countries with better 
connected and resourced R&D frameworks, such as Switzerland, UK, Norway and Iceland, 
perform above 100% of EU average on Scientific publication among the top 10% most 
cited indicator. This is not the case for the rest of the EU neighbours which are in the 
Emerging  Innovators  group  and  perform  below  the  70%  EU  average  on  this  indicator 
despite improvements since 2018. The situation is similar for Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students indicator except for North Macedonia with 179.3% and 
Moldova with 107.7% of EU performance in 2025.  

On Intellectual assets, the UK performs the lowest in the Innovation Leaders’ group across all 
three indicators of Patent (below 100% of EU average), Trademark and Design applications 
(both below 70% EU average). Norway and Iceland perform similarly to the rest of the 
Strong Innovators, and the eight Emerging Innovator countries of EU neighbourhood all 
register a performance below 70% despite some improvements on Trademark applications 
since  2018.  Only  Switzerland  outperforms  EU27  Member  States  on  three  indicators  in 
the Innovation Leaders’ group with 137.5% of EU average across the dimension, and this 
despite a negative change in Trademark and Design applications it registered over 2018-
2025 period. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202575

Finally, most of the EU neighbouring countries, except for Switzerland, UK, Norway and 
Iceland,  demonstrate  substantial  gaps  with  the  EU27  Member  States  in  Resource  and 
Labour  productivity.  Available  data  on  Resource  productivity  shows  that  Serbia,  North 
Macedonia, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina perform at below 70% EU average on 
this indicator, while Iceland and  Türkiye register 95.7% and 75.6% of the EU average. Six 
EU neighbouring countries have Production-based CO₂ productivity below 70% of the EU 
average, placing them in the Emerging Innovators group. Only Albania stands out, reaching 
94.4% of the EU level in 2025.

Note: Comparisons with neighbouring countries may have limitations as data availability 
is  lower  compared  to  the  EU  Member  States.  Furthermore,  the  performance  of  some 
countries on specific indicators may be more volatile due to their smaller size and should, 
therefore, be interpreted with caution.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Figure 31: Performance of EU27 Member States and neighbouring countries per indicator in 2025, compared to the EU average in 2025

76

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025CHSEDKNLUKFIIEBENOLUATISDEFREEMTSIITESPTCYLTCZELHRHUPLSKTRLVRSBGMEMKALROUABAMD4.3.3Labourproductivity4.3.2Production-basedCO2productivity4.3.1ResourceproductivityResourceandlabourproductivity4.2.3High-techimportsfromoutsidetheEU4.2.2Knowledge-intensiveservicesexports4.2.1Exportsofmediumandhigh-techproductsTradeimpacts4.1.2Employmentininnovativeenterprises4.1.1Salesofnew-to-marketandnew-to-firminnovationsSalesandemploymentimpacts3.3.3Designapplications3.3.2Trademarkapplications3.3.1PCTpatentapplicationsIntellectualassets3.2.3Job-to-jobmobilityofHRST3.2.2Public-privateco-publications3.2.1InnovativeSMEscollaboratingwithothersLinkages3.1.2SMEsintroducingbusinessprocessinnovations3.1.1SMEsintroducingproductinnovationsInnovators2.3.2EmployedICTspecialists2.3.1CloudComputingInvestmentsininformationtechnologies2.2.3Innovationexpendituresperpersonemployed2.2.2Non-R&Dinnovationexpenditures2.2.1R&DexpenditureinthebusinesssectorFirminvestments2.1.3DirectandindirectgovernmentsupportofbusinessR&D2.1.2Venturecapitalexpenditures2.1.1R&DexpenditureinthepublicsectorFinanceandsupport1.3.2Individualswithabovebasicoveralldigitalskills1.3.1HighspeedinternetaccessDigitalisation1.2.3Foreigndoctoratestudentsasa%ofalldoctoratestudents1.2.2Scientificpublicationsamongthetop10%mostcited1.2.1Internationalscientificco-publicationsAttractiveresearchsystems1.1.3Populationinvolvedinlifelonglearning1.1.2Populationwithtertiaryeducation1.1.1NewdoctorategraduatesHumanresourcesCHSEDKNLUKFIIEBENOLUATISDEFREEMTSIITESPTCYLTCZELHRHUPLSKTRLVRSBGMEMKALROUABAMDBelow 70%Between 70 and 100%Between 100 and 125%Above 125% of EU performance77

4.   HOW IS THE EU 
PERFORMING?  

European Innovation Scoreboard 202578

This section presents the innovation performance of the EU as a whole and compares it to 
that of the main global economic competitors.

4.1 Has the EU improved compared to previous years? 
The EU innovation performance for 2025 is equal to 112.6% of the EU average in 2018, 
which means that it has improved by 12.6%-points between 2018 and 2025. There was 
a slight increase in the EU performance between 2018 and 2021, followed by a period of 
more rapid growth from 2022 to 2023, and slight increase from 2023 to 2024. Despite a 
minor decrease from 2024 to 2025 (-0.4%-points), the EU remains on an upward trend in 
terms of innovation performance. 

As a composite index, the 2025 EU innovation score aggregates multiple indicators 
and dimensions, many of which have evolved unevenly over time. 

Between 2024 and 2025, performance for the EU has improved in five dimensions and 
declined in the remaining seven. 

The  most  significant  performance  increases  are  observed  in Investment  in  information 
technologies  (+14.5%-points),  Resource  and  Labour  productivity  (+12.4%-points)  and 
Digitalisation (+9.7%-points) dimensions. 

The growth in the Investments in information technologies performance was driven largely 
by a jump in enterprises using Cloud computing which rose by 35.7%-points from 2024 to 
2025. Additionally, ICT specialists have grown 5.9%-points in the last year. 

Within  the  Resource  and  Labour  productivity  dimension,  the  EU  has  seen  positive 
improvements  in  two  indicators  between  2024  and  2025,  while  the  third  (Labour 
productivity) stayed the same. The increase in this dimension was largely driven by Resource 
productivity (+16.5%-points), and Production-based CO₂ productivity (+20.4%-points), while 
the 3rd indicator remained constant with just 0.4%-points. 

The performance increase of the EU in the Digitalisation dimension was driven by a notable 
improvement in the High-speed internet access indicator (+17.7%-points), which measures 
the share of households with a fixed very high-capacity network connection. The EU also 
witnessed a slight increase in Individuals with above basic overall digital skills indicator, up 
3.8%-points from last year. 

On the other hand, the EU experienced a significant downturn in the Linkages dimension 
(-10.1%-points) since 2024. This is mostly driven by the drop in the Job-to-job mobility 
of human resources in science & technology indicator, which decreased by 23.5%-points 
between 2024 and 2025. Public-private co-publications per million population also slightly 
declined, falling by -1.2%-points in the same period. The last indicator of the Linkages 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202579

dimension, the share of Innovative SMEs collaborating with others slightly increased by 
0.9%-points between 2024 and 2025. 

Another dimension that witnessed a considerable decline is the Innovators dimension, with 
a decrease of -7.5%-points between 2024 and 2025. Both the share of SMEs introducing 
product innovations and those introducing business process innovations have dropped over 
the past year. The decline was most pronounced for SMEs introducing product innovations, 
falling by -12.2%-points, while SMEs introducing business process innovations decreased 
to a lesser extent at -3.2%-points. 

At the level of individual indicators, the EU performance has since 2024 increased 
for  13  individual  indicators,  remained  stable  for  five,  four  indicators  have 
declined  by  more  than  10.0%-points,  and  10  indicators  have  declined  by  less 
than 10.0%-points. 

As noted above, the largest year-on-year increases were observed in Cloud computing 
in enterprises (+35.7%-points), Production-based CO₂ productivity (+20.4%-points), High-
speed internet access (+17.7%-points), and Resource productivity (+16.5%-points), all of 
which grew by more than 15%-points. 

A second group of indicators showed more moderate growth, including International scientific 
co-publications  (+8.8%-points),  Population  involved  in  lifelong  learning  (+6.7%-points), 
Population with tertiary education (+6.6%-points), Employed ICT specialists (+5.9%-points), 
Innovation expenditures per person employed (+4.8%-points), and Individuals with above 
basic overall digital skills (+3.8%-points). 

In  contrast,  Innovative  SMEs  collaborating  with  others  (+0.9%-points)  and  Labour 
productivity (+0.4%-points) recorded only marginal increases. 

The largest declines were recorded in Venture capital expenditures (-23.6%-points) and 
Job-to-job mobility of HRST (-23.5%-points). EU venture capital as a share of GDP had 
already started dropping the previous year, but was only just captured in the EIS since 
the indicator uses a 3-year rolling average33. This was followed by a sharp drop in Non-
R&D innovation expenditures (-15.6%-points) and SMEs introducing product innovations 
(-12.2%-points), suggesting weakening innovation activity among small and medium-sized 
enterprises. 

Moderate  declines  were  observed  in  Trademark  applications  (-7.3%-points),  Design 
applications (-6.9%-points), and Exports of medium and high-tech products (-5.6%-points). 

33 The underlying drivers of this drop are as follows: in the latest available year, total investments increased but were compensated by an even larger 
increase  in  buyouts.  In  the  year  before  that,  it  was  driven  by  a  drop  in  total  investments  larger  than  a  drop  in  buyouts.  Meanwhile,  GDP  (the 
denominator of the indicator) increased, further reducing the final indicator.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202580

Additional decreases were seen in PCT patent applications (-4.8%-points), Employment in 
innovative enterprises (-4.4%-points) Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 
(-4.1%-points), Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students (-4.1%-points), 
SMEs introducing business process innovations (-3.2%-points), as well as a smaller decline 
in Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited (-1.5%-points), and Public-private 
co-publications (-1.2%-points). 

Compared to 2018, performance for the EU has improved in all dimensions, except 
Intellectual assets. 

Intellectual assets dimension over the 2018-2025 fell by 31.7%-points, and across all three 
indicators since the base year. The drop in Intellectual assets was mainly driven by Design 
applications (-31.7%-points), while PCT patent applications also fell by 12.8%-points, and 
Trademark applications fell modestly by 3.7%-points. 

Between 2018 and 2025, the EU has improved its performance the most in the Investments 
in information technologies and Digitalisation dimensions. 

Regarding the Investments in information technologies dimension, the EU’s performance 
has surged by over 71.9%-points since 2018. Since 2018, Cloud computing in enterprises 
has grown by 216.6%-points which is the main driver of the improvement, while Employed 
ICT specialists have grown consistently in the same period by 14.7%-points. In a similar 
vein, for the Digitalisation dimension, one indicator drives the growth of this dimension. 
High-speed internet access has grown 93.4%-points, while Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills has grown modestly at 3.8%-points. 

The EU performance has increased since 2018 for 25 individual indicators and 
has decreased for seven. 

As noted above, the most significant increases since 2018 were observed in Cloud computing 
in enterprises (+216.6%-points), High-speed internet access (+93.4%-points), Production-
based  CO₂  productivity  (+58.1%-points), Venture  capital  expenditures  (+45.3%-points), 
Job-to-job mobility of HRST (4+1.2%-points), Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 
+37.9%-points),  Resource  productivity  (+37.8%-points),  and  International  scientific  co-
publications (+36.4%-points), all of which grew by more than 35%-points. 

A second group of indicators, including Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate 
students (+30.4%-points), SMEs introducing business process innovations (+27.4%-points), 
Population  involved  in  lifelong  learning  (+25.0%-points),  Public-private  co-publications 
(+21.8%-points), and Population with tertiary education (+17.2%-points), all grew by over 
15%-points. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202581

Additional modest gains were seen in Employed ICT specialists (+14.7%-points), Innovation 
expenditures per person employed (+12.9%-points), Direct and indirect government support 
of business R&D (+11.7%-points), R&D expenditure in the business sector (+8.2%-points), 
and Employment in innovative enterprises (+7.0%-points). 

In  contrast,  some  indicators  recorded  smaller  increases,  such  as  Labour  productivity 
(+4.5%-points),  Knowledge-intensive  services  exports  (+4.3%-points),  Individuals  with 
above  basic  overall  digital  skills  (+3.8%-points),  SMEs  introducing  product  innovations 
(+3.6%-points), R&D expenditure in the public sector (+1.7%-points), Exports of medium and 
high-tech products (+0.9%-points), and High-tech imports from outside the EU improved 
minimally (+0.2%-points). 

The largest declines were seen in Design applications (-31.7%-points), Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures (-21%-points), PCT patent applications (-12.8%-points), and New doctorate 
graduates (-11.6%-points). Additional decreases were recorded in Scientific publications 
among the top 10% most cited (-5.0%-points), Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm 
innovations (-4.1%-points), and Trademark applications (-3.7%-points).

European Innovation Scoreboard 202582

Figure 32: Innovation performance of the EU per dimension and indicator

Note: Scores are indexed to the score of the EU in 2018 for each indicator. Dimensions are shown in dark blue 

while indicators are displayed in light blue.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII88.4117.2125.0136.495.0130.4193.4103.8101.7145.3111.7108.279.0112.9316.6114.7103.6127.4137.9121.8141.287.296.368.395.9107.0100.9104.3100.2137.8158.1104.5106.8113.0143.2113.2101.1171.9115.7135.983.0101.5101.6133.5LabourproductivityProduction-basedCO2productivityResourceproductivityResourceandlabourproductivityHigh-techimportsfromoutsidetheEUKnowledge-intensiveservicesexportsExportsofmediumandhigh-techproductsTradeimpactsEmploymentininnovativeenterprisesSalesofnew-to-marketandnew-to-firminnovationsSalesandemploymentimpactsDesignapplicationsTrademarkapplicationsPCTpatentapplicationsIntellectualassetsJob-to-jobmobilityofHRSTPublic-privateco-publicationsInnovativeSMEscollaboratingwithothersLinkagesSMEsintroducingbusinessprocessinnovationsSMEsintroducingproductinnovationsInnovatorsEmployedICTspecialistsCloudComputingInvestmentsininformationtechnologiesInnovationexpendituresperpersonemployedNon-R&DinnovationexpendituresR&DexpenditureinthebusinesssectorFirminvestmentsDirectandindirectgovernmentsupportofbusinessR&DVenturecapitalexpendituresR&DexpenditureinthepublicsectorFinanceandsupportIndividualswithabovebasicoveralldigitalskillsHighspeedinternetaccessDigitalisationForeigndoctoratestudentsasa%ofalldoctoratestudentsScientificpublicationsamongthetop10%mostcitedInternationalscientificco-publicationsAttractiveresearchsystemsPopulationinvolvedinlifelonglearningPopulationwithtertiaryeducationNewdoctorategraduatesHumanresources050100150200250300Score (indexed to the EU in 2018)IScore in 202483

4.2 How does the EU compare to its global competitors? 
In line with the priorities outlined in the Competitiveness Compass34, the EU is placing a 
renewed strategic focus on innovation as a core driver of productivity, industrial leadership, 
and competitiveness. Strengthening Europe’s capacity to innovate is essential to ensuring 
its long-term economic strength, especially in areas such as advanced technologies, clean 
industries, and digitalisation. As part of this effort, the EIS benchmarks the EU’s innovation 
performance against that of key international competitors from North and South America 
(Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and the United States), Asia (China, India, Japan, and South 
Korea), Oceania (Australia), and Africa (South Africa). Due to limited data availability for the 
global competitors compared to European countries, a more restricted set of 17 indicators 
has been used for calculating the SII (see methodology report). 

South Korea remains the most innovative country in 2025, with a summary innovation 
index of 152.2% (relative to the EU in 2018). It is classified as an Innovation Leader, as its 
performance exceeds 125% of the EU average in 2025 (152.2 vs 112.6 for the EU). Four 
other competitors – Canada, China, the United States, and Australia – also outperform the 
EU. China’s performance has continued to improve, overtaking the EU35 and is now on par 
with Canada, both scoring 133.4%. These four countries are classified as Strong Innovators, 
with innovation performance between 100% and 125% of the 2025 EU average. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  EU  ties  with  Japan  in  2025.  Japan  has  continued  an  upward 
trajectory, closing the gap with the EU since 2024. The EU continues to outperform Brazil, 
India, Chile, South Africa, and Mexico, which are classified as Emerging Innovators, with 
performance levels below 70% of the EU average, as was the case in 2024. Japan, Brazil, 
India, Chile, and Mexico have all improved their innovation performance compared to 2024, 
while South Africa has declined slightly (-1.5%-points).

34  European  Commission  (2025).  A  Competitiveness  Compass  for  the  EU.  Report  available  at:  https://commission.europa.eu/document/

download/10017eb1-4722-4333-add2-e0ed18105a34_en

35 Under the 2024 EIS framework, China was lagging the EU in 2024. However, with the updated 2025 framework and revised indicator set, China is 
now  shown  to  outperform  the  EU  both  in  2025  and  retrospectively  in  2024.  Nonetheless,  China  was  behind  the  EU  in  2018  based  on  the  new 
framework and overtook the EU between 2019 and 2020 (and the USA between 2023 and 2024). China recorded the largest improvement over 
2018–2025 (+44.8%-points) among all global competitors, it now shares second place with Canada.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202584

Figure 33: Innovation performance of the EU and its global competitors

Note: All performance scores are relative to that of the EU in 2018. Coloured bars show countries’ performance 

in 2025 while the vertical bars show performance in 2024. Due to limited data availability for global 

competitors, scores are calculated using a smaller set of indicators.

Compared to 2024, most global competitors have improved their innovation performance. 
Only Canada, the EU, and South Africa recorded a decline. South Korea shows the largest 
annual  improvement  (+6.3%-points),  followed  by  China  (+6.0%-points)  and  Australia 
(+3.8%-points). The gap between Australia and the United States is also narrowing. 

Over the longer term (Figure 34), all global competitors have improved their innovation 
performance between 2018 and 2025. Notably, the five countries that now outperform the 
EU have all recorded faster growth than the EU itself, thereby widening the performance 
gap. Among the six countries still lagging the EU, only Chile has increased its performance 
at a higher rate than the EU since 2018, with a gain of 15.5%-points.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025IIIIIIIIIIIIMexicoSouthAfricaChileIndiaBrazilJapanEUAustraliaUnitedStatesChinaCanadaSouthKorea020406080100120140160Summary innovation index in 2025 (indexed to the EU in 2018)Emerging innovatorsModerate innovatorsStrong innovatorsInnovation leadersIScore in 202485

Figure 34: Performance change between 2018 and 2025 for the EU and global 
competitors

Note: Performance change is measured as the difference between 2025 and 2018 scores, relative to that of the 

EU in 2018. 

Figure  35  below  compares  the  EU  to  its  global  competitors  based  on  their  innovation 
performance in 2025 and the change in performance between 2018 and 2025. South 
Korea, China, Canada, the United States, and Australia not only lead the EU but have also 
improved at a faster rate over the long term. This was not the case in previous editions, 
where countries outperforming the EU tended to show slower progress. Figure 35 also 
illustrates the strong performance trajectory of China, placing it at the far right of the 
graph due to its rapid growth since 2018. In contrast, Brazil, India, South Africa, and Mexico 
appear in the lower-left quadrant, reflecting both lower overall performance and slower 
growth. Chile stands out as the only country in this group that has grown faster than the 
EU over the same period. Interestingly, while Japan matches the EU’s performance level 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025EU average in 2025MexicoSouthAfricaChileIndiaBrazilJapanEUAustraliaUnitedStatesChinaCanadaSouthKorea020406080100120140160Change in summary innovation index between 2018 and 2025Positive change86

in 2025, it has grown at a slower pace since 2018. A year-by-year analysis reveals that 
Japan experienced two periods of decline (between 2020-2021 and 2022-2023), whereas 
the EU recorded consistent year-on-year improvements until its first decline from 2024 to 
2025 (see Figure 1).

Figure 35: The EU versus its global competitors

Note: The horizontal and vertical lines indicate the score of the EU for each axis. Global countries are coloured 

based on their overall innovation performance (SII) as per Figure 33. Note that this Figure presents the SII and 

change in SII relative to the EU in 2018, while the subsequent figures present the score on the vertical axis 

relative to the EU in 2025.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025AustraliaBrazilCanadaChileChinaEUIndiaJapanSouth KoreaMexicoUnited StatesSouth Africa010203040506070809010011012013014015016001020304050Change in SII between 2018 and 2025 (%-points)Summary innovation index (SII) in 2025indexed to the EU in 201887

Methodological Note: In Figures 32-36, the EU is plotted against its global competitors 
in terms of performance in 2025 (vertical axis) and performance change from 2018 to 
2025 (horizontal axis). 

Performance scores (vertical axis) represent a percentage relative to the EU in 2018. For 
example, a score of 110 means that the country, in 2025, is performing 10% above the 
EU average in 2018. Performance change (horizontal axis) is measured as the difference 
between 2025 and 2018 scores, relative to that of the EU in 2018. 

The horizontal and vertical dashed lines show the performance of the EU and define four 
meaningful quadrants on the graphs: 

 • Top-right quadrant: Competitor performs better than the EU in 2025 and has 

improved at a faster pace than the EU since 2018. 

 • Top-left quadrant: Competitor performs better than the EU in 2025 but has 

improved at a slower pace than the EU since 2018. 

 • Bottom-right quadrant: Competitor performs worse than the EU in 2024 but has 

improved at a faster pace than the EU since 2018. 

 • Left-right quadrant: Competitor performs worse than the EU in 2025 and has 

improved at a slower pace than the EU since 2018.

4.3 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the EU compared to its global compe-
titors? 
In 2025, the EU demonstrates strong performance in seven out of 17 indicators36 across 
the four main categories (framework conditions, investments, innovation activities, and 
impacts). This section provides a detailed analysis of how the EU competes with the global 
competitors from North and South America (Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and the United 
States), Asia (China, India, Japan, and South Korea), Oceania (Australia), and Africa (South 
Africa) in each indicator, illustrating both EU strengths and areas for improvement. 

Despite  showing  strong  competitiveness  in  several  key  indicators,  the  EU  still  faces 
challenges in areas such as the application of trademarks or collaboration among innovative 
SMEs. Additionally, the EU has been overtaken by China in Direct and indirect government 
support of business R&D, now ranking 5th for that indicator among global competitors. 

36 Due to limited data availability for global competitors compared to European countries, a more restricted set of 17 indicators has been used for 

calculating the summary innovation index for global comparisons.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202588

Overall, the EU shows strong performance, ranking in the top four globally for the following 
indicators: 

 • New doctorate graduates (3rd) 

 •

International scientific co-publications (4th) 

 • R&D expenditure in the public sector (4th) 

 •

Employed ICT specialists (3rd) 

 • SMEs introducing product innovations (3rd) 

 • SMEs introducing business process innovations (4th) 

 •

Exports of medium and high technology products (4th) 

The  EU  performs  moderately,  between  5th  and  8th,  among  global  competitors  for  the 
following indicators: 

 •

Population with tertiary education (6th) 

 • Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited (5th) 

 • Direct and indirect government support of business R&D (5th) 

 • R&D expenditure in the business sector (5th) 

 •

 •

Public-private co-publications (5th) 

PCT patent applications (5th) 

 • Design applications (5th) 

 • Knowledge-intensive service exports (5th) 

Finally, for the following indicators, the EU ranks between 9th and 12th, reflecting a weaker 
performance compared to its global competitors: 

 •

 •

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others (last) 

Trademark applications (10th) 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202589

The  following  pages  provide  more  detailed  comparisons  for  each  main  category  and 
indicator, contrasting the EU with its global competitors. 

Framework conditions 

The  Framework  Conditions  category  measures  the  availability  of  a  high-skilled  and 
educated workforce, as well as competitiveness in science by focusing on international, 
high-quality, and collaborative publications, all of which are crucial for innovation through 
knowledge-based activities (Figure 36). 

The  EU  has  a  high  number  of  individuals  graduating  with  doctoral  degrees  in  science, 
technology, engineering, or mathematics fields each year relative to its population, ranking 
3rd just behind Australia and South Korea. However, the EU has shown the biggest decrease 
in  the  number  of  New  doctorate  graduates  since  2018.  Canada  and  Japan  have  also 
experienced a decrease in performance since 2018, although to a lesser extent than the 
EU. All other global competitors have improved since 2018, albeit at different paces. 

The EU performs moderately in terms of the Share of Population with tertiary education 
compared to global competitors. South Korea leads in this indicator, and Canada, Japan, 
Australia, and the United States lead over the EU. The EU has improved since 2018, but at 
the 4th slowest pace (an improvement compared to last year), ahead of China, India, and 
South Africa. 

The  EU  demonstrates  a  strong  performance  in  scientific  publications,  ranking  4th  in 
publications  with  at  least  one  co-author  abroad,  with  a  notable  increase  since  2018 
reflecting its strong tendency to disseminate research results collaboratively. The EU ranks 
5th in the percentage of EU publications in the top 10% most cited worldwide, indicating 
that the EU not only disseminates research widely but also provides high-quality sources 
internationally. A decrease in performance for this indicator has been observed for most 
countries, including the EU, since 2018; however, its decline is smaller than for the United 
States, Canada, Australia, Brazil or Japan. China has achieved a significant improvement 
compared to other competitors in this indicator.

