The Netherlands Is One of the Top Innovation Leaders in Europe

The country ranks fourth on the European Innovation Scoreboard 2022

The Netherlands ranks fourth on the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) 2022, up one spot from the previous ranking. The country is one of the top innovation leaders in Europe, building smart, sustainable solutions for the future.

Other countries topping the EIS ‘Innovation Leader’ ranking with the Netherlands include Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Belgium. The Netherlands has a performance at 129% of the European Union (EU) average.

Dutch strengths in public-private collaborations, global talent, a skilled workforce – including tech specialists, and an overall population with above average digital skills contributed to the Netherlands advance on this year’s EIS.

Embracing the Dutch entrepreneurial mindset

The Netherlands is motivated to make a difference. The country’s innovation culture is long-standing, having invented Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. This mindset puts the Dutch at the forefront of developing next-generation solutions for Europe and the world.

Driving this innovative, entrepreneurial mindset is a multilingual, highly skilled workforce. On the EIS 2022, the Netherlands scored highly for foreign doctorate students and lifelong learning. Home to 14 universities, 34 centers of professional education and numerous specialized training facilities, the Netherlands attracts some of the world’s top talent and provides fertile ground to bring their innovative ideas to life.

The Netherlands invests in innovation of the future

Not only has the Netherlands continued to grow as an innovation leader, but the Dutch government invests in its future. Cooperation between academia, industry and government provides fertile ground for innovation to prosper. Thanks to a highly collaborative research and development (R&D) ecosystem, companies can accelerate their business and benefit people and the planet.

“In economically challenging times, it is wise to also invest in innovative products and services for future jobs and income,” said Micky Adriaansens, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy for the Netherlands. Thats why the government is also increasingly contributing to promising innovations to ensure the long-term success of the economy.

About the European Innovation Scoreboard

The European Innovation Scoreboard “provides a comparative analysis of innovation performance in EU countries, other European countries and regional neighbors. It assesses relative strengths and weaknesses in national innovation performance and helps countries identify areas they need to address.” The ranking has been published annually since 2001.

Source: European Commission