The European Commission has published the European Innovation Scoreboard 2022 (EIS), which classifies and compares the innovative strength of the Member States. Austria is therefore one of the strong innovators and is above the EU average. Like France or Germany, the Alpine Republic does not belong to the absolute top group, which consists of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden.
When it comes to intellectual property, Austria comes first. In terms of GDP, no other country in the EU has recently registered as many patents, trademarks and designs as Austria, the Austrian Patent Office was pleased to announce in a press release. Austria has thus won one of the twelve sub-classifications of the EIS. For example, the Netherlands is leading the way in the area of ’digitisation’.
Overall, Austria scores a good 118 points in a comparison where the EU average is 100 points. The authors of the study state that the gap with the average is narrowing. Austria’s performance has generally improved, but to a lesser extent than the overall average of EU Member States. State funding for research and development, for example, works well. Weaknesses include broadband penetration.
Tireless inventive mind
“The fact that Austria, with its inventors, ranks first in the ‘intellectual property’ category of the European Innovation Scoreboard is an outstanding achievement,” said the Minister of Innovation and Technology, Leonore Gewessler (Greens). “It shows the tireless ingenuity of the people of our country. And it shows that our research funding is working.”
“Protecting intellectual property is essential for any business and for all of us, especially in times of crisis,” said Mariana Karepova, president of the patent office. The top position in the work makes people feel confirmed. “We must not give up under any circumstances.”
Austria scored no less than 124 points in the innovation ranking. In terms of turnover from exports of medium and high-tech goods, it was also a good 101 points, but only a good 60 points for turnover from exports of knowledge-intensive services.
Germany and France in the “Austria Group”
In a general comparison, the “Austrian group” is joined by the two EU heavyweights Germany and France, as well as Cyprus, Ireland and Luxembourg. Behind them is the group of “moderate innovators”: the innovative strength of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain is below the EU average. Far below this average are the “emerging innovators” Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
At the global level, the EU has overtaken Japan and closed the gap with more innovative regions of the world. South Korea, the world leader in innovation, followed by Canada, the US and Australia for the Union. Just behind the EU is Japan and then, at a respectful distance, China.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