European Innovation Scoreboard 202590

Figure 36: The EU versus its global competitors in framework conditions

Note: As for Figure 35, the horizontal axis shows changes in performance between 2018 and 2025 (values 

indexed to the EU average in 2018) and the y axis show the current performance (values indexed to the EU in 

2025). Global countries are coloured based on the overall performance (SII) as per Figure 33. The colouring is 

therefore the same in from Figure 36 to Figure 39. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025South KoreaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico020406080100120140160-100102030Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20251.1.1 New doctorate graduatesSouth KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico0204060801001201401601802000102030405060Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20251.2.1 International scientific co-publicationsSouth KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico0204060801001201401601802000102030405060Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20251.1.2 Population with tertiary educationSouth KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico020406080100120140160-50-40-30-20-100102030405060Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20251.2.2 Scientific publications amongthe top 10% most cited91

Investments 

The Investments category captures investments made in both the public and business 
sectors  and  differentiates  between  three  innovation  areas:  Finance  and  support,  Firm 
investments, and ICT labour employment (Figure 37). 

The EU maintains a strong overall performance in the area of Finance and support. It ranks 
4th in public R&D expenditure and 5th in business R&D expenditure, with South Korea 
leading both indicators by a significant margin. Canada and China surpass the EU in both 
level and rate of increase, and Japan, though still lagging, has also increased its support 
at a faster pace since 2018. In contrast, Australia is notably underperforming in this area, 
having experienced a sharp decline since 2018. 

Regarding business R&D expenditure, the EU ranks 5th, with only moderate improvement 
since 2018 compared to other global competitors. The United States has shown particularly 
strong progress on this indicator. 

In terms of ICT specialist employment, the EU performs well, ranking 3rd, just behind Japan 
and the United States. Australia is continuing to catch up and growing at a faster pace than 
the EU, as observed last year, although the gap has not yet been closed. Chile, the USA, 
Australia, South Korea, and Japan are all improving faster than the EU.

Figure 37: The EU versus its global competitors in investments

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025South KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico020406080100120140160-30-20-10010203040Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20252.1.1 R&D expenditure in the public sectorSouth KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilChileSouth AfricaMexico020406080100120140160180-40-20020406080100120Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20252.1.3 Direct and indirect governmentsupport of business R&D92

Note: As for Figure 35, the horizontal axis shows changes in performance between 2018 and 2025 (values 

indexed to the EU average in 2018) and the y axis show the current performance (values indexed to the EU in 

2025). Global countries are coloured based on the overall performance (SII) as per Figure 33. The colouring is 

therefore the same in from Figure 36 to Figure 39.

Innovation activities 

The Innovation Activities category encompasses various facets of innovation, including the 
introduction of products or business process innovations by SMEs, the level of collaboration 
within the country, and the number of intellectual property rights (Figure 38). 

The EU has a significant percentage of SMEs introducing products and business processes 
to the enterprise or to the market, ranking 3rd and 4th respectively. While most competitors 
have experienced a slower rate of innovation introduction since 2018, the EU shows a 
moderate  increase  for  both  over  time.  The  USA  has  improved  the  most  in  product 
innovations, while also having the worst decrease in business process innovations since 
2018. South Korea, despite being an Innovation Leader, ranks second last and last in those 
indicators, respectively. 

The EU has a weak performance in SME collaboration with other organisations, ranking 
last.  It  is  however  one  of  two  countries,  with  Chile,  that  shows  an  improvement  since 
2018,  while  all  other  countries  are  collaborating  less  than  in  2018,  especially  Japan 
with a significant decrease. However, the EU had moderate public-private collaboration 
for  scientific  publications,  with  the  5th  best  performance  in  2025  and  the  5th  largest 
improvement since 2018. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025South KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico050100150200250-20-100102030405060Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20252.2.1 R&D expenditure in the business sectorSouth KoreaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilChileMexico0204060801001200510152025303540Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20252.3.2 Employed ICT specialists93

In the area of intellectual property, the EU demonstrates moderate performance in patent 
and Design applications, ranking 5th and 4th, respectively. However, as noted in previous 
editions  of  the  EIS,  trademarks  remain  the  weakest  aspect  of  the  EU’s  research  and 
innovation profile, with the third-lowest score among global competitors. Moreover, the EU 
has shown limited progress across all three types of Intellectual assets since 2018, ranking 
either last or second last in terms of improvement.

Figure 38: The EU versus its global competitors in innovation activities

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025South KoreaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChile020406080100120140-80-60-40-200204060Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20253.1.1 SMEs introducing product innovationsSouth KoreaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChile0100200300400500600700-1400-1000-600-200200Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20253.2.1 Innovative SMEs collaboratingwith othersSouth KoreaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChile020406080100120140160180200-100-80-60-40-20020406080Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20253.1.2 SMEs introducing businessprocess innovationsSouth KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico0204060801001201401601802000102030405060Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20253.2.2 Public-private co-publications94

Note: As for Figure 35, the horizontal axis shows changes in performance between 2018 and 2025 (values 

indexed to the EU average in 2018) and the y axis show the current performance (values indexed to the EU in 

2025). Global countries are coloured based on the overall performance (SII) as per Figure 33. The colouring is 

therefore the same in from Figure 36 to Figure 39.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025South KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico0255075100125150175200225250-25-20-15-10-5051015202530Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20253.3.1 PCT patent applicationsSouth KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico050100150200250300350-30-20-100102030Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20253.3.3 Design applicationsSouth KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico0100200300400500600700800900050100150200250300350400450Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20253.3.2 Trademark applications95

Impacts 

The Impacts category captures the effects of enterprises’ innovation activities. For global 
competitors, only economic impacts are assessed (Figure 39). The EU performs strongly in 
the export of medium and high technology products, ranking 4th behind South Korea, Japan, 
and Mexico. It also shows the third strongest improvement among global competitors since 
2018. South Korea leads on this indicator, followed by Japan; at the other end, Chile and 
Australia rank last, well behind the EU, while Brazil has experienced a sharp decline in 
performance since 2018. 

The EU shows moderate performance in the export of knowledge-intensive services, ranking 
5th among global competitors, with Japan and the United States close behind. Since 2018, 
the EU has achieved only modest gains in this area. Notably, while Japan demonstrated 
strong competitiveness in both product and service exports in the previous EIS edition, 
leading in both, it has since been overtaken by South Korea in the former and now ranks 
below the EU in the latter. 

Figure 39: The EU versus its global competitors in impacts

Note: As for Figure 35, the horizontal axis shows changes in performance between 2018 and 2025 (values 

indexed to the EU average in 2018) and the y axis show the current performance (values indexed to the EU in 

2025). Global countries are coloured based on the overall performance (SII) as per Figure 33. The colouring is 

therefore the same in from Figure 36 to Figure 39. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025South KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico020406080100120-15-10-50510Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20254.2.1 Exports of medium andhigh technology productsSouth KoreaChinaCanadaUnited StatesAustraliaEUJapanBrazilIndiaChileSouth AfricaMexico020406080100120-1001020304050Change between 2018 and 2025Performance in 20254.2.2 Knowledge-intensive services exports96

Note  on  China:  The  2024  EIS  indicator  framework  included  Air  emissions  by  fine 
particulates and Environment-related technologies in the Impacts dimension. These have 
been replaced by Production-based CO₂ productivity and Labour productivity, both of 
which are unavailable globally. The boost in China’s performance observed in this EIS 
edition is likely due to the exclusion of the former indicators. In 2024, China ranked 
second last in Air emissions by fine particulates (at 38% of the EU average) and last in 
Environment-related technologies (at around 29% of the EU average). China’s consistent 
low  scores  on  environment-related  indicators  in  previous  editions  had  a  significant 
dampening effect on its overall performance, so their removal likely contributed to the 
notable improvement observed this year. 

Structural indicators comparison: the EU versus its global competitors 

To better understand the position of the EU in the global economic landscape, it is useful 
to take account of key structural indicators – such as GDP per capita, population size, and 
employment shares – with those of its global competitors (Figure 40). 

South Korea’s population is 10 times smaller than the EU’s and a slightly lower GDP per 
capita is than the EU’s. The share of the population engaged as nascent entrepreneurs 
or owner-managers is nearly twice as high in South Korea as in the EU. Among top R&D 
spending firms, South Korea invests about 30% more in R&D than the EU. However, the 
number of unicorns in South Korea is nearly 10 times lower. Foreign investment in South 
Korea, as a percent of GDP, has recently overtaken that of the EU, despite the EU having 
led by a wide margin last year. 

China is the largest competitor in terms of population but has a GDP per capita less than 
half of the EU’s. China’s agricultural sector is, in relative terms, almost six times larger than 
that of the EU. The country has the largest employment share in industry among global 
competitors. There are half as many top R&D spending firms per million population in China 
compared to the EU, but, based on the EU Industrial R&D Scoreboard, these firms spend 
half as much on R&D as those in the EU. However, among strong and Leading Innovators, 
China reports the highest level of perceived corruption and the lowest rule of law. 

Canada presents a slightly higher GDP per capita than the EU, for a population twelve 
times smaller. Canada’s top R&D spending firms spent near half as much than in the EU, but 
foreign investments are higher. Entrepreneurial activities and basic-school entrepreneurial 
education are at a much higher level than in the EU. Employment in agriculture is much 
lower in Canada than in the EU. 

The  United  States  have  the  highest  GDP  per  capita  of  all  global  competitors. 
Entrepreneurial activities are at a much higher level than in the EU. The number of top USA 
R&D spending enterprises is three times the EU’s (23 enterprises among the world’s top 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202597

2,500 R&D spenders per 10 million people, compared to 7.8), but they spend, on average, 
a comparable amount on R&D. FDI net inflows are lower than in the EU. The United States 
has the highest number of unicorns of all global competitors, more than six times that of 
the EU. The United States has the highest share of government procurement of advanced 
technology products among global competitors, though China and India follow closely. 

Australia has the second highest GDP per capita among all global competitors and has 
the smallest population of all strong and leading global innovators. It receives the most 
foreign investment (relative to GDP) of all strong and leading Innovators, albeit comparable 
to Canada. Compared to the EU, Australia has less top R&D spending enterprises, which also 
spends less towards R&D, and a low number of unicorns. 

Japan has a GDP per capita twice as high as China. Japan has more top R&D spending 
enterprises per capita than the EU among the top 2,500 worldwide. However, the share 
of foreign investment in Japan is lower than in the EU, and similar to South Korea and 
China. Japan is experiencing a significant population decline. Entrepreneurial activity and 
education levels are comparable to those of the EU. 

Brazil has nearly three times the level of entrepreneurial activity as the EU; however, it has 
far fewer top R&D spending firms, which also invest five times less in R&D than EU firms. 
Brazil has a relatively high share of employment in agriculture compared to the EU. Foreign 
investment is relatively high in Brazil. 

India has the lowest GDP per capita of all global competitors, but the highest average 
annual  GDP  growth.  India’s  agricultural  sector  accounts  for  more  than  40%  of  total 
employment, the highest of all global competitors. Its service sector, on the other hand, 
is the lowest among global competitors, less than half that of the EU. India has the third 
largest number of unicorns among global competitors, behind the United States and the 
EU. Entrepreneurial activities and training are higher in India than in the EU; basic-school 
entrepreneurial education and training is the highest among global competitors. 

Chile has the highest percentage of population who are either a nascent entrepreneur 
or manager of a new enterprise among all global competitors, four times that of the EU. 
Additionally, Chile receives the most foreign investments among global competitors, nearly 
six times more than the EU. 

South Africa’s entrepreneurial activities and training are higher than in the EU. South Africa 
has the second highest employment share in agriculture among the global competitors 
considered in this report, just behind China. Foreign investments are high in South Africa, 
more than twice that of the EU. South Africa has the lowest number of unicorns among 
all global competitors. South Africa also has the highest annual population growth among 
Emerging Innovators, and third highest among global competitors. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 202598

Mexico has a GDP per capita less than half of that of the EU, but an annual growth nearly 
twice as fast. Foreign investments are higher compared to the EU. Mexico has the highest 
employment share in knowledge-intensive services among Emerging Innovators, and third 
highest among all global competitors. Among Emerging Innovators, Mexico reports the 
highest level of perceived corruption and the lowest rule of law.

Figure 40: The EU versus its global competitors (structural indicators)

European Innovation Scoreboard 202565206131229.147231551773.832.51.14.17.61.33.41.322.72.38.81.36.42343313205.41.6192019233225242518241979717971453173636370795.4129271420262111122021286.1126.3159.811182.73.22.45.81.11.20.82.44.31.21.63.50.26.94.40.11792341721925933725751881364391821216268881136873.93.44.43.94.34.4553.44.8476367565433972632968422.23.62.75.62.42.133.73.32.83.42.94.44.343.83.14.631.6-0.31.50.700.11.51.2-0.81.40.12621039201412142612512962523331.90.42.40.5-0.10.8-0.50.81.400.43.4254.32615047634566515303656242472157.117.86161113.6632.43.414480.2112EUKRCNCAUSAUJPBRINCLZAMXGDPpercapita(inthousands)AverageannualGDPgrowth(2020-2022average)EmploymentshareAgricultureEmploymentshareIndustryEmploymentshareServicesEmploymentshareKnowledge-intensiveservicesTotalearly-stageEntrepreneurialActivity(TEA)FDInetinflowsTopR&Dspendingenterprisesper10millionpopulationTopR&Dspendingenterprises,averageR&DspendingNumberofunicornsBuyersophisticationCorruptionPerceptionsIndexBasic-schoolentrepreneurialeducationandtrainingGovernmentprocurementofadvancedtechnologyproductsRuleoflawPopulationsize(inmillions)Averageannualpopulationgrowth(2020-2022average)PopulationdensityEUKRCNCAUSAUJPBRINCLZAMXEUBelow EUAbove EU99

5.   INDUSTRIAL RESILIENCE 
IN A TURBULENT WORLD 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025100

The  current  decade  is  marked  by  significant  events  and  challenges.  The  COVID-19 
pandemic was a health crisis the world has not seen for over a century. Russia’s military 
aggression against Ukraine has eroded expectations of Europe as a continent of peace. 
Growing competition between geopolitical powers has threatened the world order based on 
openness, cooperation and rules. As emphasised by President von der Leyen in her Special 
Address at the World Economic Forum37, these challenges increasingly signal that Europe's 
economic growth model, which benefits from free trade and cheap energy from Russia, 
has been put under pressure and that leadership in mitigating climate change has become 
more difficult to sustain. 

While many of the challenges that have emerged in recent years have been most visible 
in the context of product trade – such as disruptions related to health products, energy, 
or critical raw materials – the EU’s structural weaknesses in technological performance 
are just as relevant. These weaknesses may not always manifest as immediate supply 
chain crises, but they are deeply consequential. They underpin the EU’s long-term strategic 
dependencies and increasingly shape future risks in supply chains, competitiveness and 
technological sovereignty. Deficiencies in the EU’s technological performance, notably in 
relation to China and the USA, have been widely documented over recent years. Addressing 
them is central to Europe’s economic security and strategic autonomy, as underlined by both 
the European Commission and the European Council in their calls for strengthening Europe’s 
technological leadership and reducing critical dependencies. Under these circumstances, 
two words – innovation and resilience – have become more salient in academic and policy 
discussions across Europe. The report delivered by Mario Draghi is explicit in this regard: 
research and innovation should become the main drivers of productivity and people’s well-
being  as  it  is  key  to  pursuing  the  green  and  digital  transitions,  necessary  to  reinforce 
Europe’s resilience, and to strengthen its position in global supply chains38. 

This chapter addresses the issues of resilience and innovation. It is based on Exploratory 
study on the linkages between innovation and resilience, commissioned by the EC39. The 
following sections summarise key findings from this study and provides condensed empirical 
evidence on innovation-driven industrial and economic resilience and key innovation-related 
dependencies across Europe.

37 Ursula von der Leyen, ‘Special Address by President von Der Leyen at the World Economic Forum’, January 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/

presscorner/detail/en/speech_23_232

38 Mario Draghi, The Future of European Competitiveness. Part B | In-Depth Analysis and Recommendations, 2024.
39  Kalanta  et  al  (2025).  European  Innovation  Scoreboard  2025  -  Exploratory  study  on  the  linkages  between  innovation  and  resilience.  European 

Commission (Brussels). DOI: 10.2777/0663803

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025101

5.1 The concept of resilience 
For the purposes of the EIS, the study views resilience from a systems perspective and 
defines it in terms of the magnitude and duration the performance of the system 
deviates from the target level. It is assumed that the system is resilient if it can return 
to its previous performance levels by absorbing the shock or by recovering from it, or 
if it is able to move to a new equilibrium with similar performance levels by adapting 
to the shock40. Following this approach the study focuses on economic and industrial 
resilience of the EU to geopolitical shocks, which is perceived as the capacity 
of the EU economy and industries to withstand geopolitical turbulences arising 
from international trade disruption and intensifying competition between the 
global powers. More specifically, the study explores how this capacity can be enhanced 
with innovation. 

Based on a thorough analysis of the existing evidence, the study finds that the EU economic 
and industrial resilience to geopolitical shocks can be enhanced via improving its technology 
capacities. One technology area is of special importance. It is deep tech, which is defined 
as cutting-edge science, technology and engineering that combines advances in physical, 
biological  and  digital  spheres  and  which  has  the  potential  to  deliver  transformative 
solutions41.  Evidence  shows  that  deep  tech  is  key  to  EU  industrial  ecosystems  when  it 
comes to their capacities to better absorb and recover from supply chain disruptions or, 
if supply chain disruptions become persistent, to develop new capacities and engage in 
new activities that are less exposed to these disruptions. Furthermore, in the long term, 
improving deep tech capacities is key to pursuing EU’s strategic goals of twin (digital and 
green) transition as well as strengthening its security. 

Following  these  theoretical  considerations,  the  key  conceptual  premise  of  the  study  is 
that improving deep tech capacities across EU’s industrial ecosystems is most 
relevant for enhancing the EU’s economic and industrial resilience to geopolitical 
shocks. Within these capacities, three dimensions are of special relevance. As presented 
in Figure 41, these are: 

 • deep tech dependency, which encompasses the dependency of the EU on deep tech 

developed elsewhere; 

 • deep tech development, which focuses on the capacity of the EU to develop its own 

deep tech; 

40 Jakob Hafele and others, A Framework for Economic Resilience: Guiding Economic Policy through a Social-Ecological Transition (2022) https://zoe-
institut.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ZOE_Economic_Resilience_Framework.pdf; Anna Rita Manca, Peter Benczur, and Enrico Giovannini, Building 
a Scientific Narrative towards a More Resilient EU Society. Part 1: A Conceptual Framework (2017), doi:10.2760/635528; Lucia Alessi and others, 
‘The Resilience of EU27 Member States to the Financial and Economic Crisis’, Social Indicators Research, 148.2 (2020), pp. 569–98, doi:10.1007/
s11205-019-02200-1; Ron Martin and Peter Sunley, ‘On the Notion of Regional Economic Resilience: Conceptualization and Explanation’, Journal of 
Economic Geography, 15.1 (2015), pp. 1–42, doi:10.1093/jeg/lbu015.

41  European  Commission,  A  New  European  Innovation  Agenda,  2022  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e9058375-fe64-11ec-

b94a-01aa75ed71a1/

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025102

 • deep tech adoption, which covers the extent of integration and utilisation of deep 
tech across multiple industrial ecosystems for productivity, circularity and other 
purposes and which enables individual firms to be better prepared for geopolitical 
shocks.

Figure 41. Analytical dimensions of enhancing resilience through improving deep tech 
capacity

Source: authors’ compilation.

This leads to the conclusion that key to the EU’s economic and industrial resilience is 
its capacity to reduce deep tech dependencies by strengthening its own deep tech 
development abilities and by more extensively adopting transformative benefits 
of these technologies across all industrial ecosystems.

5.2 Capturing industrial and innovation resilience and innovation dependencies in the 
EIS 
The conceptual framework briefly summarised above presents resilience as an inherent 
property  of  innovation.  The  higher  the  performance  of  innovation  ecosystems  is,  the 
more resilient industries, economies and societies become. This link between innovation 
and the economic and industrial resilience is to some extent already captured in the EIS 
through long-standing indicators that demonstrate countries’ capabilities to develop new 
technologies and absorb these technologies across industries and throughout the economy. 
Examples  of  such  indicators  include  business  and  government  R&D  expenditure,  New 
doctorate graduates, patent application, and adoption of digital technologies. The rationale 
behind giving these long-standing EIS indicators a resilience-based interpretation rests 
on the assumption that higher rates of new technology development and adoption help 
industries and economies to withstand geopolitical shocks easier. New technologies are 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025103

conducive to faster recovery after the shock, but most importantly, these technologies are 
key to adapting to changing geopolitical and geoeconomic realities. 

The technology dependency dimension, however, was not at all captured by the existing EIS 
indicators. To represent the extent to which EU innovation and industrial ecosystems depend 
on knowledge and innovation developed abroad, two new indicators are proposed to be 
included in the EIS. One of these indicators is high-tech imports from partners outside 
of the EU27 as a share of total high-tech use42. This indicator demonstrates how 
much EU27 Member States’ domestic use of high-tech products and services is dependent 
on imports of these products and services from outside of the EU. In other words, the 
indicator shows the share of high-tech products and services – used by firms, households, 
and the government for intermediate or final consumption or for investment (gross fixed 
capital formation) – that is supplied by non-EU countries43. This indicator is included in the 
EIS indicator framework under Trade impacts dimension. 

Another indicator is a well-established Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) of non-EU 
imports. Calculated for high-tech goods44, this index shows how much EU27 Member States’ 
imports of these goods from outside of the EU are concentrated. The HHI complements 
the first indicator by showing to what extent EU27 Member States rely for their high-tech 
imports on a limited number of partners and sheds light on how vulnerable these imports 
could become in an event of geopolitical shocks. This indicator is included among structural 
indicators under the Economy dimension. 

The two indicators newly included in the EIS build on the fact that high-tech products are 
essential in all advanced economies. As they are used for a variety of purposes, having a 
reliable supply of them is no less important. High-tech products rely on cutting edge science 
and technology and require diverse skills and other resources. This means that no single 
country can produce all what it needs; it must import at least some of them from other 
countries. In a globalised and liberalised economy, this is not a problem as this not only 
grants access to global supplies but also is considered as a source of efficiency. 

The liberal global order, however, can be vulnerable to fragmentation because of various 
types of tensions coming from supply chain disruptions due to natural disasters, scarcity of 
natural resources or increasing geopolitical tensions between global powers. Many of these 

42 While the study conceptually links resilience to deep-tech dependency, due to data availability issues, the selected indicators proxy deep-tech with 
high-tech as the best available alternative. To represent deep-tech most closely, the operationalisation of high-tech includes products and services 
and  follows  the  Eurostat’s  definitions  of  high-tech  manufacturing  and  high-tech  services  (based  on  Nace  rev.  2  2-digit  level)  to  include:  basic 
pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations (C21); computer, electronic and optical products (C26); motion picture, video and television 
programme  production  services,  sound  recording  and  music  publishing;  programming  and  broadcasting  services  (J59_60);  telecommunications 
services (J61); computer programming, consultancy and related services; Information services (J62_63); and scientific research and development 
services (M72

43  See  the  EIS  2025  methodology  report  available  at:  https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/statistics/performance-indicators/european-

innovation-scoreboard_en

44 Unfortunately, existing trade statistical databases, which covers all trade partners, which is an essential condition for calculating HHI, do not include 

services.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025104

trends are present currently. The two indicators aim at raising awareness of policy makers 
about potential vulnerabilities EU27 Member States (and non-EU countries included in the 
EIS) might face in the domain of accessing high-tech products and services from outside of 
the EU. The indicators show this by identifying a share of high-tech products that a country 
needs to import from non-EU countries to satisfy its domestic needs and how concentrated 
these imports are. 

Vulnerability, however, should not be equalled to resilience. Higher vulnerability does not 
mean lower resilience and vice versa. Thus, higher indicators values do not suggest lower 
resilience but that the country has strong import dependencies, which in a case of external 
disruptions can become a source of potential vulnerability and internal disruptions. This 
might hit strategic industrial and R&I ecosystems especially hard because they strongly rely 
on high-tech products and services for their performance. To avoid these risks, the country 
might  take  resilience  into  consideration  more  seriously  and  possibly  consider  reducing 
import dependencies and/or concentration by higher diversification of partner countries, 
finding supplies within the EU (or EFTA) or engaging in initiatives (also possibly together 
with other EU countries) in developing some high-tech products and services domestically. 
If successful, these actions will reduce import dependencies and lead to higher resilience of 
strategic industrial and R&I ecosystems to shocks to global supply chains or international 
trade.

5.3 Dependency of EIS countries on high-tech imports 
Figure 42 below presents values of both indicators for EIS countries for 2022, the latest 
available data. Columns demonstrate data on high-tech imports from partners outside 
of  the  EU27  as  a  share  of  total  high-tech  use.  For  better  complementarity  with  the 
HHI  indicator,  the  columns  are  split  into  goods  and  services.  Markers  show  the  HHI  of 
concentration of high-tech imports of goods45. The interpretation of the HHI is as follows: 
values bellow 0.1 show low concentration (high diversification), values between 0.1 and 
0.25 show moderate concentration, and values above 0.25 are a sign of high concentration 
and strong dependency. 

