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Which are the most advanced cities in Europe? Which cities of Europe have the current best conditions for innovation, in this Covid-19 city ranking? What are Europe's most innovative cities for 2021?
While European cities temporarily trail the U.S. and Asia this year in the top hundred, we answer which are the most advanced cities in Europe - using the pandemic, and 'work-from-home' to their advantage? Who retained their 'European' city status while enduring 2020-2021?
This Covid-19 updated Europe city rankings, follows the world's most innovative cities top 100 and Innovation Cities™ Index: Global 500 cities lists recently released.
Based on the 14th annual Innovation Cities™ Index city rankings process. Original quantitative method, based on 162 indicators (including consideration of 1000+ data point inputs) per city.
Included in 'Europe' are cities of continental Europe (including E.U and non-E.U.), United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, and many nations generally classified as European (or areas within Europe) for a variety of reasons in most lists.
The list also includes all the latest DRAMATIC changes since late 2019. FAQ to all rankings.
2THINKNOW have developed this city ranking for innovation, since the 2007 launch.
All Current Indexes: Top 100 | Global 500 | USA City Ranking | Europe City Ranking | Asia City Ranking | For more region city rankings please register & ask.
This city rankings measure conditions for innovation. This includes the most popular areas for 2021 innovation: digital transformation, technology application, startups, economic development, sustainability, liveability, mobility and other key areas of the best city to live, work and play - bser on 162 standard indicators for innovators.
The Innovation Cities™ Indexes annually measure each city of the 500 as an innovation economy, since 2007. We seek to definitively answer the question - 'which are the world's most innovative cities '?
-- MORE FAQ
Based on 162 standard indicators with underlying Data Points from 2thinknow's awesome City Benchmarking Data set - all available to order for single cities or sets of cities.
-- From FAQ
Order all 162 indicators and over 450 slides of full analysis on one single city online or via Proposal.
Order the data you need as raw Data Points (info, order) or 162 City Indicators (info, order) for set of 10+ cities, or order City Indicators (info, order). Or contact us for anything else.
Ranking Resources: Background | Media | Method | FAQ
Want to reproduce this list? You Can. First, see 'Reproducing this list' below.
While the Innovation Cities™ Index is free, detailed data is always available for purchase.
| 2021 REGION Ranking | City | GEOGRAPHY | STATE/PROVINCE | City ID | Current City Classification* | Current Score | 2019 REGION Ranking | Regional POST COVID-19 CHANGE | 2021 GLOBAL Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris | France | Île-de-France | 1002 | NEXUS | 51 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| 2 | London | United Kingdom | 737 | NEXUS | 51 | 1 | -1 | 11 | |
