Finland retained its position in the top 10 globally for innovation in the Global Innovation Index Ranking 2026 (GII), finishing 8th among 139 economies measured.
GII ranks the innovation capabilities and results of world economies using about 80 indicators, aiming to provide a multidimensional description of each country's innovation capability.
Here is Finland's performance at a glance:
- 8th in innovation globally
- 5th among the 39 countries in Europe
- 6th in innovation inputs
- 10th in innovation outputs
- 10 short-term indicators improved, and 2 indicators worsened
- The majority of science and innovation investment indicators are rising, with international patent filings growing by 44% in the short term.
- All technology adoption figures have grown, with electric vehicle adoption growing the fastest.
The GII ranks the Greater Helsinki region, of which Espoo is a major part, 59ᵗʰ in the World's Top 100 Innovation Cluster Rankings and 9ᵗʰ in innovation cluster intensity. The Greater Helsinki area is the only Finnish cluster in the top 100 innovation clusters.
While the Greater Helsinki region's global innovation status is strong overall, Espoo's performance within the region is particularly strong in deep tech.
In GII's categories of "Top deep science startups in Finland" and "Top deep science spinouts originated in Finland", both feature 3 Espoo-based companies in the top 5: ICEYE, IQM, and Mobidiag.
Global Innovation Index Ranking 2026 – top 10 countries:
1. Switzerland
2. Sweden
3. United States
4. Republic of Korea
5. Singapore
6. United Kingdom
7. Netherlands
8. Finland
9. Denmark
10. China
