21 May 2026
Italy ranks 31st globally for innovation capacity among the world's 49 leading innovation ecosystems, according to the TEHA Global Innosystem Index 2026, included in the InnoTech Report 2026 that was presented during the 15th edition of the Technology Forum organised by TEHA Group in Stresa on May 21–22.
The ranking places Singapore first worldwide, followed by Israel and the United Kingdom, while Australia and India recorded the most significant improvements compared with the previous edition of the Index.
The findings highlight a dual reality for Italy: the country excels in scientific research, advanced technological infrastructure and export competitiveness, yet continues to face structural challenges in human capital development and investment in innovation.
How TEHA measures Global Innovation Performance
The TEHA Global Innosystem Index evaluates the innovation capacity of 49 countries through five key dimensions:
- Human Capital
- Financial Resources Supporting Innovation
- Ecosystem Innovativeness
- Ecosystem Attractiveness
- Innovation Ecosystem Effectiveness.
Italy maintains the same position recorded in the 2023 edition, ranking 31st overall.
Italy’s innovation strengths: research, patents, supercomputing, and exports
One of Italy’s most significant competitive advantages lies in the effectiveness of its innovation ecosystem. With a score of 4.53, Italy ranks 6th globally, ahead of major economies such as Germany, France and China in its ability to transform research and innovation into tangible economic outcomes.
The country also performs strongly in scientific research output. Italy ranks 5th worldwide for scientific publications and 5th for academic citations. These indicators confirm the international relevance and impact of Italian research institutions and universities.
Another area of excellence is advanced computing infrastructure. Italy ranks 7th globally for supercomputing capacity, supported by some of the world’s most advanced High-Performance Computing (HPC) facilities. These assets are increasingly strategic for artificial intelligence, advanced modelling and large-scale data analysis.
Italy also demonstrates strong competitiveness in research and development services, ranking 6th worldwide for its positive balance of trade in R&D services. This reflects the country’s ability to export high-value research capabilities and technological expertise to international markets.
The country also benefits from a strong manufacturing export sector and a solid scientific and technological foundation, enabling it to remain competitive in several high-value industries.
In terms of international attractiveness, Italy ranks 15th globally in the Global Attractiveness Index, another index created by TEHA that measures a country's ability to attract talent, investment and innovation through factors such as openness, infrastructure quality and institutional efficiency.
The Italian innovation ecosystem's weaknesses
- Human Capital: Italy ranks 33rd globally in the Human Capital dimension, well behind countries such as Sweden, Denmark and South Korea.
- Public Investment in Education: Italy allocates 4.07% of GDP to public education expenditure, considerably below countries leading the human capital rankings.University Graduation Rates: only 31.58% of Italians aged 25–34 hold a university degree, placing Italy 35th globally. By comparison, South Korea reaches 70.55%; Canada 68.86%; United Kingdom 60.32%.
- STEM Skills: STEM graduates account for only 23.55% of total graduates, significantly lower than Germany (35.5%); South Korea (30.95%); Austria (30.52%).
- Investment in Innovation: the country ranks 30th worldwide in the Financial Resources dimension of the Index. Private R&D expenditure (BERD) is the 0.79% of GDP, total R&D expenditure (GERD) is the 1.38% of GDP, and venture capital investment is the 0.03% of GDP. The limited availability of growth capital is reflected in Italy’s technology startup ecosystem. The country ranks 34th globally for the number of technology unicorns per million inhabitants.
- Digital Skills: Italy ranks 42nd worldwide for software developers per capita, with only 28.79 developers per 1,000 inhabitants, far behind innovation leaders such as Singapore, the Netherlands and Iceland. Similarly, the country records relatively weak performance in high-technology sectors. The negative trade balance in advanced technology products highlights an ongoing dependence on foreign technologies and innovation-intensive imports.
TEHA's AI-generated consultant DoroTEHA shows a copy of the InnoTech Report 2026
Ten strategic proposals to strengthen Italy’s innovation ecosystem
Based on the analysis, TEHA has developed ten priority recommendations to accelerate innovation and competitiveness:
- Develop a National Technology Policy focused on strategic emerging technologies.
- Establish Special Innovation Zones to accelerate technological clusters.
- Support the development of the EU.inc framework while preventing regulatory arbitrage.
- Launch a National STEM Strategy to address future skills shortages.
- Introduce comprehensive digital literacy and coding education across all levels of schooling.
- Create a national Talent Attraction Package for researchers, entrepreneurs and STEM professionals.
- Establish a One-Stop Shop to simplify innovation-related approvals and authorisations.
- Strengthen industry-academia collaboration and improve doctoral researcher remuneration.
- Introduce a long-term R&D Attraction Package providing greater certainty for investors.
- Reinforce technology transfer mechanisms to better convert research excellence into commercial innovation.
Together, these measures aim to enhance Italy’s ability to attract talent, mobilise investment, foster technological leadership and convert scientific excellence into sustainable economic growth.