| 3 | Stockholm | Sweden | 1279 | NEXUS | 50 | 10 | 7 | 16 | |
| 4 | Vienna | Austria | Vienna | 1439 | NEXUS | 49 | 5 | 1 | 22 |
| 5 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 43 | NEXUS | 49 | 9 | 4 | 24 | |
| 6 | Oslo | Norway | 978 | NEXUS | 49 | 12 | 6 | 25 | |
| 7 | Berlin | Germany | 142 | NEXUS | 48 | 3 | -4 | 31 | |
| 8 | Istanbul | Turkey | 564 | NEXUS | 48 | 13 | 5 | 32 | |
| 9 | Moscow | Russia | Moscow | 858 | NEXUS | 48 | 11 | 2 | 34 |
| 10 | Munich | Germany | 863 | HUB | 47 | 6 | -4 | 39 | |
| 11 | Madrid | Spain | 766 | HUB | 47 | 7 | -4 | 40 | |
| 12 | Helsinki | Finland | 497 | HUB | 47 | 19 | 7 | 41 | |
| 13 | Barcelona | Spain | 105 | HUB | 46 | 4 | -9 | 52 | |
| 14 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 302 | HUB | 46 | 16 | 2 | 54 | |
| 15 | Milan | Italy | 825 | HUB | 45 | 8 | -7 | 63 | |
| 16 | Zürich | Switzerland | 1526 | HUB | 45 | 21 | 5 | 70 | |
| 17 | Hamburg | Germany | 483 | HUB | 44 | 15 | -2 | 90 | |
| 18 | Dublin | Ireland | 354 | HUB | 44 | 17 | -1 | 92 | |
| 19 | Rome | Italy | 1117 | HUB | 44 | 14 | -5 | 93 | |
| 20 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | 1123 | HUB | 44 | 29 | 9 | 94 | |
| 21 | Budapest | Hungary | 194 | HUB | 44 | 27 | 6 | 97 | |
| 22 | Gothenburg | Sweden | 453 | NODE | 44 | 70 | 48 | 108 | |
| 23 | Tallinn | Estonia | 1323 | NODE | 44 | 79 | 56 | 113 | |
| 24 | St Petersburg | Russia | St Petersburg | 1271 | NODE | 43 | 37 | 13 | 121 |
| 25 | Warsaw | Poland | 1470 | NODE | 43 | 38 | 13 | 123 | |
| 26 | Frankfurt | Germany | 409 | NODE | 43 | 22 | -4 | 124 | |
| 27 | Prague | Czech Republic | Central Bohemian Region | 1061 | NODE | 43 | 20 | -7 | 125 |
| 28 | Brussels | Belgium | Brussels | 190 | NODE | 43 | 23 | -5 | 126 |
| 29 | Malmö | Sweden | 777 | NODE | 43 | 74 | 45 | 128 | |
| 30 | Stuttgart | Germany | 1285 | NODE | 43 | 28 | -2 | 130 | |
| 31 | The Hague | Netherlands | 1537 | NODE | 43 | 32 | 1 | 132 | |
| 32 | Düsseldorf | Germany | 363 | NODE | 42 | 25 | -7 | 156 | |
| 33 | Reykjavik | Iceland | 1099 | NODE | 42 | 108 | 75 | 157 | |
| 34 | Lisbon | Portugal | 730 | NODE | 42 | 31 | -3 | 158 | |
| 35 | Basel | Switzerland | 1538 | NODE | 42 | 45 | 10 | 164 | |
| 36 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg | 1548 | NODE | 42 | 72 | 36 | 167 | |
| 37 | Ankara | Turkey | Ankara | 50 | NODE | 42 | 96 | 59 | 181 |
| 38 | Izmir | Turkey | Izmir | 574 | NODE | 42 | 113 | 75 | 189 |
| 39 | Valencia | Spain | 1421 | NODE | 41 | 40 | 1 | 198 | |
| 40 | Geneva | Switzerland | 437 | NODE | 41 | 35 | -5 | 199 | |
| 41 | Manchester | United Kingdom | 782 | NODE | 41 | 18 | -23 | 200 | |
| 42 | Bucharest | Romania | 193 | NODE | 41 | 61 | 19 | 201 | |
| 43 | Salzburg | Austria | Salzburg | 1153 | NODE | 41 | 67 | 24 | 203 |
| 44 | Leipzig | Germany | 718 | NODE | 41 | 34 | -10 | 205 | |
| 45 | Eindhoven | Netherlands | 370 | NODE | 41 | 46 | 1 | 209 | |
| 46 | Utrecht | Netherlands | 1416 | NODE | 41 | 65 | 19 | 213 | |
| 47 | Bern | Switzerland | 1539 | NODE | 41 | 76 | 29 | 215 | |
| 48 | Oporto | Portugal | 966 | NODE | 40 | 43 | -5 | 221 | |