The figure shows that EIS countries exhibit a large variation in shares of high-tech imports 
with some of them having values as high as around 50% and others as low as around 10%. 
This suggests that some countries for the domestic use are more dependent on imports of 
high-tech goods and services from outside the EU than others. While Croatia and Lithuania 
have the lowest shares of only around 9 and 10% respectively, a completely different 
situation exists in Ireland and Cyprus, each of which in 2022 imported around 50% of high-
tech goods and services needed for their domestic use. 

A deeper look into what these imports are, where they come from and for what purpose 

45 Calculating HHI for high-tech services is not possible due to a lack of relevant data.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025105

they are used reveals more detail. The largest Ireland’s high-tech imports dependency is 
on scientific research and development services imported from the USA. These imports 
are solely used for gross fixed capital formation suggesting their key importance for Irish 
knowledge- and technology-intense industries, while disruptions in these imports would be 
especially harmful. A different situation exists in Cyprus. Here, the largest import dependency 
is on computer programming, consultancy and related services from the Rest of the World, 
a somewhat unexpected result because in the FIGARO database, this group mostly consists 
of smaller developing economies. These imports are used as intermediary inputs mostly 
in two sectors: in computer programming, consultancy and information service activities 
and in publishing activities, which, given the explanation above, also suggests that the 
destination of these imports are local subsidiaries of Israel-based parent firms. 

Slovenia is yet another case with large high-tech import dependency but of a different 
composition. It imports almost 39% of high-tech products used domestically but with goods 
making four fifth of them. Furthermore, 66% of these goods are basic pharmaceutical 
products  and  pharmaceutical  preparations  used  for  household  consumption  and  as 
intermediate inputs for further processing in the pharma industry. These goods are mostly 
imported from two countries, China and Switzerland. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025106

Figure 42: Shares and concentration of non-EU imports in EU and neighbouring countries.

Source: Eurostat FIGARO 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII0.10.20.30.40.50.6CroatiaLithuaniaRomaniaFranceDenmarkItalyPortugalSwedenBelgiumBulgariaUnitedKingdomLatviaAustriaFinlandGreeceLuxembourgSpainNorwayGermanyMaltaNetherlandsPolandHungaryEstoniaCzechiaSlovakiaSwitzerlandTürkiyeSloveniaCyprusIreland0102030405060HHI of non-EU high-tech imports of GOODS% of total high-tech useIHHI of non-EU high-tech imports of GOODSNon-EU high-tech imports of SERVICES as % of total high-tech useNon-EU high-tech imports of GOODS as % of total high-tech use107

Some other Central Eastern European Members States, such as Czechia, Hungary, Poland 
and Slovakia also exhibit a trend to be more dependent on high-tech goods rather than on 
services. In contrast to Slovenia, in these countries, the largest dependency in 2022 was 
on computer, electronic and optical products mostly used as intermediary inputs in the 
electronics industry, for gross fixed capital formation and for household consumption. A 
similar trend of being dependent on imports of computer, electronic and optical products 
is observable in Germany too. Here, however, they were much less used as intermediary 
inputs in the electronics industry and more as accumulation of inventories. 

The data on concentration of non-EU imports of high-tech goods adds more nuances to 
the picture. Again, the variation of the index between the countries is large; however, it is 
only weakly correlated with the share of non-EU imports indicator. For EIS countries, values 
of the HHI range from around 0.15 in Slovakia, Finland, Germany and Austria to around 
0.3 in Cyprus, Slovenia,  Türkiye, the Netherlands, Malta, Lithuania and Croatia to 0.5 and 
above in Czechia and Greece. In general, the data tells that in EIS countries, imports of 
high-tech goods from non-EU countries tend to be highly concentrated. No countries have 
HHI values below 0.1, a threshold for well diversified imports. Roughly half of the countries 
have moderate levels of concentration, not exceeding 0.25, while imports in the other half 
are highly concentrated and exceed the value of 0.25. 

In countries with high imports concentration, China is the sole individual import partner 
responsible for most of it. For example, in 2022 Greece imported from China 74% of its 
imported high-tech goods, while no other import partner accounted for more than 7% of 
imports. Similarly, in Czechia, 70% of high-tech goods came from China, while no other 
country exceeded 6%. 

Nevertheless, it cannot be excluded that the concentration patterns displayed by Greece 
and Czechia are a result of other factors beyond pure dependencies of their respective 
economies. For example, Greek ports may play the role of major entry points in the EU for 
Chinese imports, fostered by the operational control of some of these infrastructures by 
Chinese companies. 

In  contrast,  countries  with  lower  levels  of  import  concentration  have  achieved  this  by 
counterbalancing the importance of China with larger import values from other countries. 
For example, the concentration in Germany is lower because 90% of its imports come from 
11 partners, among which China makes only 29%. Austria demonstrates a similar situation 
with only 17% of its high-tech imports originating in China. 

Some exceptions from China’s dominant role in high concentration of imports also exist. 
These are Ireland, Malta and Latvia. The dominant Ireland’s high-tech goods import partner 
in 2022 was the USA making almost 48% share. Most of these imports were comprised 
of  basic  pharmaceutical  products  and  pharmaceutical  preparations  and  were  used  as 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025108

intermediate inputs for further processing. While goods comprised only a small fraction of 
Malta’s high-tech imports, around 53% of them came from Canada and mostly included 
computer, electronic and optical products. In Latvia, imports of high-tech goods made a 
much larger share in its total high-tech imports but otherwise the situation was similar 
with 41% of these imports originating from Canada and computer, electronic and optical 
products dominating.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025109

6.   COUNTRY  
PROFILES 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
110

Country:

ALBANIA

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 37.9 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +7.4      Change vs 2024: ▲ +4.4 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

37.9 

36.5 

21.6 

78 

9.2 

25.6 

6.1 

45.2 

13.7 

13.1 

N/A 

16.1 

2.1 

1.7 

N/A 

N/A 

7 

2.1 

16.5 

N/A 

20.9 

34.7 

5.9 

89.8 

102.3 

80 

40 

69.1 

5.1 

N/A 

16.2 

24.2 

7.7 

13.1 

136.8 

195.4 

85.6 

0.5 

0 

0.9 

N/A 

77 

42.9 

94.4 

N/A 

35 

34 

34 

27 

36 

38 

38 

30 

35 

36 

34 

38 

38 

38 

36 

35 

37 

31 

38 

26 

25 

25 

34 

28 

38 

37 

38 

38 

31 

3 

1 

22 

39 

37 

39 

20 

29 

21 

7.4 

28.2 

11.6 

68.5 

9.6 

-1.6

8.3 

13.3 

-43.1

18.8 

N/A 

16.7 

0 

0 

N/A 

N/A 

0.4 

0.7 

0 

N/A 

5 

0 

6.8 

33.5 

12.8 

53.5 

-13.8

-27.5

4.7 

N/A 

4.9 

10.9 

-8.5

8.2 

0 

0 

0 

-2.8

0 

-6

N/A 

15.2 

37 

-10.8

N/A 

4.4 

10.7 

11.6 

10.8 

9.6 

-6.2

0 

17.3 

-62.9

18.8 

N/A 

16.7 

0 

0 

N/A 

N/A 

0 

0 

0 

N/A 

5 

0 

6.8 

33.5 

12.8 

53.5 

0 

0 

0 

N/A 

3.4 

4.9 

5.8 

-0.1

0 

0 

0 

-1.9

0 

-4.2

N/A 

-0.3

0 

-0.8

N/A 

Albania ranks 35th among 
the EU and neighbouring 
countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations 
• Production-based CO₂ 
productivity 

Relative weaknesses 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• Production-based CO₂ 
productivity 
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector 
• Public-private co-publications

Strong increases since 2018 
• Population with tertiary 
education 
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 
• Resource productivity

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• Production-based CO₂
productivity 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns 
(2018),  scores  cannot  be 
directly  compared  or  subtracted  across 
columns. For a complete overview, refer 
to the published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
Country:

AUSTRIA

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 114 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +8.2      Change vs 2024: ▼ -4.0 

111

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

114.0 

109.8 

100.0 

100.0 

131.5 

154.1 

182.9 

112.3 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

192.8 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

96.9 

81.0 

120.2 

121.1 

148.3 

38.6 

145.3 

111.2 

153.8 

60.5 

101.2 

105.2 

103.0 

107.7 

116.5 

115.1 

117.5 

177.3 

149.6 

395.5 

110.4 

135.2 

123.4 

130.6 

157.9 

99.8 

79.2 

117.8 

70.7 

91.5 

51.5 

67.1 

111.0 

103.6 

101.2 

136.4 

Austria ranks 8th among EU 
Member States, and 11th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• International scientific co-
publications

Relative weaknesses 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Design applications
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• High speed internet access
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• High speed internet access
• Public-private co-publications

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• Design applications
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

8 

12 

9 

15 

8 

8 

8 

10 

4 

14 

24 

10 

7 

2 

16 

4 

7 

3 

20 

10 

14 

14 

9 

9 

10 

5 

6 

7 

4 

11 

1 

6 

6 

2 

13 

17 

8 

13 

7 

21 

15 

12 

10 

14 

10 

8.2 

6.1 

-11.6

11.3 

28.8 

32.3 

68.7 

-5.7

81.7 

66.1 

156.7 

-5.5

6.8 

15.3 

-8.3

3.5 

-1.6

5.2 

-28.0

14.1 

85.0 

241.2 

23.4 

-16.4

-24.5

-8.7

21.0 

-49.8

123.5 

32.4 

-23.5

-14.9

-3.5

-48.4

-20.5

-20.4

-20.7

-7.2

0.3 

6.0 

-26.9

28.9 

39.4 

39.5 

6.1 

-4.0

-2.4

-11.6

4.0 

4.8 

4.9 

16.7 

-1.0

7.6 

15.3 

42.0 

-5.5

-17.9

6.8 

-52.7

-31.8

-0.2

6.0 

-13.9

5.7 

14.2 

49.8 

0.0 

-12.6

-12.4

-13.1

-6.5

19.2 

1.8 

-32.4

-14.8

-4.5

-14.1

-27.2

-20.1

-23.6

-16.7

-5.3

4.3 

-2.8

-17.5

13.4 

30.0 

7.8 

-0.3

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025112

Country:

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 25.7 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +6.1      Change vs 2024: ▲ +3.0 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

25.7 

8 

13.6 

1.7 

8.5 

27.2 

21.6 

27.2 

N/A 

9.9 

N/A 

12.3 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0.9 

2.1 

0 

0.5 

33.7 

36.1 

31 

116.9 

167.2 

77.4 

16.5 

N/A 

29.8 

N/A 

10.9 

23.3 

1.7 

1.1 

73.6 

70.6 

76.1 

18.3 

29.6 

5.9 

N/A 

18.5 

24.8 

7.9 

N/A 

38 

39 

37 

38 

37 

37 

35 

36 

37 

36 

39 

39 

37 

36 

39 

36 

37 

34 

35 

30 

35 

12 

5 

26 

37 

34 

39 

39 

39 

37 

28 

23 

25 

37 

33 

38 

37 

31 

38 

6.1 

-0.4

4 

-2.6

-4.8

-1.6

16.3 

-9

N/A 

7.4 

N/A 

6.8 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

45.7 

101.6 

23.4 

0 

0 

0 

7.2 

N/A 

11.4 

N/A 

3.7 

7.4 

1.7 

0.7 

0 

0 

0 

12.4 

18.2 

6.1 

N/A 

16.5 

19.1 

12.5 

N/A 

3 

-0.4

0 

0.7 

-1.9

4.9 

0 

6.1 

N/A 

7.4 

N/A 

6.8 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

33.7 

96.8 

8.8 

0 

0 

0 

0 

N/A 

0 

N/A 

-1

-2.7

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

3.3 

6.6 

-0.5

N/A 

3.9 

6.9 

0 

N/A 

Bosnia & Herzegovina ranks 
38th among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 

Relative weaknesses 
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector 
• Trademark applications
• PCT patent applications

Strong increases since 2018
• Cloud Computing
• Employed ICT specialists
• Resource productivity

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Scientific publications among 
the top 10% most cited 
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning 
• Population with tertiary 
education 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

BELGIUM

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 122.6 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +11.7      Change vs 2024: ▼ -0.9 

113

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

122.6 

120.5 

113.1 

137.3 

110.8 

137.1 

178.2 

124.1 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

116.7 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

119.1 

129.2 

104.0 

141.7 

121.7 

128.3 

174.4 

143.1 

160.7 

97.1 

154.0 

117.0 

116.5 

117.9 

160.9 

160.2 

161.7 

176.8 

226.2 

277.7 

93.8 

90.6 

107.2 

91.0 

64.2 

122.8 

83.1 

157.1 

69.5 

76.9 

96.0 

36.8 

127.6 

142.7 

92.8 

155.9 

Belgium ranks 6th among EU 
Member States, and 8th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• International scientific co-
publications 

Relative weaknesses 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Design applications
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU
• Trademark applications
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST

Strong increases since 2018
• Cloud Computing
• High speed internet access
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

6 

11 

8 

10 

13 

9 

9 

7 

15 

9 

5 

13 

2 

6 

10 

3 

3 

1 

8 

1 

9 

11.7 

-0.4

0.0 

-1.3

0.0 

-27.6

54.6 

-22.0

-117.9

47.6 

96.7 

8.6 

32.9 

11.9 

52.0 

50.5 

16.6 

47.0 

-1.9

2.0 

55.7 

11 

190.4 

8 

2 

2 

2 

7 

2 

8 

18 

14 

8 

21 

17 

6 

16 

1 

15 

13 

9 

23 

8 

7 

17 

5 

2.9 

47.5 

15.3 

78.7 

30.1 

55.5 

71.5 

-11.8

-13.1

-11.7

-9.8

-17.4

-8.9

-25.1

7.0 

-9.4

5.0 

5.0 

-37.1

38.4 

54.8 

52.3 

6.2 

-0.9

1.5 

0.0 

4.6 

0.0 

2.6 

16.9 

-3.0

0.9 

30.4 

58.0 

8.6 

-10.6

0.0 

-51.9

-2.3

-1.8

0.0 

-6.1

0.0 

3.3 

-10.4

8.8 

-0.2

12.4 

-12.3

5.4 

28.6 

12.7 

-17.6

-7.1

-4.8

-9.4

-8.6

-20.7

-36.7

-5.1

-0.8

2.3 

0.9 

-5.4

3.1 

-3.5

12.7 

0.9 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025114

Country:

BULGARIA

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 45.8 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +6.3      Change vs 2024: ▼ -2.2 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

45.8 

46.7 

47.7 

79.7 

10.0 

32.3 

28.9 

21.7 

52.4 

76.0 

116.6 

16.0 

20.3 

26.7 

35.4 

2.2 

34.8 

32.4 

65.8 

18.3 

57.5 

28.0 

89.8 

31.0 

49.3 

16.7 

31.2 

40.9 

46.9 

16.7 

97.7 

38.1 

127.6 

157.1 

25.0 

26.2 

24.0 

58.6 

42.0 

65.5 

69.3 

26.4 

13.5 

50.7 

9.7 

26 

26 

21 

19 

27 

27 

26 

27 

21 

24 

9 

27 

24 

24 

19 

26 

25 

21 

19 

25 

25 

27 

19 

26 

24 

26 

26 

26 

26 

25 

12 

26 

7 

3 

26 

25 

26 

19 

25 

13 

14 

27 

26 

26 

27 

6.3 

-4.8

-11.6

0.0 

0.0 

14.8 

11.8 

6.2 

36.8 

33.6 

76.7 

-0.4

6.0 

13.6 

5.2 

-3.4

-5.5

-3.7

-18.2

3.6 

48.2 

88.5 

32.2 

3.5 

12.8 

-5.2

14.9 

25.7 

27.5 

0.0 

-13.8

-7.2

16.8 

-44.0

-13.5

-17.6

-9.2

8.5 

4.7 

21.7 

0.6 

22.2 

18.6 

43.1 

5.9 

-2.2

5.0 

11.6 

0.0 

0.0 

2.3 

1.8 

-1.3

10.6 

4.2 

9.8 

-0.4

4.0 

6.8 

4.4 

0.0 

-1.1

0.0 

-7.8

3.7 

17.3 

38.6 

8.8 

-36.6

-39.0

-34.3

-6.5

-18.7

2.0 

0.0 

-0.5

1.4 

-0.9

-2.4

-31.6

-29.4

-33.5

-1.9

-3.2

-0.8

-1.2

12.6 

4.6 

33.5 

1.2 

Bulgaria ranks 26th among EU 
Member States, and 32nd 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Design applications
• Trademark applications
• High speed internet access

Relative weaknesses
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Labour productivity
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Design applications
• Trademark applications
• High speed internet access

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Labour productivity
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• High speed internet access
• Production-based CO₂
productivity

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Design applications
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

SWITZERLAND

Innovation Leader ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 139.8 
Change vs 2018: ▼ -1.7      Change vs 2024: ▼ -1.6 

115

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Switzerland ranks 1st 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

139.8 

176.4 

191.5 

139 

199.2 

219.8 

279.7 

148 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

275.2 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

137.3 

117.8 

165.9 

92.6 

135 

127.6 

18.4 

170.8 

152.4 

N/A 

N/A 

113.1 

N/A 

117.9 

112.5 

166.8 

69.8 

193.1 

75.7 

484.2 

170.8 

137.5 

160 

125.3 

115.8 

136.6 

171.8 

105.9 

70.1 

68.8 

93.4 

49.3 

190.5 

170.3 

173 

246.5 

1 

1 

1 

12 

6 

1 

1 

3 

1 

8 

11 

6 

14 

4 

12 

26 

1 

4 

12 

8 

14 

6 

30 

5 

22 

1 

5 

1 

1 

8 

7 

4 

4 

17 

17 

20 

12 

21 

1 

1 

1 

3 

-1.7

6.6 

0 

-8.6

34.6 

-3.1

0 

-15.4

21.3 

20.2 

32.5 

10.8 

12.8 

-1.7

70.9 

0.5 

14.8 

14.2 

N/A 

N/A 

8.6 

N/A 

5.9 

-25.7

25.5 

-75.3

11.6 

0 

0 

26.5 

-25.7

0 

-14.9

-64.1

-4.3

54.2 

-61

-8.4

-8.7

-2.2

-13.8

7.2 

0 

3.1 

19.5 

-1.6

-4.4

0 

-6

-9.6

-1

0 

-3.3

3.3 

9.5 

8.2 

10.8 

-1.1

0 

-5.9

0 

0 

0 

N/A 

N/A 

0 

N/A 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2.5 

0 

0 

5.9 

-6.6

0 

-9.1

-12.5

0 

0 

0 

-5.3

-1.8

3.7 

-17.1

0 

0 

0 

0 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• International scientific co-
publications
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students

Relative weaknesses 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Public-private co-publications
• International scientific co-
publications
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others

Strong increases since 2018 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations
• Design applications
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns 
(2018),  scores  cannot  be 
directly  compared  or  subtracted  across 
columns. For a complete overview, refer 
to the published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
116

Country: 
CYPRUS 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

84.1 

101.2 

34.7 

190.4 

82.3 

165.0 

241.1 

116.3 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

168.0 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

94.3 

97.1 

89.9 

19.9 

28.3 

13.0 

14.7 

35.9 

16.6 

83.1 

25.8 

110.2 

119.7 

100.0 

99.0 

108.9 

91.3 

164.3 

74.1 

316.2 

177.1 

101.8 

54.6 

233.0 

36.0 

75.0 

84.2 

67.0 

50.9 

45.9 

109.7 

0.7 

60.6 

60.1 

54.7 

70.1 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Moderate Innovator ● 
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 84.1 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +17.6      Change vs 2024: ▼ -14.6 

Cyprus ranks 17th among EU 
Member States, and 21st 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications 
• International scientific co-
publications 
• Trademark applications 

Relative weaknesses 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Venture capital expenditures 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Trademark applications 
• International scientific co-
publications 
• Population with tertiary 
education 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector 
• Venture capital expenditures 

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing 
• Public-private co-publications 
• High speed internet access 

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Design applications 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Venture capital expenditures 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles. 

17 

15 

23 

3 

17 

5 

3 

9 

8 

16 

18 

18 

25 

23 

25 

22 

24 

27 

12 

24 

10 

10 

14 

15 

13 

15 

10 

17 

7 

3 

11 

18 

1 

21 

19 

15 

18 

24 

23 

4 

27 

22 

19 

24 

13 

17.6 

11.4 

11.6 

8.6 

14.4 

76.0 

167.6 

9.0 

137.0 

93.0 

187.9 

17.9 

-2.4 

3.4 

-45.9 

13.2 

-3.1 

6.7 

-19.3 

1.3 

110.3 

308.8 

32.2 

32.8 

40.0 

25.8 

87.7 

4.1 

212.0 

100.0 

-25.5 

0.9 

0.0 

-76.2 

0.6 

-12.8 

13.6 

-25.6 

-38.9 

13.6 

-47.5 

15.2 

9.5 

27.6 

9.6 

-14.6 

-2.4 

0.0 

-9.9 

2.9 

10.9 

10.6 

-10.7 

59.8 

34.8 

56.1 

17.9 

-8.2 

-1.7 

-38.7 

-0.2 

-8.2 

-0.7 

-19.6 

-5.9 

-6.4 

21.6 

-17.6 

-82.0 

-61.3 

-102.0 

-76.8 

-223.9 

8.4 

8.8 

-14.5 

-0.6 

0.0 

-42.1 

-52.5 

-25.5 

-78.8 

-7.4 

-18.0 

-4.5 

0.7 

3.6 

13.9 

-5.5 

1.0 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Country:

CZECHIA

Moderate Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 80.6 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +16.3      Change vs 2024: ▼ -8.4 

117

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

80.6 

73.6 

100.0 

40.1 

79.2 

86.9 

102.4 

53.2 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

125.3 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

85.6 

52.0 

135.0 

63.7 

85.0 

37.8 

56.6 

80.4 

79.3 

105.0 

66.8 

96.3 

104.7 

87.2 

96.0 

103.0 

90.4 

85.3 

108.3 

129.9 

47.9 

67.8 

54.5 

91.4 

63.3 

94.4 

109.9 

80.5 

88.1 

114.7 

55.8 

90.7 

59.7 

79.1 

51.7 

41.9 

Czechia ranks 19th among EU 
Member States, and 23rd 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills
• Public-private co-publications
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students

Relative weaknesses 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Population with tertiary 
education
• Labour productivity

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• High speed internet access
• Production-based CO₂
productivity
• Population with tertiary 
education

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• High speed internet access

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Design applications
• Population with tertiary 
education

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

19 

20 

9 

24 

19 

18 

14 

22 

14 

18 

26 

8 

18 

13 

17 

14 

12 

11 

7 

13 

16 

12 

21 

18 

17 

16 

22 

11 

18 

22 

21 

19 

19 

18 

15 

9 

16 

6 

3 

19 

6 

23 

15 

25 

19 

16.3 

9.8 

0.0 

-9.3

48.1 

33.9 

42.2 

13.4 

71.4 

58.9 

69.5 

50.9 

1.5 

-1.7

46.9 

-17.9

9.7 

13.4 

-8.9

21.9 

65.5 

238.9 

-2.9

11.1 

7.0 

14.9 

19.9 

9.2 

25.7 

26.5 

-4.9

-8.1

12.7 

-14.0

1.1 

6.1 

-4.0

11.4 

7.3 

10.1 

16.8 

29.1 

41.6 

39.9 

4.4 

-8.4

1.8 

0.0 

-1.3

8.7 

6.0 

11.0 

2.9 

8.4 

24.4 

-8.9

50.9 

-21.0

-6.8

-86.8

-4.2

-35.0

-1.5

-68.9

-38.7

12.0 

27.9 

5.9 

-52.5

-49.0

-56.3

-10.9

-14.2

-2.0

-11.8

-7.5

-8.7

-3.8

-8.7

-22.6

-5.8

-38.7

1.3 

1.8 

-1.9

3.4 

8.5 

9.5 

15.1 

0.7 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025118

Country:

GERMANY

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

111.1 

96.3 

139.2 

76.3 

68.5 

103.2 

92.2 

107.5 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

106.8 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

82.8 

93.1 

67.7 

92.0 

133.3 

94.5 

41.9 

143.4 

143.4 

140.9 

145.0 

105.8 

104.4 

107.7 

117.0 

105.1 

126.6 

130.4 

88.2 

188.5 

141.7 

119.3 

134.2 

102.3 

113.8 

125.3 

105.3 

142.7 

104.9 

109.0 

103.8 

101.6 

117.4 

127.4 

90.3 

141.6 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 111.1 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +8.7      Change vs 2024: ▼ -2.1 

Germany ranks 9th among EU 
Member States, and 13th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector 

Relative weaknesses 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills 
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 
• New doctorate graduates
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning
• Population with tertiary 
education

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• High speed internet access
• Venture capital expenditures

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Design applications
• New doctorate graduates
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

9 

16 

2 

20 

23 

15 

16 

11 

16 

22 

20 

23 

11 

4 

12 

16 

2 

4 

3 

5 

13 

13 

9 

8 

16 

4 

11 

16 

12 

6 

7 

4 

17 

8 

4 

10 

2 

1 

6 

7 

2 

11 

9 

18 

7 

8.7 

-3.9

-23.1

19.9 

0.0 

0.0 

24.8 

-11.7

2.0 

60.6 

132.1 

4.2 

13.0 

-1.7

62.0 

6.7 

-0.7

11.2 

-15.9

0.3 

79.4 

252.0 

11.7 

10.9 

-22.2

43.0 

18.1 

31.1 

33.7 

0.0 

-27.6

-14.7

-7.7

-57.8

-4.4

-7.1

-1.7

-2.6

-3.5

5.6 

-9.4

40.7 

57.7 

57.9 

4.3 

-2.1

-0.9

-11.6

13.2 

0.0 

1.6 

6.4 

-1.9

3.9 

9.0 

15.1 

4.2 

-6.4

-1.7

-33.4

2.3 

-0.7

3.7 

-16.4

8.0 

20.9 

44.3 

11.7 

-31.0

-41.3

-21.0

-11.2

-29.4

-2.4

0.0 

-9.2

-6.0

-11.2

-11.4

-8.5

-7.2

-9.7

-0.4

-2.4

5.0 

-3.2

15.5 

22.8 

22.7 

-0.2

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country: 
DENMARK 

Innovation Leader ● 
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 135 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +12.3      Change vs 2024: ▼ -4.9 

119

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

135.0 

160.0 

126.1 

140.1 

220.0 

189.2 

279.7 

141.5 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

176.3 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

139.5 

131.2 

151.7 

132.2 

158.3 

168.7 

75.9 

112.8 

123.4 

77.1 

124.3 

138.7 

155.9 

120.4 

119.0 

132.6 

108.3 

189.9 

55.1 

484.2 

181.2 

127.0 

144.6 

112.2 

115.2 

104.4 

103.7 

104.6 

98.8 

78.9 

128.9 

90.7 

143.1 

69.1 

173.0 

209.3 

Denmark ranks 2nd among EU 
Member States, and 3rd 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications 
• International scientific co-
publications 
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning 

Relative weaknesses 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 
• Resource productivity 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Public-private co-publications 
• International scientific co-
publications 
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 
• Resource productivity 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing 
• Venture capital expenditures 
• Production-based CO₂ 
productivity 

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Design applications 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 
• New doctorate graduates 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles. 

