News item | 06-07-2023 | 1:00 pm
On the leading European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), the Netherlands has been designated as an ‘Innovation Leader’, just like in 2022. The Netherlands is fourth in total these published today European ranking. The EIS assesses all EU member states on 32 indicators and compares these results with other countries within and outside Europe. This includes the amount of private and public investment in research and development, public-private partnerships, innovation within SMEs, digitalisation, patent applications, quality of research and the level of employment within innovative companies and knowledge institutions.
Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate): “This position is a nice appreciation for all innovative entrepreneurs, researchers and scientists, but it is not self-evident. That is why we are increasingly encouraging that knowledge in the Netherlands remains up to date, but above all also leads to concrete innovations. That is why there are plenty of additional private and government investments in research and innovation to ensure sufficient jobs and income in the Netherlands in the long term. For example in quantum, photonics, hydrogen, but also in biomedical innovation.”
The EIS identifies traditional strengths of the Netherlands, such as education, the quality of the research (system) resulting in a high level of knowledge, digital skills and their application in innovation. Recent improvements according to the EIS are the amount of cooperation between innovative SMEs and an increasing availability of venture capital in the longer term. At the same time, there are also weaknesses such as the relatively low amount of private investment in innovation. The Netherlands scores below the EU average and ranks in the European average, even though the amount of public investment and government support for private investment are up to standard.
The Netherlands also maintains a high position in the ranking of competitive economies
The Netherlands will also be one of the most competitive economies in the world in 2023. On the so-called IMD World Competitivenessranking The Netherlands has risen from sixth to fifth place.
The Netherlands owes this place to its high-quality infrastructure, such as well-developed transport and communication networks. Moreover, the Netherlands has transparent regulations and efficient government services. IMD praises the Netherlands for its well-educated and diverse working population, which makes an important contribution to the competitiveness of the Dutch economy. In addition, our country has distinguished itself through its ability to embrace and integrate digital technologies in various sectors, making it a pioneer in the digital transformation.