| 49 | Athens | Greece | 78 | NODE | 40 | 26 | -23 | 224 | |
| 50 | Riga | Latvia | 1106 | NODE | 40 | 106 | 56 | 225 | |
| 51 | Edinburgh | United Kingdom | 368 | NODE | 40 | 33 | -18 | 226 | |
| 52 | Lyon | France | Rhône-Alpes | 757 | NODE | 40 | 24 | -28 | 227 |
| 53 | Hannover | Germany | 489 | NODE | 40 | 54 | 1 | 228 | |
| 54 | Wrocław | Poland | Lower Silesian | 1908 | NODE | 40 | 102 | 48 | 230 |
| 55 | Birmingham | United Kingdom | West Midlands | 152 | NODE | 40 | 39 | -16 | 231 |
| 56 | Bremen | Germany | 181 | NODE | 40 | 62 | 6 | 232 | |
| 57 | Essen | Germany | 386 | NODE | 40 | 49 | -8 | 234 | |
| 58 | Cologne | Germany | 290 | NODE | 40 | 30 | -28 | 236 | |
| 59 | Duisburg | Germany | 357 | NODE | 40 | 69 | 10 | 238 | |
| 60 | Karlsruhe | Germany | 619 | NODE | 40 | 51 | -9 | 240 | |
| 61 | Florence | Italy | 396 | NODE | 39 | 58 | -3 | 253 | |
| 62 | Bilbao | Spain | 149 | NODE | 39 | 48 | -14 | 255 | |
| 63 | Napoli (Naples) | Italy | 886 | NODE | 39 | 52 | -11 | 256 | |
| 64 | Glasgow | United Kingdom | 446 | NODE | 39 | 36 | -28 | 257 | |
| 65 | Belfast | United Kingdom | 129 | NODE | 39 | 57 | -8 | 258 | |
| 66 | Dortmund | Germany | 349 | NODE | 39 | 64 | -2 | 259 | |
| 67 | Graz | Austria | Styria | 459 | NODE | 39 | 83 | 16 | 262 |
| 68 | Antwerp | Belgium | Flanders | 54 | NODE | 39 | 80 | 12 | 263 |
| 69 | Liverpool | United Kingdom | 732 | NODE | 39 | 41 | -28 | 264 | |
| 70 | Kraków | Poland | 682 | NODE | 39 | 90 | 20 | 266 | |
| 71 | Nottingham | United Kingdom | 933 | NODE | 39 | 56 | -15 | 267 | |
| 72 | Kiel | Germany | 643 | NODE | 39 | 92 | 20 | 268 | |
| 73 | Bristol | United Kingdom | 187 | NODE | 39 | 50 | -23 | 269 | |
| 74 | Sheffield | United Kingdom | 1229 | NODE | 39 | 75 | 1 | 270 | |
| 75 | Gdansk | Poland | 434 | NODE | 39 | 107 | 32 | 274 | |
| 76 | Bonn | Germany | 164 | NODE | 39 | 59 | -17 | 275 | |
| 77 | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | United Kingdom | 903 | NODE | 39 | 55 | -22 | 277 | |
| 78 | Katowice | Poland | 626 | NODE | 39 | 110 | 32 | 278 | |
| 79 | Dresden | Germany | 352 | NODE | 38 | 42 | -37 | 292 | |
| 80 | Seville | Spain | 1224 | NODE | 38 | 86 | 6 | 295 | |
| 81 | Nuremberg | Germany | 943 | NODE | 38 | 60 | -21 | 296 | |
| 82 | Gijón | Spain | 443 | NODE | 38 | 127 | 45 | 298 | |
| 83 | Ljubljana | Slovenia | 734 | NODE | 38 | 117 | 34 | 299 | |
| 84 | Mannheim-Heidelberg | Germany | 1558 | NODE | 38 | 77 | -7 | 300 | |
| 85 | Málaga | Spain | 776 | NODE | 38 | 94 | 9 | 301 | |
| 86 | Pamplona | Spain | 997 | NODE | 38 | 122 | 36 | 302 | |
| 87 | Bursa, Turkey | Turkey | Bursa | 1618 | NODE | 38 | 139 | 52 | 304 |
| 88 | Bochum | Germany | 159 | NODE | 38 | 88 | 0 | 306 | |
| 89 | Nice | France | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 907 | NODE | 38 | 71 | -18 | 308 |
| 90 | Aachen | Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia | 1 | NODE | 38 | 68 | -22 | 309 |
| 91 | Sofia | Bulgaria | 1247 | NODE | 38 | 89 | -2 | 310 | |
| 92 | Nantes | France | Pays de la Loire | 884 | NODE | 38 | 73 | -19 | 311 |
| 93 | Leeds | United Kingdom | 715 | NODE | 38 | 53 | -40 | 312 | |
