Austria 19th in the Global Innovation Index 2025

The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, which assesses the innovation performance of 139 economies using 78 indicators, is topped by (1) Switzerland, (2) Sweden, and (3) the USA. South Korea has achieved its best-ever position at 4th place, scoring particularly well in terms of researchers, R&D expenditure, business-conducted R&D, researchers in businesses, and PCT patent applications by origin of inventor. China has now overtaken Germany, entering the top 10, while Hong Kong has climbed three spots to 15th place.

Austria, on the other hand, has slipped two places compared to the previous year and is now ranked 19th. Its best results are in the areas of human capital and research (9th), infrastructure (12th), and business sophistication (16th). The latter measures the share of knowledge-intensive employment, innovation linkages (e.g. university collaborations, co-publications), and knowledge absorption (such as IP payments and ICT services). Austria’s lowest rankings are in market sophistication (30th), creative outputs (23rd), and institutions, knowledge and technology outputs (21st).

Overall, Austria has improved in terms of inputs (2024: 20th; 2025: 17th) but worsened in outputs (2024: 19th; 2025: 21st). As seen in the IMD Competitiveness Ranking and the European Innovation Scoreboard, the input-output discrepancy is evident here as well. According to the GII, Austria “produces less innovation outputs relative to its level of innovation investments” – a finding also reflected in the FORWIT STI-Monitor.