The Netherlands is one of the innovation leaders on the European Innovation Scoreboard. This ranking assesses the innovation of several EU member states.
An innovation leader is an EU member state that performs 125% above the EU average in terms of innovation. At the 2022 edition of the ranking, Sweden leads the way as innovation leader. Finland follows closely behind, while Denmark is in third position. The Netherlands follows in fourth position, moving up one position from the 2021 edition. Belgium rounds out the top five.
From research and development to public-private partnerships
The European Innovation Scoreboard assesses EU countries on 32 indicators. These include investments in research and development, public-private partnerships and innovation within SMEs, but also digitalisation, the number of patent applications, the quality of research and the level of employment within innovative companies and knowledge institutions.
Micky Adriaansens, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate: "In economically challenging times, it is wise to also invest in innovative products and services for future jobs and income. And that is what Dutch entrepreneurs do, so this result is a great appreciation for them and for all the researchers, scientists and students who lay the foundation for innovation. This position cannot be taken for granted. So the government is also increasingly contributing itself, such as through the National Growth Fund, to promising innovation to ensure the long-term success of our economy."
Large differences within the EU
The European Commission reports that large differences are visible in the level of innovation of different EU member states. The commission wants to bridge these differences and position the EU as a leading player in the global innovation landscape.
The European Innovation Scoreboard has been available since 2001 and is updated every year. It includes an analysis of the innovation performance of EU member states, other European countries and neighbouring countries. The ranking assesses the strengths and weaknesses of countries when it comes to their national innovation performance. The European Innovation Scoreboard also helps countries identify areas for improvement.
Only performing countries
The lowest performing countries on the ranking are Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia. Together with Croatia and Hungary, these countries form the emerging innovators. Average innovators are Greece, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Estonia.
The European Innovation Scoreboard is available here.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
