A recent study (conducted by ZeroBounce) has ranked major global and European technological hubs using Silicon Valley as a benchmark. The study was based on key indicators of innovation, business ecosystem strength, and tech sector employment.
Data was collected through a combination of data mining and reputable reports. This approach ensured comprehensive coverage of critical technological ecosystem indicators. These indicators included patent filings (20%), innovation intensity (20%), approximate number of tech businesses (10%), number of startups (10%), number of unicorns (15%), ecosystem value (20%), and tech sector employment (5%).
Additionally, the analysis considered the number of unicorns, which are privately held startup companies valued at $1 billion or more, as well as ecosystem value and tech sector employment.
The trend showed:
- London
- Paris
- Cambridge Cluster
- Eindhoven
- Munich
- Berlin
- Stockholm
- Amsterdam
- Barcelona
- Dublin
Min-max normalization were applied to the data in order to standardize metrics with varying units, with adjustments for indicators where lower values indicated better performance. Weighted scores were calculated based on the relative importance of each metric, and hubs were ranked according to their Adjusted Final Scores, where higher scores indicated better performance.
The final results highlighted each hub’s name, country, adjusted score, and rank, offering a comprehensive comparison of technological ecosystems globally and in Europe.
London ranks first with a composite score of 80.1. It has the highest number of startups in Europe at 19,000 and an ecosystem value of £111.9 billion. With 42 unicorns and a tech workforce of 1.64 million, London remains a significant centre for technology and entrepreneurship.
Paris takes second place with a composite score of 73.9. The city has 8,000 tech businesses and 8,300 startups. Its ecosystem value stands at £37.1 billion, and it ranks sixth in innovation intensity globally.
Cambridge Cluster secures third place with a composite score of 72.6. It leads Europe in innovation intensity and holds the second-highest number of patent filings at 6,582. With a per-capita ecosystem value of £150 billion, this hub stands out as a major tech centre.
Eindhoven takes fourth place with a composite score of 67.3. Also recognized as Eindhoven-Brainport, the hub has 2,561 patent filings and an ecosystem valued at £4.7 billion. While smaller in scale than Cambridge, Eindhoven is no less focused on innovation and technology-driven industries.
Munich ranks fifth with a composite score of 66.9. The city stands out with 7,000 tech businesses, one of the highest among the analyzed cities, and an ecosystem valued at £42.5 billion.
Berlin ranks sixth with a composite score of 66.7. It has 4,300 startups, 19 unicorns, and an ecosystem value of £29 billion. Berlin is a prominent figure in Europe’s tech market, closely following Munich in ecosystem value.
Stockholm comes in seventh with a composite score of 65.7. The city has six unicorns and an ecosystem value of £36.2 billion. It is famous for its contributions to fintech and the gaming industry.
Amsterdam ranks eighth with a composite score of 65. It has 4,000 tech businesses, more than Stockholm, and an ecosystem value of £21.2 billion. The city also benefits from its location and strong business infrastructure.
Barcelona is ninth with a composite score of 63.5. The city has 2,300 startups, two unicorns, and an ecosystem value of £2 billion, reflecting its growing tech presence. It is home to 135,000 tech employees, highlighting its steady development as a tech hub.
Dublin rounds out the top ten with a score of 62.6. Also referred to as Silicon Docks, it stands out for its strong ecosystem value of £144.2 billion, which is quite high relative to its size and number of startups.