2 

3 

6 

9 

1 

2 

1 

3 

6 

2 

3 

4 

4 

1 

5 

11 

5 

6 

15 

6 

6 

1 

7 

7 

7 

10 

3 

22 

1 

2 

4 

3 

11 

7 

12 

12 

13 

2 

12 

1 

6 

3 

17 

1 

3 

12.3 

1.5 

-46.2 

13.9 

64.4 

17.2 

79.1 

-13.0 

25.8 

10.9 

13.8 

8.9 

47.9 

0.0 

179.2 

40.1 

-8.4 

-14.2 

1.3 

-11.0 

56.3 

207.4 

-2.9 

40.6 

39.0 

42.2 

-25.7 

-67.6 

51.2 

-26.5 

-36.9 

-7.6 

-15.7 

-87.3 

19.6 

19.9 

19.1 

13.1 

8.6 

39.2 

-5.9 

53.1 

28.5 

116.6 

18.9 

-4.9 

-0.4 

-11.6 

14.6 

0.0 

2.1 

0.0 

2.3 

3.6 

6.3 

3.0 

8.9 

-26.9 

0.0 

-143.9 

0.0 

-6.2 

5.2 

-36.3 

8.4 

2.5 

17.0 

-2.9 

-2.7 

0.0 

-5.2 

-32.2 

-87.3 

0.0 

0.0 

-17.0 

-4.7 

-7.3 

-38.9 

-5.9 

-16.4 

4.0 

6.0 

2.0 

17.1 

-0.1 

12.9 

8.0 

24.5 

6.9 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
120

Country:

ESTONIA

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

104.8 

120.7 

100.0 

92.1 

175.4 

132.9 

160.5 

102.1 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

155.1 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

111.2 

96.8 

132.3 

123.4 

106.7 

270.0 

41.9 

84.5 

70.3 

138.0 

66.1 

144.7 

134.3 

156.2 

111.9 

121.6 

104.1 

168.5 

165.7 

204.5 

156.3 

120.7 

51.9 

214.3 

127.2 

112.0 

105.2 

117.8 

54.1 

56.4 

84.9 

22.7 

41.3 

24.8 

57.3 

42.7 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 104.8 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +30.0      Change vs 2024: ▼ -1.2 

Estonia ranks 11th among EU 
Member States, and 15th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Trademark applications
• Public-private co-publications

Relative weaknesses
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU
• Resource productivity
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Trademark applications
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU
• Resource productivity
• Production-based CO₂
productivity

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• Venture capital expenditures
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• PCT patent applications

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

11 

10 

9 

18 

5 

11 

11 

12 

10 

11 

19 

9 

6 

7 

1 

16 

11 

12 

4 

14 

4 

8 

4 

10 

8 

12 

9 

5 

11 

4 

6 

20 

3 

6 

10 

11 

8 

22 

20 

10 

24 

26 

24 

23 

18 

30.0 

21.4 

23.1 

-3.3

47.1 

65.1 

74.0 

29.8 

134.2 

45.9 

63.9 

31.9 

70.6 

32.2 

273.4 

12.9 

-4.9

32.1 

-46.2

-5.9

103.6 

292.9 

29.3 

37.3 

48.0 

26.6 

25.4 

-58.1

68.4 

76.5 

10.2 

-9.8

48.8 

5.4 

12.2 

16.2 

8.3 

10.4 

3.3 

32.9 

-2.6

33.8 

22.5 

75.5 

6.3 

-1.2

3.5 

11.6 

-5.3

1.0 

-2.6

-0.2

-7.9

7.3 

18.6 

2.0 

31.9 

2.4 

0.0 

0.0 

6.8 

-9.5

5.2 

-30.1

-6.0

12.8 

8.4 

14.7 

-15.1

12.1 

-41.8

-35.5

-64.5

10.5 

-32.4

-9.2

-12.5

-7.6

-6.4

-1.8

22.2 

-25.5

8.2 

0.7 

2.5 

20.7 

7.0 

1.0 

21.7 

-0.5

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

GREECE

Moderate Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 75.8 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +15.3      Change vs 2024: ▼ -2.9 

121

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

75.8 

74.4 

86.9 

102.3 

30.0 

71.0 

93.2 

98.2 

5.2 

46.5 

31.5 

68.7 

71.9 

105.0 

35.3 

58.1 

74.2 

48.3 

112.7 

76.1 

40.0 

43.7 

36.1 

181.4 

203.7 

163.9 

92.8 

103.8 

154.0 

58.3 

52.9 

47.0 

91.2 

21.4 

137.3 

140.8 

134.1 

53.9 

19.7 

63.1 

80.6 

67.6 

84.4 

69.9 

38.5 

20 

19 

16 

14 

26 

20 

15 

13 

27 

27 

27 

22 

15 

8 

20 

13 

14 

19 

6 

12 

26 

25 

27 

1 

1 

1 

21 

12 

15 

20 

24 

21 

20 

27 

2 

3 

4 

23 

27 

14 

9 

21 

12 

21 

20 

15.3 

10.5 

23.1 

2.0 

0.0 

14.1 

44.1 

5.1 

5.5 

22.7 

61.0 

-7.5

36.0 

30.5 

33.8 

44.4 

13.3 

23.9 

-13.2

25.9 

35.4 

117.9 

2.9 

64.5 

80.6 

49.0 

-7.2

-120.0

81.4 

47.1 

-0.3

1.9 

12.7 

-12.7

12.0 

4.8 

19.0 

-2.3

7.1 

3.9 

-17.5

23.7 

17.8 

53.8 

1.1 

-2.9

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

4.2 

7.8 

5.7 

-3.0

11.1 

34.8 

-7.5

-2.0

0.0 

-3.0

-3.8

1.1 

1.5 

-13.4

13.5 

8.6 

23.5 

2.9 

-9.5

-9.7

-9.5

-36.2

-79.3

-4.0

-14.7

-6.5

-6.3

-8.1

-5.4

-25.7

-24.2

-27.2

-0.3

1.8 

-8.9

5.5 

12.1 

17.8 

17.6 

0.5 

Greece ranks 20th among EU 
Member States, and 24th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 
• Public-private co-publications

Relative weaknesses 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 
• Design applications

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products
• Design applications

Strong increases since 2018
• Cloud Computing
• Public-private co-publications
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025122

Country: 
SPAIN 

Moderate Innovator ● 
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 92.7 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +13.9      Change vs 2024: ▲ +1.9 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

92.7 

121.9 

100.0 

148.0 

119.2 

90.1 

91.5 

88.2 

91.4 

137.4 

129.7 

148.6 

109.4 

88.3 

133.3 

117.1 

62.5 

55.2 

85.2 

56.0 

75.7 

60.4 

92.3 

55.0 

62.5 

49.1 

93.9 

69.4 

123.6 

102.1 

82.4 

66.0 

110.2 

77.9 

117.1 

191.1 

52.6 

67.1 

63.2 

35.9 

100.5 

118.0 

149.2 

106.8 

87.0 

15 

8 

9 

8 

11 

17 

17 

14 

18 

5 

4 

5 

9 

11 

9 

7 

18 

16 

10 

16 

23 

23 

18 

21 

22 

23 

19 

20 

19 

14 

17 

14 

12 

15 

7 

2 

21 

16 

18 

25 

3 

10 

6 

12 

12 

13.9 

2.6 

-23.1 

27.2 

16.3 

12.2 

34.5 

-5.5 

29.7 

12.1 

23.9 

2.6 

37.1 

18.6 

87.2 

34.2 

9.8 

15.7 

1.4 

11.6 

39.8 

95.9 

17.6 

12.9 

34.7 

-8.3 

46.7 

31.0 

49.1 

58.8 

-9.9 

-8.5 

-8.4 

-12.8 

12.2 

32.3 

-7.2 

1.4 

-2.6 

7.4 

0.2 

34.0 

43.6 

54.0 

3.1 

1.9 

1.8 

0.0 

4.0 

1.9 

1.0 

5.8 

-0.7 

0.4 

5.8 

9.8 

2.6 

-2.0 

6.8 

-29.2 

0.9 

0.5 

3.7 

-10.5 

7.0 

4.2 

-7.2 

8.8 

-1.6 

-3.5 

0.5 

-1.8 

20.6 

10.4 

-26.5 

-3.2 

-6.3 

-6.4 

2.6 

9.6 

12.7 

6.5 

-2.6 

-1.3 

-0.3 

-6.2 

20.1 

34.2 

22.7 

1.3 

Spain ranks 15th among EU 
Member States, and 19th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• Resource productivity 
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills 

Relative weaknesses 
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• High speed internet access 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 
• Cloud Computing 

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing 
• Venture capital expenditures 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• New doctorate graduates 
• Design applications 
• PCT patent applications 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Country:

FINLAND

Innovation Leader ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 125.3 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +8.9      Change vs 2024: ▼ -3.7 

123

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

125.3 

137.3 

126.1 

71.8 

220.0 

156.9 

222.4 

133.0 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

130.7 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

139.5 

98.1 

200.3 

126.9 

145.0 

233.3 

32.2 

112.6 

141.4 

74.0 

108.4 

162.1 

155.9 

169.0 

124.3 

142.0 

110.5 

199.7 

213.7 

332.2 

133.3 

128.1 

160.0 

107.3 

100.7 

123.7 

125.3 

122.0 

82.2 

65.5 

104.1 

78.7 

72.8 

11.6 

90.2 

138.9 

Finland ranks 4th among EU 
Member States, and 6th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• Venture capital expenditures
• International scientific co-
publications

Relative weaknesses 
• Resource productivity
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills 
• Employed ICT specialists

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Resource productivity
• Population with tertiary 
education
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D

Strong increases since 2018 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Cloud Computing
• International scientific co-
publications

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• New doctorate graduates
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

4 

6 

6 

22 

1 

7 

5 

5 

13 

2 

17 

1 

5 

3 

3 

19 

6 

5 

16 

8 

1 

1 

1 

5 

6 

9 

1 

3 

5 

8 

3 

1 

13 

11 

5 

5 

5 

8 

17 

6 

11 

17 

27 

19 

9 

8.9 

-16.8

-34.7

-6.6

0.0 

34.9 

79.1 

11.3 

45.4 

29.5 

52.1 

11.5 

42.4 

13.6 

-3.7

12.5 

11.6 

-0.7

28.8 

5.7 

26.4 

-2.2

4.1 

16.5 

22.6 

11.5 

-7.5

10.2 

205.9 

-53.4

-6.8

-0.5

20.9 

-33.0

6.1 

29.5 

81.8 

8.8 

-24.2

-41.1

-7.5

47.5 

47.8 

71.7 

35.3 

-15.0

0.0 

-19.1

-29.8

5.5 

34.3 

-22.7

-2.4

3.6 

2.4 

-12.8

21.1 

6.8 

64.0 

-4.7

-6.1

-1.1

4.5 

-11.2

2.0 

2.2 

0.0 

2.9 

-30.6

-21.9

-38.8

-9.4

-29.3

18.1 

-5.9

-7.8

0.0 

-12.5

-13.9

-29.0

-30.8

-27.4

-3.0

0.2 

-3.5

-6.2

3.4 

1.1 

10.6 

-0.6

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025124

Country:

FRANCE

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

108.6 

135.7 

139.2 

152.5 

113.1 

105.3 

73.8 

84.3 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

170.0 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

108.4 

104.4 

114.2 

162.8 

98.3 

238.8 

185.8 

91.4 

96.6 

47.8 

112.9 

72.4 

51.9 

94.9 

110.5 

109.1 

111.9 

118.9 

131.3 

108.9 

112.5 

87.7 

110.8 

71.8 

69.0 

87.8 

52.1 

118.6 

86.0 

83.8 

84.1 

90.0 

141.1 

137.3 

145.8 

139.3 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 108.6 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +7.4      Change vs 2024: ▲ +1.7 

France ranks 10th among EU 
Member States, and 14th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students 

Relative weaknesses 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• Cloud Computing
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Venture capital expenditures
• New doctorate graduates

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Cloud Computing
• Trademark applications
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures

Strong increases since 2018 
• High speed internet access
• Venture capital expenditures
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

10 

7 

2 

7 

12 

13 

21 

15 

7 

12 

13 

11 

1 

9 

2 

1 

10 

9 

22 

7 

24 

24 

17 

11 

12 

6 

14 

8 

21 

10 

15 

7 

24 

16 

17 

21 

7 

7 

11 

11 

8 

5 

8 

5 

8 

7.4 

17.1 

0.0 

20.5 

40.4 

-7.3

7.6 

-16.6

0.0 

52.9 

123.3 

-2.8

20.3 

-5.1

120.5 

0.0 

-5.8

-0.7

-36.0

15.2 

6.1 

0.0 

8.8 

3.8 

2.1 

5.6 

39.9 

31.5 

3.1 

64.7 

-11.7

-10.9

-5.2

-17.7

-3.0

-24.1

17.4 

-8.3

-8.1

4.1 

-19.7

32.5 

41.3 

57.7 

-2.5

1.7 

18.8 

34.7 

9.9 

2.9 

-1.8

4.9 

-5.2

0.0 

10.0 

26.2 

-2.8

-8.6

0.0 

-45.4

0.0 

-3.3

-2.2

-9.0

1.0 

1.9 

0.0 

2.9 

2.4 

0.0 

5.0 

-11.2

5.7 

1.3 

-32.4

-3.6

-0.5

-4.5

-6.4

8.1 

5.4 

10.8 

-2.4

0.1 

0.6 

-7.6

16.0 

25.0 

21.5 

0.4 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

CROATIA

Moderate Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 71.6 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +19.4      Change vs 2024: ▼ -1.0 

125

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

71.6 

70.1 

86.9 

73.4 

46.9 

47.5 

80.2 

35.8 

33.9 

84.9 

81.4 

90.0 

73.9 

85.0 

150.6 

7.9 

79.3 

49.7 

80.2 

107.4 

99.7 

99.4 

100.0 

79.1 

68.9 

87.1 

106.4 

91.6 

146.3 

102.1 

50.2 

45.6 

75.8 

30.4 

79.6 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

102.1 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

59.9 

46.0 

49.6 

12.7 

73.5 

74.5 

83.3 

94.7 

31.0 

Croatia ranks 21st among EU 
Member States, and 25th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Public-private co-publications
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed

Relative weaknesses 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 
• Design applications

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 
• Scientific publications among 
the top 10% most cited
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning

Strong increases since 2018 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Cloud Computing
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

21 

23 

16 

21 

25 

23 

19 

26 

23 

20 

23 

17 

14 

13 

6 

24 

13 

17 

13 

9 

15 

15 

14 

19 

19 

19 

15 

15 

17 

14 

26 

22 

23 

23 

18 

13 

20 

26 

22 

27 

12 

15 

13 

16 

23 

19.4 

14.7 

11.6 

21.2 

12.5 

13.5 

45.6 

7.7 

-3.8

20.2 

80.7 

-27.5

51.7 

28.8 

190.4 

7.6 

19.1 

27.6 

-66.2

84.4 

79.4 

184.2 

38.1 

-7.8

-4.7

-10.9

47.8 

20.3 

55.1 

67.6 

9.7 

4.1 

27.1 

3.3 

6.5 

38.5 

-24.6

-1.3

-3.1

5.6 

-5.6

26.5 

34.3 

42.3 

2.3 

-1.0

11.8 

23.1 

4.0 

1.9 

0.5 

6.2 

-2.4

1.4 

-6.3

20.7 

-27.5

-18.5

-3.4

-91.3

0.1 

35.5 

-0.7

3.4 

99.9 

28.7 

48.6 

20.5 

-60.1

-81.5

-39.4

-1.8

-10.6

-20.9

14.7 

-1.0

1.3 

0.8 

-4.9

-27.0

-2.5

-50.6

-0.9

0.0 

1.2 

-3.6

7.5 

12.6 

9.4 

-0.7

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025126

Country:

HUNGARY

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

69.5 

55.1 

47.7 

33.3 

86.9 

81.3 

64.2 

57.5 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

136.3 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

106.8 

109.0 

103.5 

62.8 

41.7 

51.0 

95.7 

63.4 

66.2 

77.6 

52.3 

93.4 

99.0 

87.2 

46.7 

64.6 

32.9 

93.1 

72.9 

122.4 

97.9 

56.8 

69.2 

69.9 

24.1 

49.0 

70.5 

30.2 

63.5 

117.3 

62.6 

8.6 

71.8 

73.2 

96.9 

32.6 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 69.5 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +16.2      Change vs 2024: ▲ +1.7 

Hungary ranks 22nd among EU 
Member States, and 26th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Public-private co-publications
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products

Relative weaknesses 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Design applications
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Trademark applications
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU
• Design applications

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• High speed internet access
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Venture capital expenditures

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

22 

25 

21 

25 

16 

19 

23 

20 

12 

13 

12 

14 

19 

22 

15 

8 

17 

14 

14 

19 

18 

16 

21 

24 

21 

25 

20 

18 

20 

17 

22 

13 

26 

25 

23 

19 

25 

17 

1 

15 

25 

18 

16 

15 

21 

16.2 

17.7 

11.6 

-7.3

56.7 

44.0 

36.1 

16.3 

112.5 

76.3 

136.1 

29.4 

-35.8

3.4 

-10.8

-99.3

-14.4

-10.4

-41.9

5.3 

88.6 

268.4 

17.6 

18.2 

21.1 

15.4 

55.8 

42.8 

49.2 

70.6 

-2.2

-7.1

7.4 

-3.7

6.8 

11.3 

2.7 

3.4 

6.0 

6.4 

-1.9

34.0 

36.4 

58.1 

8.2 

1.7 

10.3 

0.0 

14.6 

22.1 

2.9 

10.5 

-0.1

1.9 

21.8 

12.5 

29.4 

-21.0

-1.7

-20.6

-46.0

-7.7

0.0 

-23.3

-2.0

49.3 

151.9 

8.8 

-10.6

-11.8

-9.5

2.9 

-7.0

1.6 

11.8 

0.2 

-0.8

-1.0

2.1 

0.2 

10.5 

-9.9

-5.9

-1.0

-5.2

-11.7

14.4 

20.8 

21.5 

0.1 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country: 
IRELAND 

Strong Innovator ● 
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 123.1 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +13.3      Change vs 2024: ▲ +4.1 

127

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

123.1 

151.8 

139.2 

205.1 

109.2 

160.6 

187.7 

124.8 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

190.9 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

137 

113.9 

170.8 

74.1 

16.7 

69.3 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

144.3 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

102 

91 

33.3 

154 

139.9 

146 

133.2 

102.5 

120.5 

88.4 

172.5 

178.1 

265.8 

N/A 

54.5 

69.7 

63.7 

22 

137.7 

195.4 

87.1 

94.8 

111.6 

128.8 

45.4 

187.8 

156.8 

173 

256.2 

Ireland ranks 5th among EU 
Member States, and 7th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications 
• Labour productivity 
• Population with tertiary 
education 

Relative weaknesses 
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector 
• Design applications 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Labour productivity 
• Population with tertiary 
education 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Trademark applications 
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector 
• Design applications 

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing 
• High speed internet access 
• Production-based CO₂ 
productivity 

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• Venture capital expenditures 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles. 

5 

4 

2 

1 

14 

6 

7 

6 

5 

6 

11 

3 

13 

26 

13 

5 

9 

10 

24 

1 

5 

6 

6 

14 

9 

18 

8 

4 

9 

23 

12 

27 

26 

1 

1 

15 

4 

5 

2 

20 

1 

5 

1 

1 

13.3 

5.9 

11.6 

3.3 

0 

36.5 

87.9 

-8.7 

87.5 

84.9 

169.2 

18.4 

-23.2 

-16.9 

-41.2 

-22.1 

0.9 

1.5 

-46.4 

41.1 

62.7 

221.5 

0 

-9.3 

6.6 

-24.5 

88 

117.7 

75.9 

N/A 

-17.2 

-14.2 

-26.9 

-13 

-17.4 

0 

-34.2 

-13.2 

24.3 

-0.6 

-63.1 

84.8 

90.8 

122.5 

41.2 

4.1 

5 

11.6 

0 

0 

6.5 

19.2 

-2.1 

13.2 

14.8 

10.5 

18.4 

17.4 

5.1 

-0.7 

42.5 

-3.1 

1.5 

-11.9 

0 

12.3 

35.3 

2.9 

-20.8 

0 

-40.8 

48.2 

79 

16.1 

N/A 

-7 

-3.8 

-8.9 

-9.3 

-11.3 

0 

-22.3 

3.8 

8.7 

0 

2.4 

11.9 

33 

0 

0 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
128

Country:

ICELAND

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

112.2 

123.6 

60.8 

115.3 

204.6 

189.2 

279.7 

119.3 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

211.3 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

144.2 

123.4 

174.9 

119.9 

90 

74.6 

185.8 

91.2 

133.8 

98.6 

45.8 

76.3 

N/A 

79.6 

106.5 

114.2 

100.7 

221.6 

184.8 

484.2 

143.8 

64.8 

93.8 

63.9 

21.2 

87.1 

40.9 

127.2 

27.1 

0 

57.2 

N/A 

142.1 

95.7 

164.2 

178.4 

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 112.2 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +12.4      Change vs 2024: ▼ -0.1 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

12 

11 

23 

16 

4 

3 

1 

11 

5 

3 

10 

4 

9 

13 

16 

1 

13 

7 

11 

23 

27 

29 

19 

16 

17 

2 

6 

1 

9 

24 

11 

29 

30 

24 

32 

7 

36 

37 

23 

7 

14 

5 

6 

12.4 

8.8 

-23.1

35.1 

30.8 

21.9 

0 

14.3 

59 

15.3 

34.8 

0 

47.7 

-15.3

59.5 

122.3 

16.2 

46.3 

0 

0 

8.6 

N/A 

5.9 

-3.5

-24.2

16.5 

-2.9

-10.7

5.5 

0 

-6.1

-14.1

-17.5

11.9 

1.8 

0 

3.9 

-1.1

0 

-2.4

N/A 

41.8 

35.8 

67.3 

23.1 

-0.1

-5.7

-34.7

22.5 

9.6 

5.2 

0 

7.9 

3.3 

4.9 

11.1 

0 

-2.9

-10.2

9.4 

0 

2.7 

7.5 

0 

0 

-12.5

N/A 

-8.8

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

-4.4

-3.9

-11

0 

0 

0 

0 

-2.1

0 

-4.5

N/A 

9.5 

11.8 

16.2 

0 

Iceland ranks 12th among 
the EU and neighbouring 
countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• International scientific co-
publications
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students 

Relative weaknesses 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 
• Design applications
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Public-private co-publications
• International scientific co-
publications
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• Design applications

Strong increases since 2018 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Production-based CO₂
productivity 
• Venture capital expenditures

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations 
• New doctorate graduates
• Trademark applications

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country: 
ITALY 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

117.7 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

60.2 

71.8 

67.5 

78.1 

59.3 

66.7 

58.6 

51.1 

58.2 

49.7 

67.1 

61.1 

109.2 

141.6 

74.4 

150.6 

154.1 

148.0 

97.6 

123.4 

160.3 

50.0 

110.9 

78.1 

103.1 

167.9 

131.9 

124.8 

137.9 

76.8 

76.7 

57.4 

95.0 

128.4 

170.3 

104.6 

100.5 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

93.0 

69.1 

100.0 

29.4 

76.2 

94.5 

91.1 

129

Moderate Innovator ● 
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 93 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +15.4      Change vs 2024: ▲ +3.4 

Italy ranks 14th among EU 
Member States, and 18th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Resource productivity 
• Design applications 
• Public-private co-publications 

Relative weaknesses 
• Population with tertiary 
education 
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Resource productivity 
• Design applications 
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Population with tertiary 
education 
• High speed internet access 
• Employed ICT specialists 

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 
• High speed internet access 

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• Design applications 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles. 

