Strengthening EU Innovation Policy
Insights from the Regional Innovation Output Indicator
This brief presents the results from the first edition of the Regional Innovation Output Indicator (RIOI) developed by the JRC to support more informed innovation policymaking at the regional level for the EU. Combining seven indicators, the RIOI provides a snapshot of innovation output across EU regions. According to the 2025 edition, innovation output is unevenly distributed across EU regions. It is predominantly concentrated in Central and Northern European countries, with regions in Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and Finland consistently outperforming the EU27 benchmark. In contrast, most regions in Southern and Eastern European member states score below the EU27 average. The RIOI ranking is led by Stockholm (SE11), Oberbayern (DE21), Berlin (DE30), Praha (CZ01), and Ile-de-France (FR10). In contrast, the three lowest-performing regions are all located in Romania. In addition, capital city regions consistently rank among the top-performing regions within their respective country in terms of innovation output. This pattern is particularly pronounced in Southern and Eastern European member states, where capital regions systematically outperform other regions in their countries, underscoring the over-concentration of innovation activity in urban centres.
BELLO Michela;
RAVANOS Panagiotis;
KARVOUNARAKI Athina;
AL-AJLANI Haya;
SMALLENBROEK Oscar;
2025-11-28
European Commission
JRC143873
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC143873,
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