The concentration of Health research and innovation across EU regions

Health research and innovation (R&I) is attracting the attention of EU, national and regional policymakers. As Health policies are becoming a public policy priority – targeting not only social needs but also the overall economic development of EU countries – Health R&I have been identified as key areas of investment. However, despite the attempts to reduce inequalities also in this field, a strong concentration of Health R&I across EU regions still exists. The paper provides recent and novel empirical evidence on the topic, describing the concentration of Health patents, publications and EU project participation in top EU regions. Regional data help in assessing that, also in the Health sector, concentration is not only a cross-country but also a within-country issue.