14 

24 

9 

26 

20 

16 

18 

8 

20 

26 

25 

19 

21 

20 

14 

15 

20 

17 

18 

15 

11 

7 

25 

3 

4 

3 

18 

9 

14 

21 

9 

11 

16 

1 

3 

6 

3 

10 

14 

17 

4 

7 

1 

13 

11 

15.4 

12.9 

11.6 

21.9 

4.8 

11.2 

43.1 

3.6 

-2.5 

42.0 

97.0 

-1.4 

6.0 

3.4 

23.7 

0.1 

-14.4 

-5.2 

-34.8 

-5.8 

96.4 

326.9 

5.9 

46.6 

26.4 

66.2 

64.5 

113.9 

73.8 

17.6 

-13.9 

-10.4 

-2.2 

-27.1 

26.1 

24.9 

27.2 

-6.0 

-2.2 

-1.3 

-14.2 

26.0 

36.9 

41.1 

-0.4 

3.4 

3.9 

11.6 

6.6 

-11.5 

3.6 

11.0 

-3.1 

12.1 

7.7 

19.3 

-1.4 

-2.0 

-1.7 

6.8 

-6.6 

-13.8 

-3.7 

-29.2 

-10.9 

0.0 

7.5 

-2.9 

36.4 

31.3 

41.7 

9.8 

23.9 

5.4 

0.0 

-3.9 

-7.7 

-8.4 

3.8 

20.7 

16.1 

25.1 

-3.4 

-0.7 

-1.7 

-7.4 

10.1 

11.7 

20.2 

-1.7 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
130

Country:

LITHUANIA

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Moderate Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 81 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +17.4      Change vs 2024: ▼ -3.5 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

81.0 

103.7 

60.8 

179.7 

71.5 

58.8 

74.8 

55.5 

48.5 

96.9 

98.8 

93.9 

77.4 

81.7 

138.5 

29.9 

67.0 

26.9 

156.9 

51.2 

94.3 

82.1 

107.7 

97.5 

89.4 

104.1 

129.3 

92.6 

73.6 

183.3 

81.6 

38.8 

146.3 

78.3 

98.0 

74.1 

118.8 

43.8 

44.6 

40.3 

45.9 

73.4 

50.4 

124.3 

31.9 

18 

14 

20 

4 

22 

21 

20 

21 

22 

14 

16 

16 

12 

15 

8 

20 

15 

23 

2 

20 

17 

18 

9 

16 

18 

12 

13 

14 

24 

1 

18 

25 

5 

14 

14 

18 

6 

27 

24 

24 

19 

16 

22 

8 

22 

17.4 

4.6 

0.0 

4.6 

12.5 

29.9 

47.0 

17.2 

42.3 

32.0 

56.1 

12.9 

39.1 

10.2 

-3.5

-0.7

0.0 

5.3 

-8.7

1.3 

8.9 

-6.1

11.4 

7.4 

0.3 

12.9 

-15.5

15.3 

154.5 

-113.0

14.9 

-7.3

9.7 

-35.1

-0.5

81.9 

178.3 

44.0 

-5.3

-14.8

4.3 

42.4 

-62.7

31.7 

138.2 

21.3 

-1.4

56.7 

21.7 

-12.4

-42.5

16.9 

5.8 

-0.5

28.7 

-8.8

25.0 

13.8 

57.1 

6.0 

-3.4

-19.3

-7.5

-39.3

-13.8

19.5 

39.4 

11.7 

-23.5

-39.4

-7.9

-10.9

-34.1

-3.2

5.9 

0.0 

-7.1

-2.1

9.7 

-7.8

-16.7

1.1 

1.8 

-1.1

11.0 

-3.7

10.3 

11.9 

19.0 

-0.1

Lithuania ranks 18th among EU 
Member States, and 22nd 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST
• Population with tertiary 
education
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 

Relative weaknesses 
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Labour productivity

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Population with tertiary 
education

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• PCT patent applications
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• Venture capital expenditures
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

LUXEMBOURG

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 114.5 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +0.9      Change vs 2024: ▲ +5.0 

131

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

114.5 

172.3 

178.4 

205.1 

130.0 

215.7 

271.6 

143.5 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

275.2 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

117.0 

126.9 

102.3 

67.1 

71.7 

125.0 

21.5 

43.2 

29.7 

46.9 

54.3 

121.9 

78.6 

169.0 

96.4 

106.1 

88.6 

190.7 

117.8 

426.8 

154.2 

121.3 

80.3 

172.8 

129.5 

53.0 

25.9 

76.6 

59.3 

60.5 

116.5 

4.2 

171.2 

170.3 

129.7 

233.3 

Luxembourg ranks 7th among 
EU Member States, and 10th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• International scientific co-
publications 

Relative weaknesses 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Population with tertiary 
education
• New doctorate graduates

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 

Strong increases since 2018 
• Public-private co-publications
• Cloud Computing
• International scientific co-
publications

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Design applications
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

7 

1 

1 

1 

9 

1 

2 

2 

1 

10 

7 

15 

17 

17 

11 

21 

23 

22 

23 

17 

8 

20 

1 

17 

15 

17 

2 

10 

2 

5 

5 

10 

4 

5 

22 

27 

17 

18 

19 

3 

26 

2 

1 

7 

2 

0.9 

33.7 

80.9 

0.7 

-4.8

27.9 

105.5 

7.0 

0.0 

-4.2

13.1 

-17.6

-19.2

-1.7

-92.1

-3.7

-10.6

-17.2

-8.2

-6.0

63.2 

149.3 

29.3 

-19.5

-18.9

-20.1

72.5 

56.3 

222.5 

14.7 

-45.2

-10.0

-58.0

-77.5

-35.3

-8.5

-61.3

-13.9

-3.2

-6.9

-31.4

39.4 

48.6 

80.4 

-11.8

5.0 

28.0 

46.2 

16.6 

11.5 

11.2 

6.8 

18.1 

0.0 

-7.9

4.6 

-17.6

0.4 

0.0 

2.8 

-0.5

-2.2

-3.7

-10.4

6.5 

8.4 

29.2 

0.0 

13.3 

15.1 

11.5 

7.2 

49.0 

-14.5

-17.6

-4.1

-4.5

-12.4

2.9 

1.8 

0.2 

3.3 

1.3 

1.2 

1.1 

1.3 

11.3 

23.1 

8.2 

0.6 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025132

Country:

LATVIA

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 56.7 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +4.9      Change vs 2024: ▲ +1.5 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

56.7 

72.5 

34.7 

105.1 

80.8 

44.5 

63.0 

42.0 

30.1 

73.9 

87.5 

53.8 

35.5 

68.3 

24.2 

4.4 

25.6 

17.9 

58.6 

13.1 

85.9 

75.2 

97.4 

48.1 

45.6 

50.1 

77.9 

51.1 

108.6 

87.5 

77.7 

60.3 

120.3 

59.4 

39.7 

43.6 

36.3 

47.2 

35.6 

70.3 

37.4 

67.8 

50.1 

111.0 

29.7 

25 

21 

23 

13 

18 

24 

24 

24 

24 

25 

21 

25 

23 

19 

22 

25 

26 

26 

21 

26 

20 

21 

16 

22 

25 

22 

23 

24 

22 

19 

20 

16 

9 

19 

25 

23 

24 

25 

26 

12 

22 

20 

23 

10 

25 

4.9 

0.2 

-11.6

-3.3

23.1 

12.8 

40.7 

17.5 

-24.4

0.9 

43.0 

-32.2

-28.7

32.2 

-235.6

2.0 

-10.6

14.2 

-46.3

-4.4

86.6 

224.5 

32.2 

10.6 

6.7 

14.8 

30.1 

16.0 

75.1 

20.6 

8.2 

3.5 

30.9 

-2.9

-9.4

-17.4

-1.8

-4.8

-4.4

10.5 

-19.1

22.4 

13.3 

49.5 

5.8 

1.5 

0.7 

0.0 

-0.7

2.9 

-6.2

3.0 

2.0 

-32.6

-5.3

28.5 

-32.2

-1.5

1.7 

-14.9

1.1 

-0.7

0.7 

-8.2

4.3 

27.3 

59.1 

14.7 

3.3 

0.0 

6.6 

17.8 

9.4 

2.8 

32.4 

1.7 

2.2 

2.8 

0.3 

-2.8

-3.9

-1.8

-1.9

-3.1

-2.3

-0.5

4.6 

9.5 

3.5 

-0.1

Latvia ranks 25th among EU 
Member States, and 30th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Trademark applications
• Production-based CO₂
productivity
• Public-private co-publications

Relative weaknesses
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed 
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Trademark applications
• Production-based CO₂
productivity
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• Public-private co-publications
• Production-based CO₂
productivity

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

MOLDOVA

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 
19 Change vs 2018: ▼ -1.0      Change vs 2024: ▲ 0 

133

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

19 

16.4 

9 

33.9 

5.8 

33.9 

7.6 

4 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

107.7 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

4.3 

9.8 

0 

0.9 

14.1 

0.1 

58.9 

0.3 

39.7 

N/A 

41.5 

18.8 

24 

14.7 

21.9 

36.7 

4.8 

N/A 

20.3 

25.2 

29.6 

2.9 

2.7 

5.7 

0 

32.9 

18.6 

48.8 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

39 

38 

39 

35 

38 

35 

37 

39 

21 

37 

36 

37 

35 

37 

39 

26 

35 

33 

32 

37 

37 

37 

36 

36 

39 

35 

36 

33 

34 

39 

38 

37 

35 

36 

28 

-1

-0.4

-7.6

12.6 

-4.2

18.5 

7.3 

-2.5

74.9 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

-4

-8

0 

-0.7

-6.4

-0.6

-19.6

-0.6

53.8 

N/A 

37.5 

17.1 

17 

17.3 

-29.7

-56.6

4.5 

N/A 

-2.7

-19.7

20 

0.8 

-36.2

-14

-58

5.8 

-0.7

13.3 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

0 

0.2 

0.5 

0 

0 

-3.6

1.8 

-5.7

-4.4

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

-0.7

-1.4

0 

0 

-2.7

-0.1

-9

-0.3

0 

N/A 

0 

4.9 

4.5 

5.5 

-2.9

-3.3

-3.9

N/A 

-1.5

-4

0 

0 

-0.7

-1.7

0 

6.4 

1.6 

11.8 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

Moldova ranks 39th among 
the EU and neighbouring 
countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports

Relative weaknesses 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector
• Scientific publications among 
the top 10% most cited
• Public-private co-publications

Strong increases since 2018
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Employed ICT specialists
• Trademark applications

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 
• PCT patent applications

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025134

Country:

MONTENEGRO

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 45.3 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +4.6      Change vs 2024: ▲ +3.1 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

45.3 

35 

9.8 

79.1 

16.9 

44.7 

59.4 

33.2 

48.6 

22.7 

N/A 

28.1 

13.1 

31.7 

0.5 

0 

20.4 

0.7 

42 

26.2 

50.9 

64.6 

36.1 

169.9 

217.4 

132.6 

73.3 

146 

33 

29.2 

15 

24.7 

14.9 

0 

98.7 

54.5 

137 

14.6 

19.4 

9.5 

N/A 

50.2 

N/A 

45 

N/A 

33 

35 

38 

26 

33 

30 

29 

35 

28 

34 

31 

33 

29 

36 

36 

34 

38 

31 

27 

31 

26 

33 

2 

1 

4 

31 

11 

33 

31 

38 

37 

37 

39 

17 

27 

4 

38 

35 

37 

31 

34 

4.6 

11.6 

4.8 

32.5 

-1

6.8 

40.2 

17.6 

-48.1

7 

N/A 

6.3 

4 

8.5 

0.7 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

48.7 

157.7 

5.9 

0 

0 

0 

-16.7

0 

10.3 

-44.1

-3.9

-10.5

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

10.6 

16.7 

4 

N/A 

-6.2

N/A 

-6.5

N/A 

3.1 

3.5 

8.4 

0 

0 

-4.4

4.3 

-10.1

0 

7 

N/A 

6.3 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

31.5 

111.8 

0 

0 

0 

0 

-2.2

0 

1 

-5.9

5.3 

5.3 

11.9 

0 

0 

0 

0 

5.3 

13 

-3.1

N/A 

0 

N/A 

0 

N/A 

Montenegro ranks 33rd 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 

Relative weaknesses 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Design applications
• Venture capital expenditures

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations 
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Design applications
• R&D expenditure in the 
business sector
• New doctorate graduates

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• International scientific co-
publications
• Population with tertiary 
education 

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST
• PCT patent applications

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

NORTH MACEDONIA

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 40 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +9.2      Change vs 2024: ▼ -0.8 

135

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

40 

34 

21.6 

63.8 

16.2 

75.8 

24.6 

42.5 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

179.3 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

14.4 

N/A 

17.8 

9.9 

23.3 

1.7 

0 

39.6 

4.1 

138.6 

14.2 

24.1 

17.7 

31 

64.8 

54.4 

73 

49.3 

44.5 

26.9 

62.5 

21.5 

26.7 

33.2 

1.6 

36.2 

23.8 

46.9 

72.4 

95 

48.2 

N/A 

40 

39.9 

31.1 

N/A 

34 

36 

34 

31 

34 

24 

34 

31 

9 

35 

33 

36 

33 

34 

36 

29 

35 

4 

31 

36 

35 

35 

30 

32 

28 

33 

34 

35 

26 

34 

34 

32 

35 

35 

37 

32 

14 

7 

29 

34 

30 

35 

9.2 

10.3 

0 

31.1 

2.9 

19 

17.4 

13.8 

31.6 

0 

N/A 

0 

-5.1

-10.2

-1.9

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

30.4 

54.8 

20.5 

0 

0 

0 

38.8 

0 

16.3 

82.4 

5.1 

4.3 

15.3 

-1.2

0 

0 

0 

15.2 

5.2 

27 

N/A 

14.7 

32.7 

-7.2

N/A 

-0.8

5 

11.6 

0 

0 

-7

-0.3

-6.4

-15.1

0 

N/A 

0 

-2.9

-1.7

0.7 

-6.1

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

-18.1

0 

-2.4

-41.2

5.1 

9.4 

5.6 

-0.1

0 

0 

0 

-0.6

-4.4

3.7 

N/A 

0.5 

5.4 

-5.5

N/A 

North Macedonia ranks 34th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products

Relative weaknesses 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Design applications
• Venture capital expenditures

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Design applications

Strong increases since 2018 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST
• Cloud Computing
• Resource productivity

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector
• Production-based CO₂
productivity 
• Venture capital expenditures

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025136

Country: 
MALTA 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

95.0 

88.9 

21.6 

115.8 

137.7 

136.9 

113.9 

64.3 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

275.2 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

138.2 

135.9 

141.4 

12.1 

25.0 

5.8 

1.2 

128.6 

22.8 

254.9 

154.0 

131.3 

155.5 

105.1 

70.5 

68.8 

71.9 

102.7 

52.4 

170.2 

116.7 

109.8 

61.3 

233.0 

55.0 

55.6 

46.3 

63.4 

54.9 

91.1 

26.1 

44.5 

136.7 

159.1 

160.3 

67.3 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Moderate Innovator ● 
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 95 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +16.7      Change vs 2024: ▲ +7.6 

Malta ranks 12th among EU 
Member States, and 16th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• Trademark applications 

Relative weaknesses 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Venture capital expenditures 
• New doctorate graduates 

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• Trademark applications 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Venture capital expenditures 
• New doctorate graduates 

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students 
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed 

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Venture capital expenditures 
• Design applications 
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles. 

12 

17 

27 

11 

7 

10 

13 

19 

1 

4 

1 

6 

27 

25 

27 

27 

4 

24 

1 

1 

7 

4 

12 

20 

20 

20 

16 

23 

13 

9 

10 

15 

1 

20 

21 

22 

19 

21 

9 

26 

21 

6 

4 

4 

14 

16.7 

19.7 

0.0 

26.5 

44.2 

71.4 

60.2 

-25.2 

293.8 

3.7 

0.0 

6.6 

-62.7 

10.2 

-328.7 

-16.2 

75.6 

3.0 

96.1 

130.4 

97.2 

313.9 

11.7 

25.3 

16.5 

33.7 

59.8 

45.6 

124.1 

41.2 

-43.2 

1.9 

0.0 

-128.5 

2.2 

-16.4 

20.1 

-8.7 

5.0 

-41.1 

6.7 

47.2 

122.4 

1.4 

5.7 

7.6 

6.3 

0.0 

4.6 

19.2 

-13.0 

-2.7 

-23.6 

0.0 

3.7 

0.0 

6.6 

3.8 

8.5 

0.2 

-0.3 

87.2 

0.7 

132.4 

134.9 

32.9 

79.1 

14.7 

-2.9 

4.2 

-9.5 

-12.0 

-8.2 

40.9 

-41.2 

-27.6 

-13.9 

0.0 

-63.7 

-3.5 

-2.7 

-4.3 

-2.3 

-9.6 

0.0 

3.5 

13.9 

45.6 

-11.0 

2.2 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Country:

NETHERLANDS

Innovation Leader ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 129.1 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +11.0      Change vs 2024: ▼ -2.8 

137

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

129.1 

147.1 

86.9 

162.1 

200 

187.6 

193.1 

159.2 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

227 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

160.3 

133.1 

200.3 

117.3 

91.7 

149.3 

125.2 

107.4 

104.8 

N/A 

83.1 

149.9 

148.9 

151.1 

108.8 

114 

104.9 

178.4 

154 

321.6 

139.6 

115.2 

126 

106.4 

107.1 

93.8 

67.5 

116.8 

81.1 

75.3 

102.4 

67 

141.7 

170.3 

108.3 

147.4 

The Netherlands ranks 3rd 
among EU Member States, and 
4th among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills 

Relative weaknesses 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills 
• Resource productivity
• Scientific publications among 
the top 10% most cited

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• New doctorate graduates

Strong increases since 2018
• Cloud Computing
• Production-based CO₂
productivity
• International scientific co-
publications

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST
• PCT patent applications

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

3 

5 

16 

5 

4 

3 

6 

1 

3 

1 

2 

1 

8 

10 

7 

6 

8 

7 

11 

3 

5 

5 

13 

11 

11 

5 

6 

6 

7 

8 

5 

14 

9 

16 

20 

10 

9 

15 

8 

16 

4 

1 

11 

6 

11 

-1.3

0 

-3.3

-1

20.3 

55.2 

-9

51.8 

13.9 

31.8 

0 

11.5 

-1.7

50.9 

7.4 

2.7 

5.2 

N/A 

0 

74.9 

243.1 

8.8 

-9.8

-38.1

18 

15.6 

49.6 

54.7 

-32.4

-11.7

-19.4

-8.8

-5.1

-12.4

-13.9

-10.8

17.5 

1.8 

0.4 

49 

37.9 

27.9 

86.5 

1.3 

-2.8

1.5 

0 

4 

1 

1.6 

15 

-3.4

0 

0.7 

1.6 

0 

-25.4

-1.7

-108.3

-12

2.7 

5.2 

N/A 

0 

0.6 

-6.1

2.9 

0 

0 

0.1 

-11.2

6.1 

1.4 

-32.4

-5.3

-4.7

-6.4

-5.3

-0.6

-2.1

1.1 

-0.8

0.8 

0.3 

-3.1

5.9 

0 

19 

-0.3

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025138

Country:

NORWAY

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

121.6 

144.9 

100.0 

171.8 

167.7 

160.4 

261.1 

129.2 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

111.0 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

155.1 

124.2 

200.3 

105.1 

113.3 

121.0 

84.2 

91.7 

69.7 

113.7 

99.9 

135.2 

155.9 

112.8 

138.1 

168.6 

114.2 

240.0 

238.9 

459.3 

150.0 

48.4 

78.7 

40.8 

10.1 

92.7 

47.8 

131.9 

61.8 

0.0 

105.4 

84.6 

165.1 

150.4 

117.7 

256.2 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 121.6 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +13.0      Change vs 2024: ▼ -0.9 

Norway ranks 9th among 
the EU and neighbouring 
countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• International scientific co-
publications
• Labour productivity

Relative weaknesses 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 
• Design applications
• Trademark applications

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Labour productivity
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 
• Design applications
• Trademark applications

Strong increases since 2018
• Cloud Computing
• Resource productivity
• International scientific co-
publications

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• PCT patent applications

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

9 

7 

11 

6 

9 

10 

5 

8 

20 

2 

9 

1 

13 

8 

14 

13 

11 

17 

8 

11 

7 

1 

11 

6 

4 

7 

1 

1 

4 

8 

30 

14 

31 

32 

22 

29 

6 

23 

37 

6 

11 

5 

8 

13 

1 

13.0 

10.7 

0.0 

11.9 

26.9 

24.2 

99.9 

-6.1

20.2 

51.5 

71.1 

36.2 

-10.6

-25.4

40.0 

-18.5

8.7 

-2.2

2.4 

25.7 

64.9 

222.6 

2.9 

-19.5

-22.2

-16.6

50.0 

78.6 

77.8 

11.8 

-10.9

-21.4

-5.5

-2.2

-13.3

-7.2

-19.0

-3.9

0.0 

1.9 

-13.4

71.1 

146.5 

55.6 

0.0 

-0.9

-4.2

-11.6

1.3 

1.9 

4.7 

7.7 

2.6 

6.6 

36.4 

36.7 

36.2 

-39.3

16.9 

-197.1

-28.3

13.8 

14.2 

4.4 

21.8 

10.9 

23.6 

5.9 

-25.1

-27.3

-22.7

-11.2

0.0 

-24.6

-14.7

-9.2

-16.1

-8.9

-1.3

-6.1

2.7 

-14.6

-1.0

0.0 

3.8 

-6.6

30.2 

66.9 

17.6 

0.0 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

POLAND

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 65.9 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +18.0      Change vs 2024: ▲ +2.6 

139

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

65.9 

71.3 

34.7 

109.0 

73.1 

40.8 

47.3 

53.0 

14.5 

89.8 

103.9 

68.8 

61.0 

71.7 

20.1 

76.4 

60.4 

66.2 

84.6 

40.4 

107.8 

126.8 

87.2 

41.0 

28.5 

50.8 

73.9 

48.1 

62.6 

100.0 

85.9 

41.4 

99.4 

139.3 

40.4 

28.7 

50.7 

70.0 

72.5 

57.2 

79.4 

44.0 

50.9 

46.3 

30.0 

23 

22 

23 

12 

21 

25 

25 

23 

25 

17 

14 

21 

20 

17 

23 

10 

19 

14 

11 

22 

12 

9 

21 

25 

26 

21 

24 

25 

25 

16 

16 

24 

18 

4 

24 

24 

22 

14 

16 

18 

10 

25 

21 

27 

24 

18.0 

19.0 

0.0 

25.8 

42.3 

19.0 

32.2 

15.4 

14.6 

28.5 

68.2 

-2.6

35.5 

39.0 

-13.9

57.0 

-7.1

27.6 

-48.5

-5.9

126.7 

389.3 

23.4 

26.8 

7.6 

45.3 

27.5 

25.6 

33.1 

26.5 

-13.6

-10.0

11.3 

-35.9

12.2 

-17.6

41.4 

3.5 

0.8 

16.2 

-5.2

25.5 

30.1 

37.0 

8.9 

2.6 

7.0 

11.6 

-4.0

12.5 

4.2 

6.9 

2.0 

6.5 

13.7 

34.1 

-2.6

2.0 

10.2 

-7.0

-4.1

-2.0

3.7 

-12.1

1.4 

66.6 

221.1 

5.9 

-7.3

-20.2

5.1 

-10.5

-1.4

5.8 

-26.5

-7.8

-2.8

-0.4

-19.1

-13.1

-27.5

1.0 

-0.3

-1.0

5.0 

-4.2

8.2 

11.4 

10.2 

2.5 

Poland ranks 23rd among EU 
Member States, and 27th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Design applications
• Cloud Computing
• Population with tertiary 
education

Relative weaknesses 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students 
• Venture capital expenditures
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Design applications
• Cloud Computing
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Production-based CO₂
productivity 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations 
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• High speed internet access
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Design applications
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025140

Country:

