Innovation gap may widen among EU countries

The innovation gap between Europe’s member states is likely to increase as financial strains take their toll, according to a review of EU competitiveness, published this week by the European Commission.

The Industrial Performance Scoreboard found that although the innovation performance of EU countries has been converging, countries are at risk of diverging as a result of how they responded to the financial crisis. The countries that are strongest in innovation have implemented policies to promote R&D to boost economic growth, while the less innovative countries have scaled back their support, the report warns.