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Denmark among the most innovative in the EU

May 11, 2015
The European Commission's annual ranking list of innovation among the 28 member countries has just been published. Denmark is second again, but has scored even better than last year and is closing in on the top spot.

This year's edition of the Innovation Union Scoreboard, which compares research and innovation performance among EU member countries has just been released. Denmark's research and innovation performance has had an average annual growth of 1.9 per cent and we can therefore be pleased with our continued second place ranking. It should also be noted that Denmark has moved closer to matching Sweden which is ranked as the top innovation leader.

Overall, EU countries have not significantly improved their innovation since last year: Thirteen EU countries have reduced their innovation performance, while 15 countries have improved. Denmark is ranked among the group of Innovation Leaders and is the only country among that group to have increased its performance in the eight years that the study has been running.

Minister for Higher Education and Science Sofie Carsten Nielsen says:

- I am pleased that our innovation performance is increasing, and has continued to do so during a difficult economic period. Next time we would like to wrench the top spot away from Sweden and I have high hopes that we can do so thanks to the government's ambitious innovation policies. We should also therefore note the areas in which we can improve.

Compared to the Innovation Union Scoreboard 2014, Denmark's innovation performance has improved in 17 of the 25 measured indicators. Denmark does particularly well within international scientific co-publishing, public-private scientific co-publishing, and patent applications within societal challenges. However, Denmark is ranked below the EU average on indicators for innovation costs, the export of medium and high-tech products, the numbers of PhD students from outside the EU, and the number of young people having obtained an upper secondary level education.

About Innovation Union Scoreboard 2015

    • The annual Innovation Union Scoreboard compares the research and innovation efforts of the EU's 28 member countries and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the countries' research and innovation systems.
    • The Innovation Union Scoreboard helps member countries identify areas where they need to concentrate their efforts to increase their innovation results.
    • The Innovation Union Scoreboard 2015 reflects statistical reports compiled mainly in 2012 and 2013.

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