SEPTEMBER 08 2025
The study, produced by ECEPR and supported by Nordic Capital, maps and measures knowledge-intensive “Brain Business Jobs” as a share of working-age populations across Europe. Using structural business statistics from 33 countries and 243 regions, the index highlights how talent, policy and competitiveness shape Europe’s economic geography. Now in its eighth year, it is used by governments, universities, businesses and researchers to understand where and why advanced industries are growing.
Findings 2025:
Ireland closes in on Switzerland, Sweden rebounds
Ireland has surged ahead of Sweden to nearly match Switzerland in knowledge intensity. Today, 11.2 per cent of Irish adults are employed in brain business jobs – essentially the same as Switzerland’s 11.3 per cent. Sweden, which fell during the recent crises, has rebounded to 10.3 per cent, followed by Denmark and the Netherlands. Three of the top five nations are in Western Europe.
Southern and Eastern Europe accelerate
Cyprus and Portugal have more than doubled their share of adults in brain business jobs since 2014, rising by 136 per cent and 105 per cent respectively. Bulgaria, Lithuania and Croatia have also nearly doubled. In contrast, growth has been slowest in high-cost Luxembourg (2 per cent) and Iceland (6 per cent).
Regions: Central Europe dominates the top ten
Six of the top ten regions are in Central Europe, with Bratislava once again in first place, followed by Prague, Budapest and Bucharest. Copenhagen and Stockholm represent the Nordics in the top. Southern Europe does not feature in the top ten – Paris and Lisbon are the highest-ranking regions there.
Talent alone doesn’t guarantee jobs
Nordic countries have the highest share of engineers and scientists – Sweden leads with 13.4 per cent of adults – yet they employ fewer people in brain business jobs than expected. Ireland and Switzerland, with lower expert density, outperform due to business-friendly policies and tax competitiveness.
Advanced jobs cut regional unemployment
Regions with more brain business jobs consistently have lower unemployment. Each additional ten percentage points of population with such employment corresponds to an average unemployment rate 2.4 percentage points lower than the European average.