PORTUGAL

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

90.7 

104.5 

100.0 

94.9 

120.0 

114.7 

133.9 

79.8 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

151.3 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

120.1 

126.1 

111.2 

105.8 

78.3 

36.2 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

185.8 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

56.6 

70.3 

69.1 

36.1 

91.9 

79.8 

105.1 

109.6 

108.1 

110.8 

98.1 

67.1 

146.5 

104.2 

78.3 

58.6 

103.7 

81.4 

114.8 

133.0 

98.8 

56.2 

56.0 

42.0 

69.9 

85.9 

60.6 

138.5 

45.6 

Moderate Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 90.7 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +9.0      Change vs 2024: ▲ +3.0 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

16 

13 

9 

16 

10 

12 

12 

16 

11 

8 

8 

12 

10 

16 

18 

1 

21 

12 

17 

23 

19 

19 

12 

12 

14 

8 

17 

21 

16 

13 

19 

17 

15 

13 

8 

4 

14 

20 

21 

22 

13 

13 

18 

6 

17 

9.0 

3.7 

0.0 

-17.9

34.6 

15.9 

60.8 

-16.5

44.1 

19.5 

36.7 

6.2 

39.7 

-8.5

4.1 

120.9 

-9.5

32.8 

-55.3

-12.0

57.9 

160.2 

17.6 

-52.5

-65.2

-40.2

38.4 

-12.5

74.9 

64.7 

-15.0

-2.0

0.0 

-41.5

2.2 

54.1 

-48.0

0.9 

6.2 

2.3 

-5.9

46.1 

29.3 

108.4 

3.7 

3.0 

15.5 

11.6 

11.3 

26.9 

-1.6

10.1 

-5.6

-4.0

5.1 

3.9 

6.2 

0.4 

-1.7

5.9 

0.0 

0.2 

0.7 

-6.9

6.1 

22.3 

33.9 

17.6 

7.3 

8.4 

6.4 

-18.1

25.8 

-6.4

-61.8

-6.8

-6.0

-10.1

-5.4

5.0 

15.7 

-5.2

-1.8

-1.1

-0.3

-3.6

20.9 

27.1 

33.7 

1.0 

Portugal ranks 16th among EU 
Member States, and 20th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students
• Public-private co-publications

Relative weaknesses
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed
• Venture capital expenditures
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• Production-based CO₂
productivity 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Innovation expenditures per 
person employed 
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Production-based CO₂
productivity

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns 
(2018),  scores  cannot  be 
directly   compared or subtracted across 
columns. For a complete overview, refer 
to the published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

ROMANIA

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 37.7 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +8.2      Change vs 2024: ▲ +2.7 

141

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

37.7 

32.4 

34.7 

0.0 

64.6 

40.6 

25.5 

66.4 

13.6 

84.6 

127.5 

21.3 

12.9 

13.3 

12.6 

12.3 

14.2 

19.3 

15.5 

8.4 

36.8 

30.3 

43.8 

5.2 

11.8 

0.0 

6.7 

0.0 

36.5 

0.0 

42.0 

25.6 

71.6 

35.6 

12.2 

26.1 

0.0 

72.9 

91.2 

61.9 

64.2 

56.8 

15.5 

123.3 

19.8 

27 

27 

23 

27 

24 

26 

27 

18 

26 

21 

6 

26 

26 

27 

26 

23 

27 

25 

26 

27 

27 

26 

26 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

26 

27 

27 

25 

22 

27 

26 

27 

11 

8 

16 

17 

24 

25 

9 

26 

8.2 

0.2 

-23.1

0.0 

38.5 

25.0 

16.6 

38.9 

2.0 

39.4 

88.2 

1.1 

-8.2

-3.4

-20.2

-7.9

-0.5

3.7 

-14.2

6.9 

30.1 

91.1 

5.9 

6.0 

12.3 

0.0 

-4.7

-7.0

14.1 

-11.8

4.4 

-7.3

20.3 

6.3 

-3.7

-7.6

0.0 

4.6 

6.3 

13.2 

-4.7

31.4 

16.1 

75.0 

6.4 

2.7 

5.5 

0.0 

0.0 

21.2 

4.4 

1.6 

8.1 

-1.5

-0.2

-2.0

1.1 

0.9 

5.1 

-7.8

0.0 

-0.4

2.2 

-0.9

-2.9

14.2 

34.9 

5.9 

0.4 

0.8 

0.0 

-2.2

-3.9

-3.9

0.0 

3.2 

0.4 

4.1 

5.7 

-5.7

-11.6

0.0 

3.3 

7.6 

2.0 

0.1 

11.3 

7.3 

27.6 

-0.5

Romania ranks 27th among EU 
Member States, and 36th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• High speed internet access
• Production-based CO₂
productivity
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 

Relative weaknesses 
• Population with tertiary 
education
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• High speed internet access
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products
• Production-based CO₂
productivity

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Population with tertiary 
education
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• High speed internet access
• Production-based CO₂
productivity

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• New doctorate graduates
• Venture capital expenditures
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025142

Country:

SERBIA

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 51.5 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +10.2      Change vs 2024: ▲ +2.3 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

51.5 

49.4 

47.7 

61 

38.5 

42.6 

53.6 

47.5 

23.6 

25.4 

N/A 

31.4 

32.4 

61.7 

13.3 

10.9 

31.4 

23.4 

71.3 

15 

80.2 

78.5 

82.1 

154.6 

217.4 

105.3 

79.7 

91.9 

61.4 

77.1 

26.6 

44.2 

23.8 

3.1 

100.5 

94 

105.9 

40.9 

47.9 

76.5 

0 

7.3 

6.2 

9.3 

6 

31 

32 

25 

32 

31 

32 

30 

29 

33 

32 

29 

29 

26 

30 

30 

32 

29 

21 

30 

26 

23 

27 

4 

1 

13 

27 

19 

30 

25 

33 

29 

34 

33 

15 

18 

17 

34 

28 

16 

32 

38 

36 

37 

31 

10.2 

2.6 

-11.6

18.5 

6.7 

12.5 

30.8 

12.4 

-4.4

-4.9

N/A 

-4.5

2.4 

-1.7

16.8 

0 

-41.7

6 

-145.1

0 

81.1 

227.5 

23.4 

78.5 

101.7 

56 

39.5 

34.3 

26.5 

50 

0.3 

2.6 

-0.3

-1.7

15.3 

0 

30.2 

6.4 

-0.7

21.7 

0 

4.9 

2.9 

5.9 

6.3 

2.3 

3.5 

0 

16.6 

-5.8

-2.1

5.4 

-5.3

-2

-4.9

N/A 

-4.5

-4.6

-5.1

-13.1

0 

-44.3

-1.5

-145.1

0 

18.9 

66.5 

0 

78.5 

101.7 

56 

9.8 

34.3 

10.9 

-11.8

3.2 

8 

-1

1.1 

15.3 

0 

30.2 

0 

-4.4

4.9 

0 

-1.8

0 

-7

0.8 

Serbia ranks 31st among 
the EU and neighbouring 
countries. 

Relative strengths 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• Employment in innovative 
enterprises
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 

Relative weaknesses 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU
• Design applications
• Labour productivity

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Production-based CO₂
productivity
• Resource productivity
• Trademark applications

Strong increases since 2018
• Cloud Computing
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• New doctorate graduates
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

SWEDEN

Innovation Leader ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 138.1 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +12.9      Change vs 2024: ▲ +2.0 

143

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

138.1 

170.7 

139.2 

158.2 

220.0 

172.6 

236.0 

136.6 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

167.7 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

125.8 

116.4 

139.4 

134.5 

133.3 

228.0 

71.2 

149.0 

160.7 

122.8 

154.0 

162.1 

155.9 

169.0 

131.8 

157.1 

111.8 

181.1 

238.9 

402.0 

41.7 

131.8 

160.0 

118.8 

102.1 

112.2 

111.9 

112.4 

94.6 

87.6 

105.0 

91.7 

126.6 

57.0 

173.0 

161.9 

Sweden ranks 1st among EU 
Member States, and 2nd 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• International scientific co-
publications 

Relative weaknesses 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST
• Resource productivity
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning 
• Production-based CO₂ 
productivity 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST
• Resource productivity
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D

Strong increases since 2018 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• Public-private co-publications

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST
• New doctorate graduates
• Design applications

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

1 

2 

2 

6 

1 

4 

4 

4 

9 

7 

10 

7 

3 

4 

4 

12 

1 

1 

5 

1 

1 

1 

1 

4 

3 

7 

4 

1 

3 

23 

2 

1 

10 

10 

9 

8 

12 

5 

10 

5 

5 

9 

20 

1 

4 

12.9 

-9.6

-46.2

33.8 

0.0 

14.6 

61.1 

-2.2

8.5 

18.6 

37.4 

3.7 

43.0 

-5.1

244.8 

-1.5

4.0 

7.5 

2.9 

1.5 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

43.0 

40.2 

45.8 

56.5 

181.9 

80.7 

-61.8

-15.1

0.0 

-8.7

-37.6

22.4 

42.5 

2.9 

5.4 

3.6 

10.3 

2.9 

13.7 

12.5 

16.6 

11.6 

2.0 

5.7 

11.6 

2.0 

0.0 

5.7 

20.7 

1.2 

1.6 

12.1 

22.6 

3.7 

-7.1

1.7 

-47.4

2.7 

10.4 

0.0 

27.5 

6.2 

0.0 

0.0 

0.0 

-16.6

-7.7

-25.3

31.5 

158.6 

18.8 

-70.6

-3.7

0.0 

-12.1

-2.1

-9.4

9.8 

-28.2

-0.1

0.8 

1.9 

-3.0

3.4 

6.8 

0.0 

2.5 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025144

Country:

SLOVENIA

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

94.7 

121.1 

100.0 

94.4 

173.8 

105.3 

165.7 

67.7 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

105.6 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

85.1 

99.5 

63.8 

71.5 

86.7 

27.3 

84.3 

65.0 

98.6 

32.0 

52.8 

84.4 

86.8 

82.1 

119.7 

153.6 

93.1 

130.1 

97.5 

243.3 

110.4 

96.3 

82.6 

121.5 

90.8 

106.2 

96.6 

114.4 

95.1 

117.0 

41.6 

122.5 

78.6 

81.9 

85.0 

63.9 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Moderate Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 94.7 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +16.8      Change vs 2024: ▲ +3.4 

13 

9 

9 

17 

6 

13 

10 

17 

17 

19 

15 

24 

16 

12 

21 

9 

16 

8 

25 

18 

21 

17 

24 

6 

5 

14 

12 

13 

10 

11 

13 

9 

8 

12 

11 

14 

11 

3 

2 

23 

1 

14 

14 

20 

15 

16.8 

-16.8

-69.4

15.9 

30.8 

40.9 

77.6 

5.0 

84.4 

19.0 

48.2 

-3.7

9.3 

25.4 

30.7 

-22.8

-18.4

-5.2

-63.0

7.0 

31.2 

147.9 

-14.7

50.1 

86.2 

15.3 

48.9 

-0.5

79.0 

76.5 

0.0 

-0.7

9.1 

-5.7

36.4 

28.0 

44.4 

19.1 

28.1 

8.3 

19.7 

34.3 

33.6 

63.0 

7.2 

3.4 

17.9 

11.6 

15.9 

30.8 

6.0 

32.2 

-6.3

7.7 

2.3 

9.8 

-3.7

-6.2

6.8 

-2.8

-24.6

3.1 

-0.7

-0.5

9.9 

4.7 

-20.3

14.7 

-1.6

5.3 

-8.3

3.6 

-12.1

-4.5

20.6 

-0.2

-0.3

-6.9

5.3 

-2.0

-1.3

-2.8

3.9 

9.5 

1.7 

0.0 

8.5 

6.8 

19.2 

0.5 

Slovenia ranks 13th among EU 
Member States, and 17th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Public-private co-publications
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning
• International scientific co-
publications 

Relative weaknesses 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Individuals with above basic 
overall digital skills 
• Employed ICT specialists

Strong increases since 2018 
• Cloud Computing
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations
• Foreign doctorate students 
as a % of all doctorate students

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• New doctorate graduates
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

SLOVAKIA

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 62.6 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +8.3      Change vs 2024: ▼ -1.0 

145

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
EU Member 
States 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

62.6 

76.0 

73.9 

61.0 

94.6 

54.6 

66.3 

42.0 

63.0 

80.6 

83.6 

75.9 

38.4 

55.0 

18.6 

32.4 

52.6 

37.2 

94.5 

42.0 

80.4 

71.8 

89.8 

47.3 

53.2 

42.6 

53.9 

71.2 

78.7 

29.2 

51.8 

45.0 

84.8 

27.4 

72.9 

113.3 

37.5 

71.8 

114.2 

51.6 

47.0 

68.7 

86.3 

61.6 

52.6 

24 

18 

19 

23 

15 

22 

22 

24 

19 

23 

22 

20 

22 

21 

24 

18 

22 

20 

9 

21 

22 

22 

19 

23 

23 

24 

25 

19 

23 

24 

25 

23 

22 

24 

20 

7 

23 

12 

4 

20 

18 

19 

11 

22 

16 

8.3 

-19.5

-34.7

-15.2

0.0 

23.4 

27.4 

17.2 

33.1 

36.4 

77.4 

3.9 

14.1 

10.2 

9.6 

21.8 

2.9 

13.4 

-17.8

10.2 

44.6 

135.5 

8.8 

14.9 

14.2 

15.5 

15.6 

12.0 

18.7 

17.6 

-1.0

-4.8

12.3 

-6.6

-24.6

-50.0

0.2 

4.8 

3.6 

20.7 

-8.5

25.5 

38.0 

24.9 

11.9 

-1.0

-4.4

-11.6

-17.2

22.1 

5.2 

4.0 

6.0 

4.9 

-0.9

-7.2

3.9 

-4.4

5.1 

-7.1

-15.6

-5.8

1.5 

-20.6

-0.5

4.5 

-14.1

11.7 

-0.9

6.0 

-7.8

5.8 

20.3 

-13.2

2.9 

-5.6

-7.3

-0.3

-7.9

-10.7

-6.8

-14.6

2.4 

-2.1

8.0 

2.3 

7.7 

19.9 

0.0 

1.5 

Slovakia ranks 24th among EU 
Member States, and 28th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning 

Relative weaknesses 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Design applications
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST

Highest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures

Lowest ranked indicators 
among EU Member States 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Design applications
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST

Strong increases since 2018
• Cloud Computing
• High speed internet access
• Resource productivity

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• New doctorate graduates
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025146

Country:

TÜRKIYE

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

58 

62.1 

34.7 

95.5 

57.7 

45.2 

16.2 

74.3 

27.3 

22.9 

N/A 

28.3 

77 

63.3 

1.3 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

145.2 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

55.1 

61.4 

56 

48.7 

18.2 

25.1 

10.5 

73.8 

71.9 

75.4 

77.3 

72.9 

16.2 

106.3 

29.1 

54.4 

18.4 

1.5 

76 

98.9 

55.7 

67.7 

51.7 

46.7 

104 

79.5 

75.6 

65.7 

N/A 

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 58 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +6.6      Change vs 2024: ▲ +2.7 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

29 

30 

28 

21 

29 

29 

36 

21 

32 

33 

30 

17 

25 

35 

7 

26 

20 

28 

22 

38 

34 

37 

28 

27 

27 

29 

24 

36 

17 

32 

24 

35 

36 

26 

16 

29 

20 

26 

30 

3 

18 

20 

27 

6.6 

23.2 

23.1 

31.1 

14.4 

16.9 

18 

26 

-3.1

3.7 

N/A 

3.3 

31.8 

-11.9

1.5 

104.5 

9.3 

27.6 

-14.6

11.7 

16.2 

49.7 

2.9 

-59.4

-62.4

-56.6

-19.9

-13.3

12.5 

-41.2

2.6 

3.7 

7 

-2.1

17 

19.5 

14.5 

-4.5

0.3 

4 

-17.4

37.1 

44 

27.2 

N/A 

2.7 

9.8 

11.6 

10.6 

5.8 

-3.9

4.6 

-0.9

-17.5

3.7 

N/A 

3.3 

6.6 

-1.7

-0.5

21.5 

6.2 

9 

-4.1

12.4 

13.1 

45.6 

0 

10.6 

0.6 

20.4 

-2.5

36.1 

3.2 

-38.2

-1.4

-3.4

0.5 

-0.4

-11.5

-29.3

5.7 

-2.3

1.1 

0 

-7.8

16.5 

23.3 

7.6 

N/A 

Türkiye ranks 29th among 
the EU and neighbouring 
countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU

Relative weaknesses 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Design applications
• Employed ICT specialists

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• High-tech imports from 
partners outside the EU 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Employed ICT specialists
• Design applications
• International scientific co-
publications

Strong increases since 2018 
• Direct and indirect 
government support of 
business R&D
• Cloud Computing
• Resource productivity

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations 
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations 
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

UKRAINE

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 29 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +7.6      Change vs 2024: ▼ -1.3 

147

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

29 

69.3 

28 

178 

0 

12 

5.7 

18.2 

7.8 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

16.4 

5 

43.5 

11.1 

18.7 

10.4 

36.5 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

0 

0 

0 

8 

7.6 

13.8 

N/A 

18.9 

33.3 

15.4 

0.5 

3.1 

3.2 

N/A 

77.9 

72 

84.9 

N/A 

34.2 

N/A 

30.7 

N/A 

37 

28 

33 

5 

39 

39 

39 

38 

37 

32 

37 

20 

29 

35 

34 

32 

39 

39 

38 

38 

37 

37 

36 

33 

36 

38 

38 

39 

11 

19 

13 

35 

36 

7.6 

-2.6

-6

0 

0 

9.6 

5.5 

14.2 

2.5 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

6 

-5.1

44.7 

0 

-11.1

-1.5

-23.1

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

0 

0 

0 

-14.5

-33

12.3 

N/A 

-4.9

-13.1

11 

-7.2

3.1 

3.1 

N/A 

50.4 

63.5 

36.5 

N/A 

29.6 

N/A 

31.5 

N/A 

-1.3

0 

0 

0 

0 

2.3 

0 

6.4 

-5

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

0 

0 

0 

0 

-9.8

1 

-23.1

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

0 

0 

0 

-18.1

-33

0 

N/A 

0.3 

0.9 

0 

0 

0 

0 

N/A 

2.6 

5.1 

-0.2

N/A 

0 

N/A 

0 

N/A 

Ukraine ranks 37th among 
the EU and neighbouring 
countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Population with tertiary 
education
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 

Relative weaknesses 
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning 
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations 
• SMEs introducing business 
process innovations

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Population with tertiary 
education
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Population involved in 
lifelong learning
• SMEs introducing product 
innovations 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations 

Strong increases since 2018 
• Exports of medium and high-
tech products 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Knowledge-intensive services 
exports

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others 
• Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures 
• PCT patent applications

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns 
(2018),  scores  cannot  be 
directly  compared  or  subtracted  across 
columns. For a complete overview, refer 
to the published country profiles.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025 
148

Country:

UNITED KINGDOM

Innovation Leader ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 125.5 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +12.2      Change vs 2024: ▲ +1.2 

Performance 
indexed to 
the EU in 
2025 

Rank among 
the EU and 
neighbouring 
countries 

Performance 
change 
2018-2025 

Performance 
change 
2024-2025 

Indicator 

SUMMARY INNOVATION INDEX 

Human resources 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Attractive research systems 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

125.5 

140 

175.3 

129.9 

110 

161.5 

145.6 

151.7 

Foreign doctorate students as a % of all doctorate students 

192.3 

Digitalisation 

High speed internet access 

Individuals with above basic overall digital skills 

Finance and support 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Venture capital expenditures 

111 

93.1 

N/A 

158.1 

68.3 

270 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

185.8 

Firm investments 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Non-R&D innovation expenditures 

Innovation expenditures per person employed 

Investments in information technologies 

Cloud Computing 

Employed ICT specialists 

Innovators 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Linkages 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

Job-to-job mobility of HRST 

Intellectual assets 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Sales and employment impacts 

Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm innovations 

Employment in innovative enterprises 

Trade impacts 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

High-tech imports from partners outside the EU 

Resource and labour productivity 

Resource productivity 

Production-based CO₂ productivity 

Labour productivity 

87.4 

79.3 

121.3 

N/A 

117.7 

120 

115.3 

99.4 

113.4 

88.5 

214.1 

238.9 

213.2 

193.8 

73.8 

99.8 

69.7 

38 

93.8 

63.3 

120.3 

104.2 

80.4 

110.9 

122.4 

168.5 

170.3 

129 

N/A 

The United Kingdom ranks 5th 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries. 

Relative strengths 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• Public-private co-publications

Relative weaknesses
• Design applications
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• R&D expenditure in the 
public sector 

Highest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Venture capital expenditures
• Innovative SMEs 
collaborating with others
• Job-to-job mobility of HRST

Lowest ranked indicators 
among the EU and 
neighbouring countries 
• Trademark applications
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• High speed internet access

Strong increases since 2018 
• Venture capital expenditures
• High speed internet access
• Cloud Computing

Strong decreases since 
2018 
• Sales of new-to-market and 
new-to-firm innovations
• Design applications
• Trademark applications

Footnote:  Performance  changes  are 
indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since 
the  reference  years  differ  between  the 
first  column  (2025)  and  the  last  two 
columns (2018), scores cannot be directly 
compared or subtracted across columns. 
For  a  complete  overview,  refer  to  the 
published country profiles.

5 

8 

3 

14 

17 

8 

15 

2 

7 

15 

23 

2 

22 

1 

1 

14 

13 

7 

10 

11 

10 

21 

18 

22 

3 

1 

14 

1 

22 

10 

28 

22 

20 

26 

9 

2 

13 

4 

2 

4 

1 

10 

12.2 

4.2 

-3.8

14.6 

4.8 

2.6 

40 

-6.8

-12.6

158.9 

180 

N/A 

40.4 

3.4 

206 

0 

20.2 

6 

37.5 

N/A 

51 

150.6 

11.7 

0.9 

-13.2

14.8 

18.8 

0 

42.1 

23.5 

-25.5

-9.3

-30.1

-41.4

-32.5

-59.4

-6.1

2.9 

-7.7

5.2 

11.7 

45.6 

23.1 

69.7 

N/A 

1.2 

7.4 

17.4 

0 

0 

-2.3

0 

-4.4

0 

24.6 

27.9 

N/A 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

N/A 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

-4.4

-6.2

-6.2

-0.9

0 

0 

0 

0.3 

0 

0.8 

-0.1

7.5 

0 

15.9 

N/A 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

AUSTRALIA

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 111.1 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +15.7      Change vs 2024: ▲ +3.8 

149

Australia is the fifth most innovative global competitor, 
classified  as  a  Strong  Innovator  and  performing  at 
111.1%  of  the  EU  average  in  2025.  The  country's 
strengths  are  Trademark  applications, 
relative 
Innovative SMEs collaborating with others, and Public-
private  co-publications.  Its  relative  weaknesses  are 
Exports of medium and high-tech products, Knowledge-
intensive services exports, and R&D expenditure in the 
business sector. 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

111.1 

147.1 

145.3 

181.8 

159.3 

104.6 

80.4 

60.0 

97.9 

101.4 

158.0 

326.7 

200.0 

65.1 

450.0 

106.5 

4.8 

6.2 

15.7 

15.8 

49.5 

35.3 

-7.3

-16.3

-28.6

-12.9

24.9 

-73.5

77.1 

-106.7

43.6 

-20.0

144.9 

7.9 

-2.4

6.4 

Structural differences 

AU 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

64850.4 

56159.9 

3.8 

2.3 

18.9 

78.9 

5.4 

2.7 

3.4 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

1 

7.8 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

416.6 

616.4 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

9 

3.9 

75.7 

3.3 

1.6 

26.1 

1.9 

3.4 

111 

3.7 

7.1 

62.6 

3.4 

1 

2.4 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025150

Country:

BRAZIL

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 53.7 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +9.5      Change vs 2024: ▲ +0.9 

Brazil is an Emerging Innovator, performing at 53.7% of 
the EU average in 2025. The country's relative strengths 
are Trademark applications, SMEs introducing business 
process innovations, and Innovative SMEs collaborating 
with others. Its relative weaknesses are Public-private 
co-publications, PCT patent applications, and Scientific 
publications among the top 10% most cited. 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

53.7 

22.1 

41.5 

36.4 

13 

N/A 

44.6 

N/A 

32.6 

59.7 

184 

120 

10 

11.6 

391.7 

35.5 

21.7 

102.5 

9.5 

3.9 

27.9 

15.6 

-8.4

N/A 

-5.2

N/A 

14.3 

-11.3

-44.3

-91.7

4.7 

-4.1

294.6 

0.1 

-14.3

2.9 

Structural differences 

BR 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

19686.6 

56159.9 

3 

8.8 

20.5 

70.7 

12.5 

19.7 

3.2 

0.2 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

7.8 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

219.2 

616.4 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

18 

3.4 

36 

2.2 

2.8 

-0.3

210.3 

0.4 

25.1 

111 

3.7 

62.6 

2.4 

3.4 

1 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

CANADA

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 118.5 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +16.5      Change vs 2024: ▼ -0.1 

151

is 

the  second  most 

Canada 
innovative  global 
competitor, tied with China. It is classified as a Strong 
Innovator, performing at 118.5% of the EU average in 
2025.  The  country's  relative  strengths  are  Trademark 
Innovative  SMEs  collaborating  with 
applications, 
others,  and  SMEs 
introducing  business  process 
innovations.  Its  relative  weaknesses  are  Exports  of 
medium  and  high-tech  products,  R&D  expenditure  in 
the business sector, and Knowledge-intensive services 
exports. 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

118.5 

95.6 

179.2 

167.3 

120.4 

103.1 

117.9 

75 

N/A 

138.9 

200 

253.3 

182 

90.7 

275 

90.3 

49.4 

82.7 

16.5 

-2.5

55.4 

51.6 

-23.6

-11.8

23.5 

11.7 

N/A 

-34.6

-11.8

-193.5

39.2 

-6.6

41.2 

19.1 

-6.8

3.1 

Structural differences 

CA 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

60944.5 

56159.9 

2.5 

1.3 

19.3 

79.4 

20.6 

2.4 

6.9 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

7.8 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

259.2 

616.4 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

21 

4.4 

75 

3.6 

3.4 

1.5 

39.1 

2.4 

4.3 

111 

3.7 

62.6 

2.4 

3.4 

1 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores  cannot  be  directly  compared  or  subtracted.  Relative  strengths  (purple)  and  weaknesses  (red)  refer  to  the  three  indicators  where  the  country's  scores  are  furthest 
above or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025152

Country:

CHILE

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 38.9 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +15.5      Change vs 2024: ▲ +2.7 

Trademark 

Chile is an Emerging Innovator, performing at 38.9% of 
the EU average in 2025. The country's relative strengths 
are 
SMEs 
applications, 
collaborating with others, and Population with tertiary 
education. 
relative  weaknesses  are  Design 
applications,  Exports  of  medium  and  high-tech 
products, and R&D expenditure in the public sector. 

