Ireland Rises to 14th on 2025 Global Innovation Index

Ireland has achieved a notable rise to the 14th position in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII), improving from 19th last year and 23rd in 2023. This annual ranking evaluates the innovation performance of nearly 140 countries and is published by the United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organisation. Despite this upward trajectory, Ireland’s ranking is a decline from its peak at 8th place in 2015.

The GII assesses countries across several categories, including human capital, infrastructure, and market sophistication. This year, Ireland performed particularly well in the institutional and business environment categories, securing a commendable 10th place. However, the country faced challenges, ranking at 24th in the human capital and research criteria, indicating areas that require further development.

According to the GII, the number of venture capital deals in Ireland has decreased by 1.9% over the past four years, reflecting a long-term slowdown. Nevertheless, there was a short-term increase of 1.7% between 2023 and 2024, suggesting potential recovery in the investment landscape.

Government Response and Future Plans

The top positions in this year’s index were claimed by Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States, with Switzerland maintaining its status as a leader in innovation for several years. In light of Ireland’s current standing, James Lawless, TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, expressed his satisfaction with the progress made. He stated, “I am very pleased with Ireland’s progress at the GII. At the same time, we clearly need to continue to improve this performance in the interests of our national competitiveness and wider policy objectives.”

Minister Lawless emphasized the necessity for Ireland to leverage its strengths in talent and innovation. He highlighted the government’s new Action Plan for Competitiveness and Productivity, which aims to enhance investment in the public research system. This initiative seeks not only to boost research and innovation but also to attract foreign direct investments, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and fulfill infrastructure commitments.

“The Action Plan rightly places research and innovation at the heart of Ireland’s future competitiveness and productivity,” Lawless added, reinforcing the government’s commitment to fostering a robust innovation ecosystem.

As Ireland continues to navigate its path in the global innovation landscape, the focus remains on enhancing capabilities and capitalizing on existing strengths to ensure sustainable growth and competitiveness in the future.