ERA Scoreboard 2024: Progress in Research and Innovation, But Some Gaps Still Need Closing

The European Research Area (ERA) Scoreboard 2024 offers a concise look at how Europe is progressing on its research and innovation priorities. While many indicators show positive trends, others highlight areas where progress has slowed. 

Positive Trends in R&D and Open Science 

Europe’s investment in R&D continues to grow, rising from 1.97% of GDP in 2010 to 2.27% in 2022. Several widening countries are also catching up, helping to reduce gaps across the EU. 

Open science is another area of strong progress. By 2022, nearly 78% of EU scientific publications were openly accessible, compared to 57% in 2010, supporting wider access to research results. 

There’s also steady growth in international research collaboration, R&D tax incentives, and research on social innovation, reflecting broader engagement and responsiveness to societal needs. 

What Needs More Focus 

Some indicators, however, show a slower pace. One notable example is the drop in collaboration between companies and public research organisations, which has stabilised at around 13% since peaking in 2018. These partnerships play an important role in linking research with innovation. 

Other areas, such as private sector contributions to public R&D and environment-related research funding, show limited progress and are highlighted in the full report.