What’s land recycling? Read about this German example
The city of Flensburg got a grant from the regional government of Schleswig-Holstein so that it would avoid building on new land
While the European Union scored higher than China, it was still well behind South Korea
Stockholm ranks highest in the European Innovation Scoreboard as Sweden continues to be the leading country, followed by Finland, Denmark and Belgium, all performing well above the EU average. Even though the innovation performance has increased by 12.5% in Europe as a whole since 2014, the EU is still ranking below South Korea, Canada, Australia, the US and Japan.
At the same time, the innovation performance has increased in 225 of the EU’s 240 regions over the past seven years.
This makes Stockholm the most innovative region in Europe, followed by Etelä-Suomi, in Finland, and Oberbayern, in Germany, while Hovedstaden, in Denmark, is in fourth place.
The map shows the different groups of European countries, based on their score. It is evident that they tend to bunch up in the different geographic corners of the continent, revealing a noticeable disparity. Innovation Leaders and Strong Innovators are located in the Western and Northern parts of Europe, while most of the Moderate and Emerging Innovators are in the South and the East.
An Innovation map of Europe, Source: The European Commission, 2021
The most innovative country in the world is South Korea, performing 21% better than the European Union in 2021. At the same time, the EU is still ahead of China, Brazil, South Africa and Russia.
Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, commented on the occasion: “Europe's commitment to innovation is shown by its continuous improvement in innovation performance. All EU Member States and regions are invested more in innovation and the innovation gap in the EU is decreasing. In support of Europe's innovation capacity, Horizon Europe will promote excellence and support top researchers and innovators to drive the systemic changes needed to ensure a green, healthy and resilient Europe.”
The EU's research and innovation programme for the years 2021-2027 is called Horizon Europe and its budget of 95.5 billion euros will help accelerate Europe's environmental and digital transformations. Over the same period, The Cohesion Policy will invest over €56.8 billion in research and innovation and digitalisation providing the skilled labour required for a carbon-neutral economy.
On 23 June, the European Commission is hosting this year's edition of the Research and Innovation Days, a mega-conference on who’s who and what’s what in the EU innovation scene. You can register and attend the event by clicking here.
If you want to keep up with how European cities and regions are changing, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
His name is Adrian-Dragoș Benea from Romania
Find out her vision for the next five years and what’s in store for the European Union
Gotland wants to be at the forefront of this emerging mobility technology
It’s all about preventing the habit of slowing down just for the radar
Landkreis Heilbronn will also enlist the help of sensors to identify incorrectly filled organic trash bins
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
The Old Continent gets ready for the largest festival of sports
Apparently, that makes it the most progressive city in that respect in all of Finland
The goal is to preserve these traditional features in the urban landscape while finding new purpose for their existence
Residents couldn’t handle the noise pollution anymore
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
A conversation with the Mayor of Lisbon about the spirit and dimensions of innovation present in the Portuguese capital