| 94 | Marseille | France | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 794 | NODE | 38 | 44 | -50 | 313 |
| 95 | Cardiff | United Kingdom | 226 | NODE | 38 | 63 | -32 | 314 | |
| 96 | Linz | Austria | Upper Austria | 728 | NODE | 38 | 97 | 1 | 315 |
| 97 | Wuppertal | Germany | 1489 | NODE | 38 | 105 | 8 | 317 | |
| 98 | Odense | Denmark | 948 | NODE | 38 | 114 | 16 | 318 | |
| 99 | Lucerne | Switzerland | 1540 | NODE | 38 | 93 | -6 | 321 | |
| 100 | Belgrade | Serbia | 132 | NODE | 37 | 118 | 18 | 332 | |
| 101 | Vilnius | Lithuania | 1445 | NODE | 37 | 116 | 15 | 335 | |
| 102 | Timisoara | Romania | 1352 | NODE | 37 | 138 | 36 | 336 | |
| 103 | Toulouse | France | Midi-Pyrénées | 1376 | NODE | 37 | 47 | -56 | 337 |
| 104 | Bratislava | Slovakia | 176 | NODE | 37 | 128 | 24 | 338 | |
| 105 | Adana | Turkey | Mersin Adana | 1619 | NODE | 37 | 143 | 38 | 339 |
| 106 | Venice | Italy | 1433 | NODE | 37 | 104 | -2 | 340 | |
| 107 | Torino | Italy | 1369 | NODE | 37 | 66 | -41 | 341 | |
| 108 | Bordeaux | France | Aquitaine | 165 | NODE | 37 | 87 | -21 | 342 |
| 109 | Antalya | Turkey | 1993 | NODE | 37 | 132 | 23 | 343 | |
| 110 | Gent | Belgium | East Flanders | 439 | NODE | 37 | 101 | -9 | 345 |
| 111 | Padova | Italy | 991 | NODE | 37 | 112 | 1 | 346 | |
| 112 | Southampton | United Kingdom | 1260 | NODE | 37 | 82 | -30 | 352 | |
| 113 | Lille | France | Nord-Pas-de-Calais | 724 | NODE | 37 | 91 | -22 | 354 |
| 114 | Coventry | United Kingdom | 310 | NODE | 37 | 78 | -36 | 355 | |
| 115 | Granada | Spain | 455 | NODE | 37 | 121 | 6 | 356 | |
| 116 | Grenoble | France | Rhône-Alpes | 463 | NODE | 36 | 100 | -16 | 360 |
| 117 | Modena | Italy | 839 | NODE | 36 | 115 | -2 | 361 | |
| 118 | Strasbourg | France | Alsace | 1284 | NODE | 36 | 81 | -37 | 362 |
| 119 | Liège | Belgium | Liège | 723 | NODE | 36 | 99 | -20 | 363 |
| 120 | Rennes | France | Brittany | 1096 | NODE | 36 | 85 | -35 | 364 |
| 121 | Verona | Italy | 1435 | NODE | 36 | 109 | -12 | 365 | |
| 122 | Kazan | Russia | Tatarstan | 633 | NODE | 36 | 137 | 15 | 366 |
| 123 | Bath & NE Somerset | United Kingdom | 118 | NODE | 36 | 111 | -12 | 367 | |
| 124 | Trieste | Italy | 1383 | NODE | 36 | 123 | -1 | 370 | |
| 125 | Kingston-Upon-Hull | United Kingdom | 649 | NODE | 36 | 98 | -27 | 374 | |
| 126 | Brno | Czech Republic | South Moravian Region | 188 | NODE | 36 | 120 | -6 | 375 |
| 127 | Le Havre | France | Haute-Normandie | 714 | NODE | 36 | 133 | 6 | 376 |
| 128 | Zagreb | Croatia | 1515 | NODE | 36 | 130 | 2 | 382 | |
| 129 | Thessaloniki | Greece | 1549 | NODE | 35 | 95 | -34 | 383 | |
| 130 | Montpellier | France | Languedoc-Roussillon | 852 | NODE | 35 | 103 | -27 | 384 |
| 131 | Yekaterinburg | Russia | Sverdlovsk Oblast | 1506 | NODE | 35 | 142 | 11 | 385 |
| 132 | Kosice | Slovakia | 678 | NODE | 35 | 140 | 8 | 386 | |
| 133 | Bologna | Italy | 162 | NODE | 35 | 84 | -49 | 388 | |
| 134 | Dijon | France | Bourgogne | 1581 | NODE | 35 | 125 | -9 | 389 |
| 135 | Parma | Italy | 1003 | NODE | 35 | 129 | -6 | 392 | |
| 136 | Reims | France | Champagne-Ardenne | 1094 | NODE | 35 | 124 | -12 | 394 |
