News View - BaselArea

木曜日, 03.02.2011

Switzerland is again European champion of innovation

In the Innovation Union Scoreboard (IUS) 2010 Switzerland again heads the leading group of innovation nations in Europe. Compared with the leading European business locations, Switzerland's innovation performance shows an above-average growth of more than 4%. The index published today in Brussels reinforces a consolidation of Switzerland's position as a centre of innovation at a high level.

The 2010 comparison shows another above-average performance by Switzerland on the Innovation Union Scoreboard, in which some of the indicators were revised for 2010. The IUS results testify to a balanced innovation system that is well positioned in the global competition. Denmark, Germany, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, along with Switzerland, form the group of leading innovation nations in Europe.

While Switzerland can show an above-average growth of more than 4% in its innovation performance, the performance growth of countries in the European lead group ranged between 2% and 3%. The IUS 2010 data come from the period 2007-2009. The possible impact of the weak phase in the financial sector is not fully reflected in the data.

A particular strength of Switzerland lies again in the area of international patent registrations. This particular strength for the creation of new knowledge can be seen for example from the number of protected patents, trademarks and designs. Our country is also especially characterized by high levels of employment in knowledge-intensive activities and an above-average proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with product and process innovations, as well as the high proportion of high-tech product exports.

Overall, the results of the 2010 European innovation index are very gratifying for Switzerland. They clearly show the strengths of an industry that is successful and agile in European competition with scope for building on a high-performance knowledge base of universities and research in Switzerland. Only with innovation can sales growth, increasing value added and new jobs be created. Again Switzerland is clearly profiled as an industrial nation of specialist knowledge with a highly qualified workforce.

The IUS was created in 2001 on the initiative of the European Commission. Based on 25 indicators, this instrument allows a comparative assessment of the innovation performance of the 27 EU Member States and other European third countries, including Switzerland. Besides a competitive ranking of European countries, the IUS also offers a picture of the medium and long-term potential of the various national innovation systems with regard to growth, productivity and competition.