The Netherlands Scores High as Top 5 Innovator in Europe
Ranking No. 4 in the EU in the European Innovation Scoreboard 2024, the Netherlands shines as an ideal place to develop solutions for the future
The Netherlands continues to assert its position as a leading innovator in Europe, ranking among the top 5 in the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) 2024. Published by the European Commission, the report highlights the strengths that make the Netherlands an ideal place to develop solutions for the future: from the country’s world-class research institutions and unique ecosystem for public-private collaboration, to its rate of digitalization and focus on environmental sustainability.
Scoring 26% higher than the average performance in the EU, the Netherlands earns its spot in EIS’s category of European Innovation Leaders, along with Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. The Dutch innovation ecosystem is No. 4 among EU member countries, while ranking No. 5 in Europe overall. This extends a trend of high performance in the European Innovation Scoreboard, with the Netherlands consistently ranking among the report’s top countries in recent years.
Dutch skillsets, knowledge institutions and digitalization fuel opportunities for innovation
The Netherlands shines across numerous dimensions of EIS 2024, especially when it comes to the country’s strong education system, top-notch knowledge institutions and digitally proficient population. These attributes enable companies of all origins to advance technological innovation and cross-industry research & development in the Netherlands.
Among EU countries, the Netherlands comes in at No. 2 for the report’s Attractive Research Systems dimension, which assesses how competitive a country’s scientific research environment is on the global stage. The report’s Human Resources dimension, which evaluates the availability of a highly skilled and educated workforce, places the Netherlands at No. 4 in the EU.
The Netherlands also ranks No. 2 for the Digitalization dimension, which measures the level of digital skills, adoption of digital technologies and digital infrastructure. This correlates to a No. 3 ranking for the Dutch tech ecosystem in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector.
Innovation, sustainability and collaboration go hand-in-hand in the Netherlands
In addition, the Dutch innovation ecosystem earns high marks for its commitment to sustainability and collaborative environment. EIS 2024 ranks the Netherlands as No. 2 in the EU for its Environmental Sustainability dimension, which captures how countries are improving their technologies and systems to mitigate environmental impacts. Within this dimension, the Netherlands is No. 1 in the EU when it comes to resource productivity – revealing how the Dutch ecosystem facilitates responsible consumption and production of resources.
Finally, the European Innovation Scoreboard reaffirms the Netherlands’ ability to foster collaboration in the pursuit of innovation. The Dutch ecosystem ranks among the top 6 in the report’s Linkages dimension, which looks at collaboration efforts and connectivity in the business sector. With a wealth of industry ecosystems and clusters anchored in numerous science and innovation parks, the Netherlands scores well above the EU average in terms of forging cooperation among forward-thinking companies, as well as partnerships between the private sector and academia.
Put together, the report illuminates how the Netherlands possesses all the right qualities that companies need to create groundbreaking solutions for a smarter, more sustainable future.
Source: European Innovation Scoreboard 2024
Source: Invest in Holland