Innovative 

Its 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

38.9 

13.2 

96.2 

92.7 

24.1 

1.5 

5.4 

2.5 

57.9 

22.2 

34.0 

153.3 

26.0 

25.6 

483.3 

0.0 

0.0 

39.5 

15.5 

0.0 

50.5 

39.3 

-1.3

1.6 

1.9 

-2.9

19.0 

23.0 

43.3 

211.4 

11.7 

-6.3

182.9 

-9.3

-2.4

11.3 

Structural differences 

CL 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

30940.5 

56159.9 

1.1 

6.4 

22.6 

71 

9 

28.4 

5.8 

2 

3.9 

65.3 

2.7 

2.9 

0.7 

19.6 

0.5 

26.2 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

111 

3.7 

7.8 

616.4 

62.6 

2.4 

3.4 

1 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

CHINA

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 118.5 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +44.8      Change vs 2024: ▲ +6.0 

153

China is the second most innovative global competitor, 
tied with Canada. It is classified as a Strong Innovator, 
performing at 118.5% of the EU average in 2025. The 
country's relative strengths are Trademark applications, 
Design  applications,  and  Direct  and 
indirect 
government  support  of  business  R&D.  Its  relative 
weaknesses are International scientific co-publications, 
Public-private co-publications, and R&D expenditure in 
the public sector. 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

118.5 

N/A 

81.1 

34.5 

135.2 

76.9 

158.9 

135 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

56 

111.6 

833.3 

312.9 

92.8 

108.6 

44.8 

N/A 

14 

21.6 

54.3 

20.7 

98 

21.1 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

48.2 

18.7 

431.5 

28.4 

2 

39.2 

Structural differences 

CN 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

22495.2 

56159.9 

4.1 

22.8 

31.7 

45.4 

27.3 

6.1 

1.1 

4.4 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

7.8 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

336.9 

616.4 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

162 

4.3 

43.3 

4.4 

0 

1411.7 

-0.1

150.4 

111 

3.7 

62.6 

3.4 

1 

2.4 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025154

Country:

INDIA

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 48.1 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +10.8      Change vs 2024: ▲ +0.8 

India is an Emerging Innovator, performing at 48.1% of 
the EU average in 2025. The country's relative strengths 
are 
Innovative  SMEs  collaborating  with  others, 
Knowledge-intensive  services  exports,  and  Trademark 
applications. Its relative weaknesses are New doctorate 
graduates, 
and 
International scientific co-publications. 

co-publications, 

Public-private 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

48.1 

1.5 

32.1 

10.9 

74.1 

46.2 

N/A 

22.5 

N/A 

36.1 

16 

10.8 

1.3 

13.1 

14.9 

23.8 

-1.5

N/A 

-3.4

N/A 

-9

-3.9

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

546.7 

-417.6

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

2 

25.6 

83.3 

38.7 

51.8 

121 

2.4 

-0.9

50.8 

13.5 

7.7 

10.6 

Structural differences 

IN 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

9123.4 

56159.9 

7.6 

43.5 

25.2 

31.3 

13.7 

11.9 

1.2 

0.1 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

7.8 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

256.5 

616.4 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

68 

4.4 

39 

5.6 

4.3 

0.1 

1425.9 

0.8 

475.6 

111 

3.7 

62.6 

2.4 

3.4 

1 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

JAPAN

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 100 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +6.9      Change vs 2024: ▲ +1.6 

155

Japan is a Strong Innovator, with performance matching 
the EU average in 2025 (100%). The country's relative 
strengths  are  PCT  patent  applications,  Trademark 
applications,  and  R&D  expenditure  in  the  business 
sector. 
relative  weaknesses  are  Scientific 
publications  among  the  top  10%  most  cited,  SMEs 
introducing  product  innovations,  and  New  doctorate 
graduates. 

Its 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

100.0 

48.5 

175.5 

63.6 

24.1 

93.8 

92.9 

187.5 

105.3 

31.9 

60.0 

146.7 

84.0 

232.6 

191.7 

112.9 

114.5 

96.3 

6.9 

-2.5

49.1 

20.9 

-9.9

4.5 

18.0 

-8.2

37.5 

-18.7

-38.7

-1,226.3

12.3 

24.2 

108.0 

12.3 

-3.8

1.7 

Structural differences 

JP 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

47146 

56159.9 

1.3 

3.1 

23.7 

73.2 

20 

6.3 

0.8 

17.2 

517.5 

8 

5 

72.3 

2.4 

4 

1.5 

125.1 

-0.5

344.8 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

7.8 

616.4 

111 

3.7 

62.6 

2.4 

3.4 

1 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025156

Country:

SOUTH KOREA

Innovation Leader ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 135.2 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +25.8      Change vs 2024: ▲ +6.3 

South  Korea  remains  the  most 
innovative  global 
competitor.  It  is  classified  as  an  Innovation  Leader, 
performing at 135.2% of the EU average in 2025. The 
country's relative strengths are Trademark applications, 
Design  applications,  and  R&D  expenditure  in  the 
business  sector.  Its  relative  weaknesses  are  SMEs 
innovations,  SMEs 
introducing  business  process 
introducing  product 
innovations,  and  Scientific 
publications among the top 10% most cited. 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

135.2 

129.4 

188.7 

96.4 

77.8 

153.8 

178.6 

250.0 

87.4 

29.2 

12.0 

126.7 

146.0 

232.6 

591.7 

312.9 

118.1 

109.9 

25.8 

32.6 

36.3 

44.2 

11.8 

30.7 

-2.6

12.2 

30.7 

-35.8

-78.6

-168.2

60.3 

27.8 

251.9 

28.4 

-1.4

31.4 

Structural differences 

KR 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

50618.4 

56159.9 

2 

5.4 

24.4 

70.3 

25.6 

11.3 

1.2 

9 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

7.8 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

813.1 

616.4 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

13 

5 

63.3 

3.8 

1.2 

51.7 

-0.1

530.3 

111 

3.7 

62.6 

3.4 

1 

2.4 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

MEXICO

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 27.8 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +3.0      Change vs 2024: ▲ +0.4 

157

Mexico is an Emerging Innovator, performing at 27.8% 
of  the  EU  average  in  2025.  The  country's  relative 
strengths  are  Trademark  applications,  Exports  of 
medium  and  high-tech  products,  and  Population  with 
tertiary  education.  Its  relative  weaknesses  are  R&D 
expenditure 
in  the  business  sector,  PCT  patent 
applications, and Scientific publications among the top 
10% most cited. 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

27.8 

13.2 

54.7 

25.5 

1.9 

12.3 

3.6 

0 

2.1 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

4 

0 

241.7 

41.9 

109.6 

19.8 

3 

5.2 

30.2 

11.3 

1.8 

-17.8

4 

0 

1.4 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

2.4 

-8.9

138.5 

8.3 

-0.2

-8

Structural differences 

MX 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

22972.6 

56159.9 

3.4 

12.6 

24.8 

62.5 

21.1 

14.9 

2.4 

8 

3.4 

29.3 

2.1 

3.1 

-0.8

128.7 

0.8 

65.7 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

111 

3.7 

7.8 

616.4 

62.6 

2.4 

3.4 

1 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025158

Country:

UNITED STATES

Strong Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 113 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +17.8      Change vs 2024: ▲ +1.8 

The United States is a Strong Innovator, performing at 
113% of the EU average in 2025. The country's relative 
strengths  are  Innovative  SMEs  collaborating  with 
others,  R&D  expenditure  in  the  business  sector,  and 
Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited. 
Its  relative  weaknesses  are  Design  applications, 
Trademark applications, and SMEs introducing product 
innovations. 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

113.0 

92.6 

130.2 

103.6 

138.9 

92.3 

135.7 

197.5 

104.2 

59.7 

78.0 

666.7 

118.0 

111.6 

58.3 

54.8 

75.9 

98.8 

17.8 

9.2 

37.5 

26.5 

-40.4

3.0 

10.8 

58.2 

18.4 

45.8 

-88.5

-509.2

11.2 

-6.3

56.1 

13.4 

-2.9

13.4 

Structural differences 

US 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

77374.3 

56159.9 

2.7 

1.6 

19.3 

79.1 

10.5 

17.7 

1.6 

23.3 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

7.8 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

642.9 

616.4 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

687 

4.8 

67.7 

3.7 

4.6 

1.4 

333.4 

0.4 

36.3 

111 

3.7 

62.6 

2.4 

3.4 

1 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Country:

SOUTH AFRICA

Emerging Innovator ●
Summary innovation index (indexed to EU in 2025): 29.6 
Change vs 2018: ▲ +5.1      Change vs 2024: ▼ -1.6 

159

South  Africa  is  an  Emerging  Innovator,  performing  at 
29.6% of the EU average in 2025. The country's relative 
strengths  are  Trademark  applications,  International 
scientific  co-publications,  and  Scientific  publications 
among the top 10% most cited. Its relative weaknesses 
are  New  doctorate  graduates,  Direct  and  indirect 
government  support  of  business  R&D,  and  R&D 
expenditure in the business sector. 

Indicator 

Summary Innovation Index 

New doctorate graduates 

Population with tertiary education 

International scientific co-publications 

Scientific publications among the top 10% most cited 

R&D expenditure in the public sector 

Direct and indirect government support of business R&D 

R&D expenditure in the business sector 

Employed ICT specialists 

SMEs introducing product innovations 

SMEs introducing business process innovations 

Innovative SMEs collaborating with others 

Public-private co-publications 

PCT patent applications 

Trademark applications 

Design applications 

Exports of medium and high-tech products 

Knowledge-intensive services exports 

Performance 
in 2025 

Change 2018-
2025 

29.6 

2.9 

9.4 

58.2 

57.4 

38.5 

3.6 

7.5 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

16 

18.6 

100 

38.7 

43.4 

39.5 

5.1 

1.3 

11.1 

30.4 

-2.3

-3.3

-0.1

-11.3

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

N/A 

4.5 

-10.6

19.8 

-6.9

-3.2

32.1 

Structural differences 

ZA 

EU 

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita (2021-23 average) 

Average annual GDP growth (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Agriculture (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Industry (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Services (2021-23 average) 

Employment share Knowledge-intensive services (2021-23 average) 

Business and entrepreneurship 

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) (2021-23 average) 

FDI net inflows (2021-23 average) 

Number of unicorns (January 2025) 

Buyer sophistication (2015-17 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 million population (2022-24 average) 

Top R&D spending enterprises, average R&D spending (2022-24 average) 

Governance and policy frameworks 

Corruption Perceptions Index (2022-24 average) 

Basic-school entrepreneurial education and training (2022-24 average) 

Government procurement of advanced technology products (2015-17 average) 

Rule of law (2020-23 average) 

Demography 

Population size (2021-23 average, in millions) 

Average annual population growth (2021-23 average) 

Population density (2020-22 average) 

14555 

56159.9 

1.3 

19.8 

17.7 

62.5 

12.2 

9.8 

4.3 

1 

4 

41.7 

3 

3 

0.1 

62.4 

1.4 

50.7 

2 

4 

24.5 

71.6 

14.8 

7.1 

1 

111 

3.7 

7.8 

616.4 

62.6 

2.4 

3.4 

1 

447.7 

0.3 

111.9 

Footnote: Performance in 2025 is indexed to the EU in 2025. Performance change is indexed to the EU average in 2018. Since the reference years differ between columns, 
scores cannot be directly compared or subtracted. Relative strengths (purple) and weaknesses (red) refer to the three indicators where the country's scores are furthest above 
or below the EU average in 2025. These highlight the areas where the country stands out most positively or faces the greatest relative challenges compared to the EU.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025160

7.  METHODOLOGY 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025161

7.1 Data sources, data availability and comparison with the EIS 2024. 
The EIS uses the most recent statistics from Eurostat and other internationally recognised 
sources, such as the OECD and the United Nations, available at the time of analysis, with 
the cut-off date set end of May 2025. International sources have been used to improve 
comparability between countries. 

The data relates to the actual performance in 2024 for 11 indicators, 2023 for 10 indicators, 
2022 for 10 indicators, 2020 for 1 indicator (these are the most recent years for which data 
is available, cf. Annex E). Data availability is complete for 25 Member States. For Ireland, 
data is not available for Job-to-job mobility in Human resources in Science & Technology 
(indicator 3.2.3), while for the Netherlands, data is not available for Non-R&D innovation 
expenditures (indicator 2.2.2). 

Breaks in the data series are reported for 15 indicators counting at least one break for 
each  country,  including  EU,  neighbouring  and  global  competitors  and  11  indicators  for 
EU27 only. The top five indicators with the highest number of countries experiencing such 
breaks include: 

 • Percentage population aged 25-34 having completed tertiary education 

 •

 •

 •

ICT specialists (as a percentage of total employment) 

Population involved in lifelong learning 

Job-to-job mobility of Human resources in Science & Technology 

 • R&D expenditure in the business sector 

To address the lack of comparability across years, performance changes over time for 
indicators  impacted  by  breaks  are  based  on  the  most  recent  data  only.  Performance 
changes for the Summary Innovation Index (SII), which measures Member States’ average 
innovation performance, are, therefore, on average, smaller than what they would have 
been if there had been no breaks in series or new data series. 

It must be stressed that comparisons with results from the EIS 2024 report are not possible, 
not even for the same years in both reports. Results for the same year, are different due 
to several reasons: 

 • By adding new data at the end of the time series for each indicator and removing 
data at the start of the time series, the highest and lowest data scores used for 
calculating normalised scores across all countries and all years for an indicator can 
change, directly impacting these normalised scores. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025162

 •

Timeliness refers to the year for which the most recent data is available. For the 
EIS 2025 23 indicators have been updated with at least one additional year of data 
compared to their availability in the EIS 2024, while an additional five indicators 
could not be compared to the EIS 2024 since they have been added as part of the EIS 
2025. 

 • Breaks in series for indicators and individual countries impact the most recent year 
used. As explained above there are 15 indicators in which a break in the series 
impacts at least one country. 

Consequently,  one  should  only  use  the  results  for  all  years  in  this  report  to  compare 
performance over time. More details on data sources, timeliness and breaks are provided 
in the EIS Methodology Report 2025.

7.2 Methodology for calculating innovation indexes 
The overall performance of each national innovation system is summarised by a composite 
indicator, the Summary Innovation Index (SII). The methodology used for calculating the 
SII is outlined below. ‘All countries’ include all EU27 Member States, other European and 
global competitors. 

European benchmark 

Step 1: Setting reference years 

For each indicator, a reference year is identified based on data availability for all countries 
for which data availability is at least 75%. For most indicators, this reference year will be 
lagging one or two years behind the year to which the EIS refers (see Annex E). 

Step 2: Imputing for missing values 

If data for an intermediate year is not available, the missing values are replaced with the 
previous year's values. If data is unavailable at the beginning of the time series, the missing 
values are replaced with the next available year's values. If data is missing for all years, no 
data is imputed, and, hence, the indicator does not contribute to the SII. 

Step 3: Identifying and replacing outliers 

Positive outliers are identified as those country scores which are higher than the mean 
across all countries plus twice the standard deviation. Negative outliers are identified as 
those country scores which are smaller than the mean across all countries minus twice the 
standard deviation. These outliers are replaced by the respective maximum and minimum 
values observed over all the years and all countries. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025163

Step 4: Transforming data if data is highly skewed 

Most of the indicators are fractional indicators with values between 0% and 100%. Some 
indicators are unbound indicators, where values are not limited to an upper threshold. 
These indicators can be highly volatile and can have skewed data distributions (where most 
countries show low performance levels, and a few countries show exceptionally high levels 
of performance). For these indicators where the degree of skewness across the full eight-
year period is above one, data has been transformed using a square root transformation. 
For the following indicators data has been transformed: Non-R&D innovation expenditures, 
PCT patent applications and Trademark applications. A square root transformation uses the 
square root of the indicator value instead of the original value.

Step 5: Determining Maximum and Minimum scores 

The Maximum score is the highest score found for the eight-year period within all countries 
excluding positive outliers. Similarly, the Minimum score is the lowest score found for the 
eight-year period within all countries excluding negative outliers. 

Step 6: Calculating re-scaled scores 

Re-scaled  scores  of  the  country  scores  (after  correcting  for  outliers  and  a  possible 
transformation of the data) for all years are calculated by first subtracting the Minimum 
score and then dividing by the difference between the Maximum and Minimum score. The 
maximum re-scaled score is thus equal to 1, and the minimum re-scaled score is equal 
to 0. For positive and negative outliers, the re-scaled score is equal to 1 or 0, respectively. 

Step 7: Calculating composite innovation indexes 

For each year, a composite Summary Innovation Index is calculated as the unweighted 
average of the re-scaled scores for all indicators where all indicators receive the same 
weight (1/32 if data is available for all 32 indicators). 

Step 8: Calculating relative to EU performance scores 

Performance scores relative to the EU are then calculated as the SII of the respective 
country divided by the SII of the EU multiplied by 100. Relative performance scores are 
calculated for the full eight-year period compared to the performance of the EU in 2018 
and for the latest year also to that of the EU in 2025. For the definition of the performance 
groups, only the performance scores relative to the EU in 2025 have been used. 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025164

Performance group membership 

For determining performance group membership, the EIS uses the following classification 
scheme with corresponding values for EIS 2025: 

 •

Innovation Leaders are all countries with a relative performance in 2025 above 125% 
of the EU average in 2025 (corresponding to a score of 140.7 when indexed to EU 
2018). 

 • Strong Innovators are all countries with a relative performance in 2024 between 

100% and 125% of the EU average in 2024 (corresponding to a range of scores from 
112.6 to 140.7 when indexed to EU 2018). 

 • Moderate Innovators are all countries with a relative performance in 2025 between 

70% and 100% of the EU average in 2025 (corresponding to a range of scores from 
78.8 to 112.6 when indexed to EU 2018). 

 •

Emerging Innovators are all countries with a relative performance in 2025 below 70% 
of the EU average in 2025 (corresponding to a score below 78.8 when indexed to EU 
2018). 

International benchmark

The  methodology  for  calculating  average  innovation  performance  for  the  EU  and  its 
major global competitors is comparable to that used for calculating average innovation 
performance  for  the  EU27  Member  States  but  using  a  smaller  set  of  countries  and  a 
smaller set of indicators. 

Automation 

The data collection and calculation process for the EIS has been automated for the 2025 
release. The approach is summarised in the Figure below. 

The construction of the summary index for 2025 has been performed using the COINr 
package46 adapted and extended to the EIS. COINr is an open-source R package recently 
developed by the European Commission’s Competence Centre for Composite Indicators and 
Scoreboards47, and implements international guidelines and best practices in composite 
indicator construction48. It allows highly detailed and flexible construction and analysis of 

46 See: https://bluefoxr.github.io/COINr/
47 See: https://composite-indicators.jrc.ec.europa.eu/
48 Nardo M, Saisana M, Saltelli A, Tarantola S, Hoffmann A, Giovannini E. Handbook on Constructing Composite Indicators: Methodology and User Guide. 

Paris (France): OECD publishing; 2008. JRC47008. https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC47008

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025165

composite indicators, including imputation, normalisation, outlier treatment and sensitivity 
analysis. 

This approach provides a highly replicable and easy to follow data pipeline which feeds 
into the COINr package and automatically provides the main outputs of the EIS. Since the 
data collection, processing and outputs are largely based on code (using the R software), all 
code is packaged together and hosted on GitHub which also facilitates the auditing process. 

Figure 44: EIS automation process

7.3 Contextual analysis on the impact of structural differences between countries 
In response to a need for contextual analyses to better understand performance differences 
between the innovation indicators used in the main measurement framework, a set of 
contextual indicators is included in the country profiles available on the EIS website and 
online  tool.  As  an  introduction,  the  following  sections  discuss  the  relevance  of  these 
structural  aspects  to  provide  a  better  understanding  of  differences  between  countries 
in the performance of individual indicators. Full definitions of all performance indicators 
and contextual indicators are provided in the EIS 2025 Methodology Report. The list of 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025166

contextual indicators, the years for which average performance has been calculated, and 
data sources used are shown in Table 1. 

Table 1: Contextual indicators in the European Innovation Scoreboard – European 
countries

DIMENSION/INDICATOR

PERIOD

SOURCE

Performance and structure of the economy

GDP per capita (PPS)

Average annual GDP growth (%)

Average 2022-
2024

Average 2022-
2024

Employment share Manufacturing (NACE 
C) (%)

Average 2022-
2024

of which High and Medium high tech (%)

Average 2022-
2024

Employment share Services (NACE G-N) 
(%)

Average 2022-
2024

of which Knowledge-intensive sectors (%)

Turnover share SMEs (%)

Turnover share large companies (%)

Average 2022-
2024

Average 2018-
2020

Average 2018-
2020

Foreign-controlled enterprises - share of 
value added (%)

Average 2018-
2020

Herfindahl-Hirschman Index of non-EU 
imports of high-tech goods

Average 2022-
2024

Eurostat

Eurostat

Eurostat

Eurostat

Eurostat

Eurostat

Eurostat

Eurostat

Eurostat

COMEXT

Business and entrepreneurship

Enterprise births (10+ employees) (%)

Average 2018-
2020

Eurostat

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025167

DIMENSION/INDICATOR

PERIOD

SOURCE

Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity 
(TEA) (%)

Average 2022-
2024

FDI net inflows (% GDP)

Average 2021-
2023

Top R&D spending enterprises per 10 
million population

Average 2022-
2024

Buyer sophistication (1 to 7 best)

Digital Intensity Index

Young High Growth Enterprises

Innovation profiles

Average 2015-
2017

2024

2022

In-house product innovators with market 
novelties

2018-2020

In-house product innovators without 
market novelties

2018-2020

In-house business process innovators

2018-2020

Innovators that do not develop 
innovations themselves

2018-2020

Innovation active non-innovators

2018-2020

Non-innovators with potential to innovate

2018-2020

Non-innovators without disposition to 
innovate

2018-2020

Global 
Entrepreneurship 
Monitor

World Bank: World 
Development 
Indicators

EU Industrial 
R&D Investment 
Scoreboard

World Economic 
Forum

Eurostat

Eurostat

Eurostat, National 
Statistical Offices

Eurostat, National 
Statistical Offices

Eurostat, National 
Statistical Offices

Eurostat, National 
Statistical Offices

Eurostat, National 
Statistical Offices

Eurostat, National 
Statistical Offices

Eurostat, National 
Statistical Offices

Horizon Europe funding intensity per 
researcher

Average 2022-
2024

Horizon Europe; 
Eurostat

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025168

DIMENSION/INDICATOR

PERIOD

SOURCE

Governance and policy framework

Corruption Perceptions Index

Average 2022-
2024

Transparency 
International

Basic-school entrepreneurial education 
and training (1 to 5 best)

Average 2022-
2024

Innovation procurement as a share of 
total public procurement

2023

Rule of law (-2.5 to 2.5 best)

Average 2021-
2023

Global 
Entrepreneurship 
Monitor

Tenders Electronic 
Daily and 
National Public 
Procurement data

World Bank: 
Worldwide 
Governance 
Indicators

Environment

Circular material use rate

Average 2021-2023 Eurostat

Greenhouse gas emissions intensity of 
energy consumption

Average 2018-2020 European 

Environment 
Agency (EEA), 
Eurostat

EC, DG 
Environment

Eco-Innovation Index

2024

Demography
Population size (millions)

Average 2022-2024 Eurostat

Average annual population growth (%)

Between 2022-2024 Eurostat

Population density (inhabitants / km2)

Average 2021-2023 Eurostat

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025169

Performance and structure of the economy 

GDP per capita in purchasing power standards (PPS)49 is a measure for interpreting real 
income differences between countries. Higher income can increase the demand for new 
innovative goods and services. Economic growth is captured by the average annual growth 
rate of GDP for 2022-2024. In economies that grow faster, increasing demand may provide 
more favourable conditions for enterprises to sell their goods and services. 

