Sweden, Germany, Ireland and Luxembourg are among the European Union member states getting the most out of innovation, according to a newly-launched innovation indicator by the European Commission.

The indicator of “innovation output” measures the extent to which ideas from innovative sectors are able to reach the market, offer better jobs and make Europe more competitive. The indicator, which is based on the number of patents, knowledge-intensive jobs, knowledge-intensive competitiveness and jobs in fastgrowing innovative sectors, was developed at the request of EU leaders to benchmark national innovation policies.

In spite of significant differences among its member states, the EU performs well in an international comparison, being roughly even with the US, according to the Commission.