The 2025 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard

The 2025 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), offers an authoritative annual snapshot of corporate research and development (R&D) investment trends in Europe and worldwide. Now in its 22nd edition, the Scoreboard tracks the world’s top 2 000 R&D investors, representing over 90 % of business-funded R&D globally and benchmarks the performance of EU-based companies against global peers, providing valuable insights for industry, researchers and policymakers alike.

In 2024, global business R&D investment reached approximately €1 446 billion, growing by 6.3 % year-on-year. EU-headquartered companies contributed €233.8 billion, marking a 2.9 % increase compared with the previous year — a notable slowdown relative to historic growth but still indicating sustained commitment to innovation. While growth in the EU remained more moderate than in the United States (7.8 %), Japan (7.1 %) and the rest of the world (8.1 %), Europe continues to prioritise investment across key technology areas.

Sectoral data highlight strategic strengths in energy and health. EU companies significantly expanded R&D in electricity and renewable energy technologies, achieving nearly 20 % growth in R&D investment, and energy capital expenditure also rose strongly, supporting the transition to a cleaner industrial base. The health sector also recorded above-average growth, with European firms increasing R&D spend by around 13 % — outpacing some major global competitors.

Despite these successes, challenges persist. The EU’s ICT sector saw a decline in R&D investment, underscoring intensifying global competition in digital technologies where US companies retain a strong lead. Automotive, traditionally an EU strength, showed minimal growth in 2024, suggesting a phase of consolidation or strategic repositioning amid broader technological transitions.

The Scoreboard also sheds light on broader trends in innovation ecosystems. Analyses by innovation performance groups reveal that companies headquartered in nations with more favourable innovation frameworks, so-called “innovation leader” countries, tend to achieve higher R&D growth, emphasising the importance of supportive policy environments to foster high-impact research and innovation.

Published in accordance with the Commission’s open science practice, the full dataset is publicly accessible, offering stakeholders robust tools for benchmarking, monitoring and strategic planning. As Europe navigates an increasingly competitive global innovation landscape, the Scoreboard remains an essential resource for understanding how corporate R&D investment shapes the future of European industrial competitiveness.

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