Differences in economic structures are important. Differences in the share of manufacturing 
industry in GDP, and in high-tech activities in manufacturing and services, are important 
factors that explain why countries can perform better or worse on indicators like business 
R&D expenditures, PCT patents, and innovative enterprises. Medium-high and high-tech 
industries have higher technological intensities than other industries. These industries, on 
average, will have higher R&D expenditures, more patent applications, and higher shares 
of innovative enterprises. Countries with above-average shares of these industries are 
expected to perform better on several EIS indicators. For example, for the EU on average, 
85% of R&D expenditures in manufacturing are accounted for by medium-high and high 
technology manufacturing industries50 51. Also, the share of enterprises that introduced a 
product and/or business process innovation is higher in medium-high and high- technology 
manufacturing  industries  compared  to  all  core  industries  covered  in  the  Community 
Innovation Survey52. 

49 The purchasing power standard (PPS) is an artificial currency unit. Theoretically, one PPS can buy the same amount of goods and services in each 
country.  However,  price  differences  across  borders  mean  that  different  amounts  of  national  currency  units  are  needed  for  the  same  goods  and 
services depending on the country. PPS are derived by dividing any economic aggregate of a country in national currency by its respective purchasing 
power parities. PPS is the technical term used by Eurostat for the common currency in which national accounts aggregates are expressed when 
adjusted for price level differences using PPPs. Thus, PPPs can be interpreted as the exchange rate of the PPS against the Euro.

50 Based on NACE Rev. 2 three-digit level, manufacturing industries can be classified into high-technology, medium-high technology, medium-low-
technology, and low-technology. The high-technology and medium-high technology industries include: Chemicals and chemical products (20); Basic 
pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations (21); Weapons and ammunition (25.4*); Computer, electronic and optical products (26); 
Electrical equipment (27); Machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified (28); Motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers (29); Other transport 
equipment (30) excluding Building of ships and boats (30.1); Air and spacecraft and related machinery (30.3); and Medical and dental instruments 
and  supplies  (32.5**).  If  data  is  only  available  at  the  NACE  Rev.  2  two-digit  level,  industries  identified  with  an  *  are  classified  as  medium-low-
technology, and industries identified with an ** are classified as low-technology, and thus excluded from the high-technology and medium-high 
technology industries (Source: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/ Glossary: High-tech classification_of_manufacturing

51 Average results for 2015-2017 for 24 Member States for which data is available for at least one year. Data were extracted from Eurostat (Business 

enterprise R&D expenditure in high-tech sectors - NACE Rev. 2 [htec_sti_exp2]

52 In accordance with Commission Regulation No 995/2012, the following industries and services are included in the Core target population covered 
in the CIS: Core Industry (excluding construction): Mining and quarrying (B), Manufacturing (C) (10-12: Manufacture of food products, beverages 
and  tobacco;  13-15:  Manufacture  of  textiles,  wearing  apparel,  leather  and  related  products;  16-18:  Manufacture  of  wood,  paper,  printing  and 
reproduction;  20:  Manufacture  of  chemicals  and  chemical  products;  21:  Manufacture  of  basic  pharmaceutical  products  and  pharmaceutical 
preparations;  19-22  Manufacture  of  petroleum,  chemical,  pharmaceutical,  rubber  and  plastic  products;  23:  Manufacture  of  other  non-metallic 
mineral products; 24: Manufacture of basic metals; 25: Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment; 26: Manufacture 
of  computer,  electronic  and  optical  products;  25-30:  Manufacture  of  fabricated  metal  products  (except  machinery  and  equipment),  computer, 
electronic  and  optical  products,  electrical  equipment,  motor  vehicles  and  other  transport  equipment;  31-33:  Manufacture  of  furniture;  jewellery, 
musical instruments, toys; repair and installation of machinery and equipment, Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (D), Water supply, 
sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (E) (36: Water collection, treatment and supply; 37-39: Sewerage, waste management, 
remediation  activities).  Core  Services:  Wholesale  trade,  except  of  motor  vehicles  and  motorcycles  (46),  Transport  and  storage  (H)  (49-51:  Land 
transport and transport via pipelines, water transport and air transport; 52-53: Warehousing and support activities for transportation and postal and 
courier activities); Information and communication (J) (58: Publishing activities; 61: Telecommunications; 62: Computer programming, consultancy 
and related activities; 63: Information service activities), Financial and insurance activities (K) (64: Financial service activities, except insurance and 
pension funding; 65: Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding, except compulsory social security; 66: Activities auxiliary to financial services and 
insurance activities), Professional, scientific and technical activities (M) (71-73: Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis; 
Scientific research and development; Advertising and market research).

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025170

Foreign ownership, including ownership from both other EU27 Member States and non-
Member States, is important as, on average, about 30% of business R&D expenditures in 
EU27 Member States is made by foreign affiliates, which is significantly higher compared 
to Japan and the United States and comparable to Australia and Canada53. The share of 
foreign-controlled enterprises in value-added serves as a proxy for differences in the impact 
of foreign ownership on the economy. 

In addition, structural vulnerabilities in trade dependencies are increasingly relevant for 
innovation and resilience. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), calculated specifically for 
non-EU imports of high-tech goods, measures the concentration of trade value across 
export partners. Higher values indicate stronger reliance on a limited number of partners, 
highlighting  exposure  to  potential  supply  chain  disruptions.  Conversely,  lower  values 
suggest greater diversification and reduced dependency. The HHI thus complements existing 
indicators, such as High-tech imports from outside the EU27, by capturing the dispersion of 
trade relationships within countries’ high-tech trade profiles.

Business and entrepreneurship 

Entrepreneurship is important for introducing new innovations on the market. The degree 
of entrepreneurship is measured by two contextual indicators measuring the share of new 
enterprise births in the economy and total entrepreneurial activity. The former is measured 
by the share of new enterprise birth in the economy. The latter is measured by the adult 
population aged 18-64 years who are in the process of starting a business (a nascent 
entrepreneur) or who started a business which is not older than 42 months at the time of 
the respective survey (owner manager of a new business). 

A complementary indicator is the share of young high-growth enterprises, which provides 
insights into the capacity of economies to support the scale-up of innovative firms. These 
Gazelles are particularly important in high-tech sectors, where rapid firm expansion often 
reflects strong innovation dynamics and favourable ecosystem conditions. 

The  Digital  Intensity  Index  (DII)  is  another  relevant  contextual  indicator,  capturing  the 
extent to which businesses adopt digital technologies. Composed of 12 variables across 
four areas, digital skills, infrastructure, business digital transformation, and digital public 
services, the DII provides a composite view of digital uptake. Higher digital intensity is 
typically associated with increased innovation capacity and competitiveness, particularly 
among SMEs. 

53 Average results for 2010-2016 for 14 Member States for which data were available (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, 
Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia Spain, and Sweden). Source of the data: OECD Main Science and Technology Indicators, Volume 2018 
Issue 2

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025171

Inflows  of  new  technologies  are  important  as  they  add  to  a  country’s  economic  and 
technological capacities. Inward Foreign direct investment (FDI) can have a positive impact 
on innovation performance, although there are differences depending on the complexity of 
the receiving industry, political and economic framework conditions as well as the quality of 
the institutions of the receiving countries. Inward FDI flows are measured over a three-year 
period, as average net inflows of investments to acquire a lasting management interest 
(10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than 
that of the investor. 

Enterprise characteristics are important for explaining differences in R&D spending and 
innovation activities. Large enterprises, defined as enterprises with 250 or more employees, 
account for almost 80 percent of EU business R&D expenditures, whereas SMEs, defined 
as enterprises with 10 to 249 employees, account for only one-fifth. The presence of large 
R&D spending enterprises is captured by the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, 
which provides economic and financial data and analysis of the top 1000 corporate R&D 
investors from the EU and top 2500 corporate R&D investors elsewhere in the world54. 

Demand is an important driver of innovation. According to the Oslo Manual55, demand 
factors shape innovation activity in two major ways: for the development of new products, 
as firms modify and differentiate products to increase sales and market share and for the 
improvement of the production and supply processes to reduce costs and lower prices. 
A robust indicator measuring the demand for innovation is currently not available. The 
Executive Opinion Survey of the World Economic Forum includes an indicator that provides 
a measure of the preferences of individual consumers for innovative products. The degree 
of Buyer sophistication measures, on a scale from 1 (low) to 7 (high), whether buyers focus 
more on price or quality of products and services, with higher quality being the result of 
product innovations.

Innovation profiles 

Innovation is a highly diverse activity. Enterprises can innovate through product or business 
process  innovation,  with  the  latter  including  process,  marketing  and  organisational 
innovation. Enterprises can adopt new technologies developed by other enterprises or they 
engage in intensive in-house research and innovation activities. The capabilities needed 
by  enterprises  to  innovate  are  very  different  in  kind  and  size.  Building  on  earlier  work 
by academics and the OECD, Eurostat, UNU-MERIT (Maastricht University), ZEW – Leibniz 
Centre for European Economic Research, in collaboration with national statistical offices, 
developed a taxonomy of innovating and non-innovating enterprises based on CIS micro 

54 https://iri.jrc.ec.europa.eu/scoreboard/2024-eu-industrial-rd-investment-scoreboard
55 The Oslo Manual is the foremost international source of guidelines for the collection and use of data on innovation activities in industry. OECD/
Eurostat (2018), Oslo Manual: Guidelines for Collecting, Reporting and Using Data on Innovation, 4th Edition, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: https://www.
oecd.org/science/oslo-manual-2018-9789264304604-en.htm

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025172

data. The following characteristics were used to identify seven mutually exclusive detailed 
innovation profiles: The degree of novelty of product innovations, own in-house capacities 
to innovate, and R&D activities. Of these, four innovation profiles capture different types 
of enterprises that have introduced an innovation (product or business process) and three 
innovation profiles capture non-innovators, of which one profile captures non-innovators 
with innovation activities, one profile captures non-innovators with an interest in innovation, 
while the other captures non innovators without any innovation activities or interest: 

 •

 •

 •

In-house product innovators with market novelties, including all enterprises that 
introduced a product innovation that was developed by the enterprise and that was 
not previously offered by competitors. 

In-house product innovators without market novelties, including all enterprises that 
introduced a product innovation that was developed by the enterprise but that is 
only new to the enterprise itself. In-house business process innovators, including all 
enterprises without a product innovation, but that did introduce a business process 
innovation that was developed by the enterprise. 

Innovators that do not develop innovations themselves, including all enterprises that 
introduced an innovation of any kind but did not develop it themselves (enterprises 
without significant own innovation capabilities).

 •

Innovation active non-innovators, including all enterprises that did not introduce any 
innovation but that either had ongoing or abandoned innovation activities. 

 • Non-innovators with potential to innovate, including all enterprises that did not 
introduce any innovation, and which had no ongoing or abandoned innovation 
activities but that did consider innovating. 

 • Non-innovators without disposition to innovate, including all other enterprises, those 
that neither introduced an innovation nor had any ongoing or abandoned innovation 
activities nor considered to innovate. 

Data on Innovation profiles should not be interpreted as more is better. Instead, the data 
should be used to better understand differences in the composition of different types of 
enterprises in a country, thereby helping policy makers to design policies that better target 
different enterprises. To complement this view, Horizon Europe funding per researcher (FTE) 
is proposed as a new indicator. It measures the net EU contribution received under Horizon 
Europe  per  full-time  equivalent  researcher.  This  provides  insight  into  how  effectively 
countries access and benefit from EU-level research programmes and reflects the intensity 
of competitive R&D funding per researcher.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025173

Governance and policy framework 

Institutional and legal differences between countries may make it more difficult to engage 
in business activities. The Corruption Perceptions Index is a composite index based on a 
combination  of  surveys  and  assessments  of  corruption  from  13  different  sources  and 
scores, and ranks countries based on how corrupt a country’s public sector is perceived 
to be, with a score of 0 representing a very high level of corruption and a score of 100 
representing a low level of corruption. The CPI is published by Transparency International, 
and the data is included in the EU Sustainable Development Goals indicator set to monitor 
progress on SDG Goal 16 on Peace, justice and strong institutions. 

Entrepreneurial skills are important for successfully transforming ideas and inventions into 
innovations. These skills can be acquired on the job but also by formal schooling. Basic-
school entrepreneurial education and training measures the extent to which training in 
creating or managing SMEs is incorporated within the education and training system at 
primary and secondary levels. 

Trust is important for creating a business environment for undertaking risky innovative 
activities. Measures of the rule of law capture differences in the extent to which people 
have  confidence  in  and  abide  by  the  rules  of  society.  The  Rule  of  law  Index  measures 
differences in the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, the judicial 
system, as well as the prevalence of crime and violence.

Environment 

As the natural environment increasingly suffers from the loss of biodiversity, pollution 
and climate change, the relationship between innovation performance and environment 
sustainability grows in importance. EU level policy developments, such as the European 
Green  Deal  and  the  Recovery  plan  for  Europe,  underline  the  need  to  take  account  of 
the pivotal role of research and innovation in contributing to societal challenges. Three 
indicators are included in the Contextual indicators relevant for measuring climate change 
and the role of innovation. 

The circular material use rate measures, in percentages, the share of material recovered 
and  fed  back  into  the  economy  -  thus  saving  extraction  of  primary  raw  materials  -  in 
overall  material  use.  It  covers  households,  the  private  and  the  public  sector.  A  higher 
circular material use rate indicates more secondary materials substituting for primary raw 
materials, thereby avoiding the environmental impacts of extracting primary material. 

Greenhouse gas emissions intensity of energy consumption is an indicator that is part of 
the EU Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator set. It is used to monitor progress 

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025174

towards  Goal  13  on  climate  action  and  SDG  7  on  affordable  and  clean  energy.  The 
indicator is calculated as the ratio between energy related GHG emissions and gross inland 
consumption of energy. It expresses how many tonnes CO₂ equivalents of energy related 
GHGs are being emitted in a certain economy per unit of energy that is being consumed. 
Lower scores on this indicator imply an improvement in environmental performance. 

Demography 

Structural  data  also  includes  population  size  and  the  average  annual  growth  rate  of 
population for 2022-2024. Increasing demand following  an increasing population may 
provide  more  favourable  conditions  for  enterprises  to  sell  their  goods  and  services. 
Densely populated areas are more likely to be more innovative for several reasons. Firstly, 
knowledge diffuses more easily when people and enterprises are located closer to each 
other. Secondly, in more densely populated areas there tends to be a concentration of 
government  and  educational  services.  Densely  populated  areas  provide  better  training 
opportunities and employ above-average shares of highly educated people. Furthermore, 
the amount of natural assets per capita  tends to decline with population  density.  This 
positively impacts on the share of Medium and high-tech product exports and the share of 
employment in knowledge intensive activities.

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025Annex 1 Performance change of EU27 Member States and neighbouring countries compared to 2018 and 2025

Figure 45: Performance change between 2018 and 2025 per indicator for EU27 Member States and neighbouring countries

175

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025EUCHSEDKNLUKFIIEBENOLUATISDEFREEMTSIITESPTCYLTCZELHRHUPLSKTRLVRSBGMEMKALROUABAMD4.3.3Labourproductivity4.3.2Production-basedCO2productivity4.3.1ResourceproductivityResourceandlabourproductivity4.2.3High-techimportsfromoutsidetheEU4.2.2Knowledge-intensiveservicesexports4.2.1Exportsofmediumandhigh-techproductsTradeimpacts4.1.2Employmentininnovativeenterprises4.1.1Salesofnew-to-marketandnew-to-firminnovationsSalesandemploymentimpacts3.3.3Designapplications3.3.2Trademarkapplications3.3.1PCTpatentapplicationsIntellectualassets3.2.3Job-to-jobmobilityofHRST3.2.2Public-privateco-publications3.2.1InnovativeSMEscollaboratingwithothersLinkages3.1.2SMEsintroducingbusinessprocessinnovations3.1.1SMEsintroducingproductinnovationsInnovators2.3.2EmployedICTspecialists2.3.1CloudComputingInvestmentsininformationtechnologies2.2.3Innovationexpendituresperpersonemployed2.2.2Non-R&Dinnovationexpenditures2.2.1R&DexpenditureinthebusinesssectorFirminvestments2.1.3DirectandindirectgovernmentsupportofbusinessR&D2.1.2Venturecapitalexpenditures2.1.1R&DexpenditureinthepublicsectorFinanceandsupport1.3.2Individualswithabovebasicoveralldigitalskills1.3.1HighspeedinternetaccessDigitalisation1.2.3Foreigndoctoratestudentsasa%ofalldoctoratestudents1.2.2Scientificpublicationsamongthetop10%mostcited1.2.1Internationalscientificco-publicationsAttractiveresearchsystems1.1.3Populationinvolvedinlifelonglearning1.1.2Populationwithtertiaryeducation1.1.1NewdoctorategraduatesHumanresourcesEUCHSEDKNLUKFIIEBENOLUATISDEFREEMTSIITESPTCYLTCZELHRHUPLSKTRLVRSBGMEMKALROUABAMDNegative performance changeNo performance changePositive performance change between 2018 and 2025Figure 46: Performance change between 2024 and 2025 per indicator for EU27 Member States and neighbouring countries

176

European Innovation Scoreboard 2025EUCHSEDKNLUKFIIEBENOLUATISDEFREEMTSIITESPTCYLTCZELHRHUPLSKTRLVRSBGMEMKALROUABAMD4.3.3Labourproductivity4.3.2Production-basedCO2productivity4.3.1ResourceproductivityResourceandlabourproductivity4.2.3High-techimportsfromoutsidetheEU4.2.2Knowledge-intensiveservicesexports4.2.1Exportsofmediumandhigh-techproductsTradeimpacts4.1.2Employmentininnovativeenterprises4.1.1Salesofnew-to-marketandnew-to-firminnovationsSalesandemploymentimpacts3.3.3Designapplications3.3.2Trademarkapplications3.3.1PCTpatentapplicationsIntellectualassets3.2.3Job-to-jobmobilityofHRST3.2.2Public-privateco-publications3.2.1InnovativeSMEscollaboratingwithothersLinkages3.1.2SMEsintroducingbusinessprocessinnovations3.1.1SMEsintroducingproductinnovationsInnovators2.3.2EmployedICTspecialists2.3.1CloudComputingInvestmentsininformationtechnologies2.2.3Innovationexpendituresperpersonemployed2.2.2Non-R&Dinnovationexpenditures2.2.1R&DexpenditureinthebusinesssectorFirminvestments2.1.3DirectandindirectgovernmentsupportofbusinessR&D2.1.2Venturecapitalexpenditures2.1.1R&DexpenditureinthepublicsectorFinanceandsupport1.3.2Individualswithabovebasicoveralldigitalskills1.3.1HighspeedinternetaccessDigitalisation1.2.3Foreigndoctoratestudentsasa%ofalldoctoratestudents1.2.2Scientificpublicationsamongthetop10%mostcited1.2.1Internationalscientificco-publicationsAttractiveresearchsystems1.1.3Populationinvolvedinlifelonglearning1.1.2Populationwithtertiaryeducation1.1.1NewdoctorategraduatesHumanresourcesEUCHSEDKNLUKFIIEBENOLUATISDEFREEMTSIITESPTCYLTCZELHRHUPLSKTRLVRSBGMEMKALROUABAMDNegative performance changeNo performance changePositive performance change between 2024 and 2025Annex 2 Overview of structural differences of EU27 Member States and neighbouring countries economies 

Figure 47: Differences in structural indicators between EU27 Member States and neighbouring countries

177

European Innovation Scoreboard 20253612035118641549590116129816990105997577221133988824470514210713418378807749113917370100-11.12.33.10.5-0.33.1-1.72.32.9-0.51.33.6-0.2-2.20.71.60.21.26.30.51.62.31.60.41.92.116201118126.3251811179.9121311172111918162.9139.98.27191719209.6222320391337244915425146241633383521443820341716283531282336294739462141354142425035383840444540404037433942404240464337364038364137343428193222403428283324272332322626343528255720333935262520264231221919141715171818149.71524171414101614121716161419162116161415141312161412203039313823466143193344465937445629373444243516373845444054344353171316246.5281214186.512138.31831558.21623202017131814201518240.70.10.20.10.30.30.40.20.30.20.20.10.50.20.30.30.20.20.30.20.20.50.30.30.30.20.20.20.20.30.20.40.20.20.20.30.40.91.30.91.410.50.70.51.21.20.70.42.111.60.510.80.91.51.91.90.70.81.31.32.11.60.50.51.12.846.723139.7139.58.95.78.8914108.8137.82.26.411117.96.78.99.21313-0.342.8-9.13.51135.17.16.61.42.22.54.13.34.31.413-5.72.83.92.55.62195.74-161-5.6224-122.55.243.53.12.14.27.2149.741207.913126473.2501821121.64.72.424550.23.13.84.43.22.153.834.33.73.33.54.644.73.32.734.44.13.73.24.92.92.92.83.534.44.53.33.62.32.93.34.63.53.22010178.59.2207.224148.61716118.15.9122.213178.911109.1182117238.914168.712112.78.18.2103.813175.37.62010172433218.420166.31817131814212.9111914116.74.84.5100.47.35.94.58.25.837.43.65.13.15.51.2129.52.80.92.91.80.75.61.8136.31.13.46.11.62.223.82.90.51.12.55.17.412141718121242018405.91325214.23227147.936232850261327152531272838344338611762362727397.7132.34.5643.28.1148.94.74.7111.4117.37.54.72013111.55.64.81.9109.14.5387034724482545677907550598770494277745562795946414979835460463682575235722.22.82.55.12.42.52.82.33.34.7545.341.92.52.6332.54.13.54.43.1362049183835425937203362232924412729362727484645333823415534290.50.21.20.30.80.71.211.70.81.40.31.40.41.20.40.81.41.31.401.50.90.91.110.70.80.92.4-0.21.71.3-0.1-0.31.80.61.11.61.90.81.421.21.40.30.30.51.61.70.31.11.81-0.3-0.10.8-0.11.71.80.41.10.4-0.10.611.7-0.5-0.813204.16.612139205.68.94.3176.45.32.2204104.820297.12.91.4108.71183859587997464796980877677448282831039062918884808978908069891771095998126141178116911271811449764121150115175115991337011380165122992.89.13.4126.58.80.911835.91.410485.6683.99.65.30.4592.80.71.92.50.61.80.5185.53710196.7102.15.485411-0.70.9-0.31.31.91.80.10.71.6-0.31.20.50.30-0.11.9101.42-0.1-2.80.5-0.34.111.1-0.410.1-1.40.50.4-0.10.499110385592221021392361413280961810869105773.81984625530467417315221512011681261051111116.59.127.91.44.1141416119.46.65.117762.84.52.78.84.37.84.55.65.88131014121000.8163840281350130.87.113.61214186.14.218316.2632.4340.8112831284480.41099.2EUCHSEDKNLUKFIIEBENOLUATISDEFREEMTSIITESPTCYLTCZELHRHUPLSKTRLVRSBGMEMKALROUABAMDGDPpercapitaAverageannualGDPgrowthEmploymentshareManufacturingEmploymentshareHighandMediumhigh-techEmploymentshareServicesEmploymentshareKnowledge-intensiveservicesTurnovershareSMEsTurnoversharelargeenterprisesForeign-controlledenterprises–shareofvalueaddedEnterprisebirthsTotalEntrepreneurialActivityFDInetinflowsBuyersophisticationDigitalIntensityIndexYoungHighGrowthEnterprisesIn-houseproductinnovatorswithmarketnoveltiesIn-houseproductinnovatorswithoutmarketnoveltiesIn-housebusinessprocessinnovatorsInnovatorsthatdonotdevelopinnovationsthemselvesInnovationactivenon-innovatorsNon-innovatorswithpotentialtoinnovateNon-innovatorswithoutdispositiontoinnovateHEUfundingintensityperresearcher(inthousands)CorruptionPerceptionsIndexBasic-schoolentrepreneurialeducationandtrainingRuleoflawInnovationprocurementasashareoftotalpublicprocurementCircularmaterialuserateGreenhousegasemissionsintensityofenergyconsumptionEco-InnovationIndexPopulationsize(inmillions)AverageannualpopulationgrowthPopulationdensityEUCHSEDKNLUKFIIEBENOLUATISDEFREEMTSIITESPTCYLTCZELHRHUPLSKTRLVRSBGMEMKALROUABAMDEU averageBelow EU averageAbove EU averageGETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE EU

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This study provides the results of the 2025 edition of the European 
Innovation Scoreboard. The EIS provides a comparative analysis of the 
innovation performance of the European Union (EU), the 27 Member 
States, 12 neighbouring European countries and 11 global competitors. 

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doi:10.2777/3239776
ISBN 978-92-68-28502-2