Stockholm is the Most Innovative Region in the EU 2017

Press Release, Research and Innovation | 29-06-2017

Stockholm is the most innovative region in the EU according to the 2017 Regional Innovation Scoreboard, presented by the European Commission.

Stockholm is the most innovative region in the EU according to the 2017 Regional Innovation Scoreboard, recently presented by the European Commission.

The 2017 Scoreboard reveals that EU innovation performance continues to increase, and confirms that Europe’s most innovative regions are located in the most innovative member states. The most innovative regions perform best on all indicators measured, in particular on those indicators measuring the performance of their research systems and business innovation.

– In Stockholm we have adopted an ambitious and holistic approach to innovation work. To be ranked as the most innovative region in the EU gives us further recognition in our strive to be the world´s most innovation-driven economy – an economy that promotes education, innovation and research, says Karin Wanngård, Mayor of the City of Stockholm and chairman of the Stockholm Region Association for European Affairs.

Dubbed the unicorn factory by the Financial Times in 2015, the Stockholm Region continues to attract more companies, investments and talents. As a result of a strong innovation infrastructure, based on academic and scientific research, Stockholm has a higher number of start-ups per capita than any other European city and one of the largest life science clusters in Europe.

Regional innovation benchmarking and the regional perspective of innovation are of great importance. It’s very positive that the European Commission recognises the role of city-regions as drivers of innovation, Karin Wanngård continues.

About the Regional Innovation Scoreboard

The Regional Innovation Scoreboard measures the innovation performance of 220 European regions on the basis of 18 indicators, ranging from the number of trademark applications to R&D expenditures, public-private co-publications and opportunities for lifelong learning. It is an extension of the European Commission’s annual European Innovation Scoreboard, which provides a comparative assessment of the research and innovation performance of EU member states. Compared to the European Innovation Scoreboard, the Regional Innovation Scoreboard places a stronger focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. The results of the 2017 Regional Innovation Scoreboard were presented by the European Commission on 20 June 2017. Stockholm is the most innovative region in the EU, followed by Denmark’s capital region Hovedstaden, and South East England in the United Kingdom.

Press Release in Swedish, please click here.