Austria stagnates in EU innovation ranking at eighth place

Austria holds steady in eighth place in the European Union's Innovation Scoreboard, maintaining its position as a "Strong Innovator." However, the latest report indicates a slight decline in the country's overall innovation performance compared to the previous year. While Austria's innovation capacity remains above the EU average, it lags behind the top-tier "Innovation Leaders" like Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

The "European Innovation Scoreboard" measures innovation strength across 32 indicators. Austria achieved 113 percent of the EU average, with its performance improving by 8.9 percentage points since 2019. Yet, the period between 2025 and 2026 saw a 2.3 percentage point decrease, signaling a stagnation or slight downturn after a period of growth. The country slipped from sixth to eighth place in the rankings last year and now sits just below the average within the "Strong Innovators" group.

Despite significant investments in research and innovation, Austria faces challenges in maintaining its competitive edge. The report highlights strengths in international networking, the attractiveness of its research system, intellectual potential, and financial support, with public funding for the research, technology, and innovation sector remaining "very high." The country also performs well in patent and trademark applications and in collaboration between academia and industry.

Internationally, Switzerland leads the European innovation rankings. Beyond the EU, countries like South Korea, China, Canada, and the United States also surpass the EU average. While the EU has gained ground on Canada and the U.S., it is falling behind China, South Korea, and Australia. The report suggests that Austria is struggling to assert its position on the global stage despite its robust domestic investment in innovation.