Catalonia innovation has achieved a significant milestone by becoming Spain’s top-performing region in the European Commission’s 2025 Regional Innovation Scoreboard.
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The autonomous community scored 124.7 points in the innovation index, surpassing both the Basque Country (121.7) and Madrid (119.5) for the first time in the report’s history.
Catalonia Innovation Ranking Reaches New Heights
This achievement represents a remarkable improvement from Catalonia’s previous position. Furthermore, the region has climbed 16.1 points since 2018, demonstrating consistent progress in innovation metrics. Meanwhile, Madrid’s innovation index actually decreased by 0.6 points compared to the previous year, contributing to Catalonia’s rise to the top position.
Xavier López, director general of technology centre Eurecat, explained the journey: “Catalonia had been in the second division at the beginning of the RIS as a strong innovation region, but then due to different factors it dropped to moderate level. Last year it recovered the strong position.” He attributes the recent success to renewed focus on public-private collaboration and technological development.
The region’s performance places it among Europe’s “strong innovators” category, alongside 68 other regions. Additionally, Catalonia now ranks above the European Union average of 112.6 points, joining Navarre and Valencia as Spanish regions exceeding the continental benchmark.
Eurecat has played a crucial role in this transformation, having completed nearly 16,000 innovation projects and services while providing solutions to over 3,200 companies. The organisation has also contributed to lifelong learning indicators by training more than 40,000 people in innovation-related knowledge.
Despite these achievements, challenges remain. Catalan SMEs need to improve product and process innovation, particularly in patent applications. López notes: “We are not a region that patents too much; this should be improved.” Public and private investment in research and development also requires strengthening to maintain this competitive edge.
The innovation surge comes amid broader economic developments in the region, including increased demands for housing investment and significant demographic changes that have seen 60% of Barcelona’s 25-34 year olds arrive since 2015, potentially contributing to the region’s innovative capacity.
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