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Denmark the top EU destination for innovation performance

Denmark is the leading destination in the European Union for innovation, according to the European Commission’s annual assessment. Denmark’s innovation performance surpassed the previous top innovation leader, Sweden, in 2023, and managed to retain its position at the very top among the 27 EU countries in 2024.  
When 03.12.2024
What
Business Conditions Innovation
According to the European Innovation Scoreboard, an annual assessment of innovation performance published by the European Union, Denmark ranks as the top EU member state for innovation performance (see graph 1). 

Graph 1: European Innovation Performance Score in EU member states, 2024

Graph 1: European Innovation Performance Score in EU member states, 2024
Source: The European Commission (2024). Note: the score is calculated as an index value across 32 variables, which is then indexed against the 27 European Union member states’ aggregate performance in 2017

The Scoreboard calculates an aggregate innovation performance score based on 32 variables, including the share of the population with tertiary education, the annual number of new STEM doctorate graduates, the number of most cited scientific publications, broadband penetration, patent and trademark applications, and more.

The 2024 version of the European Innovation Scoreboard notes that: “Denmark’s framework conditions are among the best in the European Union, driven by a highly performing research system with strong international collaboration”.

Showcasing Denmark’s strong performance in innovation, the following conclusions from this year’s European Innovation Scoreboard assessment stand out: 

Denmark ranks

Denmark ranks 1st among EU countries for R&D expenditure in the public sector (as a percentage of GDP).
Denmark ranks 1st among EU countries for R&D expenditure in the public sector (as a percentage of GDP).
Denmark ranks 2nd in the EU for business broadband access (the share of enterprises with a download speed of at least 100 Mb/s for their fastest fixed internet connection).
Denmark ranks 2nd in the EU for business broadband access (the share of enterprises with a download speed of at least 100 Mb/s for their fastest fixed internet connection).
Denmark ranks 2nd in the EU for the share of scientific publications among the top 10% most cited worldwide
Denmark ranks 2nd in the EU for the share of scientific publications among the top 10% most cited worldwide  
Denmark ranks 3nd in the EU for the share of enterprises providing ICT skills training for their personnel.
Denmark ranks 3nd in the EU for the share of enterprises providing ICT skills training for their personnel.  
Denmark ranks 2nd in the EU for design applications filed at the EU Intellectual Property Office (relative to GDP)
Denmark ranks 2nd in the EU for design applications filed at the EU Intellectual Property Office (relative to GDP). 
Denmark ranks 3rd for PCT patent applications filed
Denmark ranks 3rd for PCT patent applications filed. 
Denmark has consistently improved its innovation performance, increasing its score from 135 in 2017 to 149 today, staying well above the aggregate score of the European Union as a whole (see graph 2). 

Graph 2: European Innovation Performance Score, Denmark and the European Union (EU27), 2017-2024

Graph 2: European Innovation Performance Score, Denmark and the European Union (EU27), 2017-2024
Source: The European Commission (2024). Note: the score is calculated as an index value across 32 variables, which is then indexed against the 27 European Union member states’ aggregate performance in 2017 
Emphasising Denmark’s strong innovative ecosystem, the 2024 European Innovation Scoreboard notes that: “Innovation activity in Denmark is particularly developed compared to the EU average and driven by the strong research ecosystem that stimulates links between innovation actors”. The assessment also highlights that: “Denmark’s financing capacity for R&D is strong due to the combined R&D effort of the Danish public sector, businesses, and private financing actors (venture capital). The government plays a key role in funding public research, with high and stable R&D expenditures in the public sector”. 

About the European Innovation Scoreboard

The European Innovation Scoreboard is published annually by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Research and Innovation). It evaluates 32 indicators across various innovation dimensions, such as the annual number of new doctorate graduates, the share of the population with tertiary education, the number of scientific publications among the most cited, broadband penetration, patent and trademark applications, and exports from knowledge-intensive sectors.

Based on these indicators, the European Innovation Scoreboard calculates a score for each country, indexed against the European Union’s overall score in 2017. To illustrate, in 2024, the EU27 had a score of 110, meaning that the EU’s innovation performance was 10% higher than in 2017. Denmark, with a score of 149, demonstrated a innovation performance that was 49% higher than the EU27’s aggregate level in 2017. Moreover, Denmark’s 2024 score of 149 was approximately one-third higher than the EU27’s score of 110 in the same year. 

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