| 137 | Rouen | France | Haute-Normandie | 1596 | NODE | 35 | 135 | -2 | 396 |
| 138 | Saint-Étienne | France | Rhône-Alpes | 1137 | NODE | 35 | 126 | -12 | 399 |
| 139 | Leuven | Belgium | Flemish Brabant | 1620 | UPSTART | 35 | 119 | -20 | 400 |
| 140 | Volgograd | Russia | Volgograd Oblast | 1459 | UPSTART | 35 | 155 | 15 | 401 |
| 141 | Kaliningrad | Russia | Kaliningrad Oblast | 603 | UPSTART | 35 | 151 | 10 | 404 |
| 142 | Novosibirsk | Russia | Novosibirsk Oblast | 940 | UPSTART | 35 | 141 | -1 | 406 |
| 143 | Chisinau | Moldova | 1621 | UPSTART | 34 | 147 | 4 | 410 | |
| 144 | Dubrovnik | Croatia | 355 | UPSTART | 34 | 148 | 4 | 411 | |
| 145 | Limoges | France | Limousin | 1584 | UPSTART | 34 | 131 | -14 | 417 |
| 146 | Skopje | Macedonia | 1243 | UPSTART | 34 | 144 | -2 | 419 | |
| 147 | Samara | Russia | Samara Oblast | 1154 | UPSTART | 34 | 153 | 6 | 421 |
| 148 | Sarajevo | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1206 | UPSTART | 34 | 149 | 1 | 422 | |
| 149 | Nizhny Novgorod | Russia | Nizhny Novgorod | 920 | UPSTART | 34 | 146 | -3 | 423 |
| 150 | Rostov-na-Donu | Russia | Rostov-na-Donu | 1121 | UPSTART | 34 | 145 | -5 | 425 |
| 151 | Vladivostok | Russia | Primorsky Krai | 1457 | UPSTART | 34 | 156 | 5 | 428 |
| 152 | Metz | France | Lorraine | 1585 | UPSTART | 33 | 136 | -16 | 429 |
| 153 | Guimaraes | Portugal | Norte | 2081 | UPSTART | 33 | 158 | 5 | 432 |
| 154 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | Spain | 1178 | UPSTART | 33 | 150 | -4 | 435 | |
| 155 | Krasnoyarsk | Russia | Krasnoyarsk Krai | 685 | UPSTART | 33 | 152 | -3 | 437 |
| 156 | Omsk | Russia | Omsk Oblast | 963 | UPSTART | 33 | 157 | 1 | 439 |
| 157 | Cannes | France | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 1535 | UPSTART | 32 | 134 | -23 | 441 |
| 158 | Saratov | Russia | Saratov Oblast | 1208 | UPSTART | 32 | 161 | 3 | 448 |
| 159 | Perm | Russia | Perm Krai | 1019 | UPSTART | 32 | 154 | -5 | 450 |
| 160 | Tomsk | Russia | Tomsk Oblast | 1366 | UPSTART | 32 | 160 | 0 | 452 |
| 161 | Orenburg | Russia | Orenburg Oblast | 971 | UPSTART | 32 | 162 | 1 | 454 |
| 162 | Izhevsk | Russia | Udmurt Republic | 573 | UPSTART | 32 | 165 | 3 | 455 |
| 163 | Tirana | Albania | 1353 | UPSTART | 31 | 159 | -4 | 464 | |
| 164 | Tolyatti | Russia | Samara Oblast | 1365 | UPSTART | 31 | 163 | -1 | 465 |
| 165 | Barnaul | Russia | Altai Krai | 109 | UPSTART | 31 | 164 | -1 | 469 |
All Current Indexes: Top 100 | Global 500 | USA City Ranking | Europe City Ranking | Asia City Ranking | For more region city rankings please register & ask.
Reproducing this list.
The indexes and supporting materials are copyright and used under license by 2thinknow. You may reproduce the statistics and indexes in any reasonable form, graphics, or data mash-up as long as you attribute it to 2thinknow and do not modify the numbers or otherwise mislead. The easy correct way to do this is as follows: Source: 2thinknow Innovation Cities™ Index : www.innovation-cities.com/city-rankings/ [or just link to the page you are referencing] 2thinknow do reserve all rights, including the right to ask content to be removed.