Netherlands ranks 7th in innovation index, but challenges remain 

In the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026 published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Netherlands rises to seventh place among 139 economies. The index measures factors including the quality of research, innovation investment, knowledge and technology, business innovation, and creative output. 

The Netherlands has moved up one place from eighth in 2025. Within Europe, it ranks fourth, behind Switzerland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The country performs particularly strongly in knowledge, business innovation and creative output. At the same time, the index highlights areas where the country lags behind, including technical talent, investment and clean energy.

Strong in knowledge and business innovation

One of the main reasons for the Netherlands’ seventh-place ranking is its strong position in research and innovation. The Netherlands ranks ninth worldwide in terms of the number of researchers per million inhabitants. Around 2.3% of GDP is spent on research and development. Dutch universities, research institutions and businesses also work closely together. The Netherlands ranks seventh worldwide for innovation linkages and second for collaboration among universities, businesses, and international partners.

The Netherlands is also strong in the use and dissemination of knowledge. It ranks first worldwide for payments for intellectual property and fourth for intellectual property receipts. This includes, for example, payments made by companies for the use of patents and other technologies.

The Netherlands also ranks among the world’s leading countries in creative output. It ranks fifth and leads several underlying indicators, including online creativity. The number of top-level internet domains and GitHub commits per capita is also among the highest in the world.

Eindhoven among Europe’s top innovation clusters 

Dutch innovation is highly concentrated in a number of regions. The Netherlands has two clusters in the global top 100: Amsterdam-Rotterdam in 26th place and Eindhoven in 66th.

For innovation intensity, Eindhoven ranks much higher: eighth worldwide. This measure accounts for patents, scientific publications, and venture capital deals relative to population size. According to WIPO, this makes Eindhoven the highest-ranked innovation cluster in the European Union.

Areas of weakness

The Netherlands’ high seventh-place ranking masks some notable weaknesses. One concern is the number of science and engineering graduates. With 20.2%, the Netherlands ranks 81st worldwide. The country also performs relatively poorly in investment in fixed assets. Gross capital formation amounts to 19.9%of GDP, placing the Netherlands 101st.

There is also a clear disparity within the institutions pillar. The Netherlands ranks seventh for the rule of law and tenth for regulatory quality, but only 62nd for policy stability for business. Overall institutional quality is therefore high, while policy stability clearly lags behind. The Netherlands is also not a leader in sustainability, ranking 52nd for ecological sustainability and 71st for the use of low-carbon energy.

Finally, a gap exists between knowledge creation and its impact. The Netherlands ranks fifth for knowledge creation, but 17th for knowledge impact. Its international position in terms of the economic and technological impact of knowledge is therefore less strong than its position in knowledge creation.

Strong starting position, but not without challenges

In short: The GII shows that the Netherlands has a strong knowledge base, an internationally oriented business sector, and a strong creative and digital ecosystem. At the same time, challenges remain in areas such as technical talent, investment, policy stability and sustainability. However, the country’s strong innovation base provides ample opportunities to address these challenges and further strengthen the Netherlands’ position as an innovative country.