The most innovative cities

Summary/Overview

Searches for business innovation have climbed 69% across Europe in the last quarter, showing just how vital creativity, technology, and fresh thinking have become.

While hubs like London and Paris are often seen as innovation frontrunners – fostering cutting-edge tech, sustainable solutions, and dynamic startup scenes – they’re not the only cities making bold moves.

With this in mind, the team at Adobe Express set out to rank the most innovative cities across the UK and Europe. Analysing key factors including university rankings, Wi-Fi speeds, and tech jobs per 100,000 people, we’ve revealed the hotspots where innovation is thriving.

Once the data for the factors was collected, they were then normalised and summed to give each city a total score out of 100. And the higher the score, the more innovative the location!

Key takeaways

• London and Amsterdam lead innovation rankings in the UK and Europe, driven by strong universities, thriving tech sectors, and fast digital infrastructure.
• Smaller cities like Southampton, Copenhagen, and Dublin punch above their weight thanks to high tech job concentrations, top global university rankings, and impressive innovation index scores.
• Innovation hubs are characterised by a mix of academic excellence, robust job markets, and cutting-edge connectivity, making them attractive for both talent and business growth.

The UK’s most innovative cities

From bustling capitals to coastal hot spots, there are various cities across the UK where innovation is thriving:

1. London

London leads the way when it comes to innovation in the UK, boasting a total score of 74.29. With Imperial College London ranked 2nd globally, and over 57% of local job listings in tech, there’s no surprise the capital stole the top spot.

With its population of 8,776,535, London is a city invested in new ideas, technologies, and creative solutions.

2. Southampton

Next up we have Southampton, a city with a much smaller population of 249,604. Southampton boasts an impressive 72.9 tech jobs per 100,000 people, and internet speeds of 150 Mbps (the second highest on our list).

The University of Southampton is also ranked 80th worldwide, boosting the city’s total innovation score to 65.06.

3. Bristol

With a score of 53.51, Bristol ranks third on our list of the UK’s most innovative cities. With 144.6 tech jobs per 100,000, and a university which is ranked 54th worldwide, the city is a hot spot for talent.

Bristol also boasts an innovation index score of 127.6, suggesting high levels of research and innovation performance.

4. Manchester

With the highest percentage of tech jobs in our ranking (187.9 per 100,000) Manchester steals the fourth spot.

Scoring 50.02 overall, the city is home to the University of Manchester (ranked 34th), and it has average Wi-Fi speeds of 75 Mbps. These findings reflect the city’s reputation as a hotspot for digital innovation.

5. Brighton and Hove

Rounding off our top five we have Brighton and Hove, scoring 42.27. While the city has less tech jobs per 100,000 (37.5), it’s a well-known hub for creative innovation.

With an innovation index score of 141.3, Brighton is certainly deserving of the final spot.

The most innovative cities in Europe

Across Europe, various cities are investing in smart technologies, digital infrastructure, and innovative solutions, but which ones are leading the way?

1. Amsterdam

Topping our European list, Amsterdam stands out with a total score of 78.91. Amsterdam has 211.2 tech job listings per 100,000 (the second highest on our list), and an innovation index score of 148.7.

The University of Amsterdam is ranked 55th worldwide, showing not only a strong tech ecosystem but education presence too.

2. Zurich

Next up we have Zurich, with a slightly lower score of 77.07. Home to ETH Zurich (ranked 7^th globally) the city benefits from world class research and education.

While its tech job percentage is on the lower side (24%), its ultra-fast Wi-Fi speeds of 291.74 Mbps support the city’s thriving digital landscape. Zurich also boasts the top Smart City score on our list (1).

3. Copenhagen

Copenhagen’s score of 72.72 reflects the city’s fast Wi-Fi speeds of 257.17 Mbps, and forward-thinking Smart City rating of 7.

While it has the lowest number of tech jobs per 100,000 (57.7), it boasts the highest innovation index score, coming in at 169.5!

4. Stockholm

Stockholm steals the penultimate spot in our top five, scoring 70.02 overall.

The city boasts academic excellence with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, strong Wi-Fi performance (213.15 Mbps), and a healthy tech job market too (31%).

5. Dublin

Dublin wraps up our list with the highest concentration of tech jobs: 326.5 per 100,000. Trinity College Dublin is also ranked 87^th worldwide, and it’s a strong contributor to the city’s talent pool and innovation landscape.

Scoring 68.84 overall, Ireland’s capital secures the final place in our ranking.

And there you have it: the cities leading the way in innovation across the UK and Europe.

Innovation drives economic growth and attracts top talent, so if you’re hoping to land a role in one of the above cities, you’ll need a CV that helps you stand out. With this in mind, here are a few quick CV-writing tips:

1. Tailor your CV to every role: Whether you’re applying to a tech start-up or a design agency, it’s essential to tailor your CV to each role. This lets you showcase your genuine passion, and detail exactly how your skills align with those needed.
2. Evidence results: Whether it’s data, percentages, or specific outcomes, you’ll need to back up your skills and achievements. Doing so allows you to show employers exactly what you bring to the table.
3. Presentation is key: A clean, easy-to-read CV can help you stand out in a large pool of applicants. With professionally designed, easily customisable templates, the Adobe Express CV maker is on hand to help you design a CV that sets you apart.

Or perhaps you’re a business owner looking to grow in a competitive market? If so, you’ll need to employ tools to help you stand out. With Adobe Express, you can design, customise, and print your own business cards. Just choose an eye-catching template, then personalise it to suit your brand.

And finally, if it’s additional insights you’re after, head over to the Adobe Express blog. There you can learn how to make a stunning presentation with AI or read about creative things you can do online for free.

Methodology:

This dataset contains 2 rankings: one ranks 25 cities in the UK & the other ranks 25 in Europe, based on how innovative they are. To do this, 5 different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed and multiplied, to give each city a total score out of 100. The cities were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.

The factors used are as follows:

• Top Uni World Ranking - The QS 2025 world university rank of the highest ranked university in each city. If a range of ranks was provided, the mid-point was used.
• Innovation Index Score - The innovation index score which measures research & innovation performance, in each region. As of 2023. [Regional Level]
• Median Wi-Fi Download Speed - The median wi-fi download speed in each city, in Mbps.
• Tech Jobs per 100k - The number of job postings on Glassdoor in each city containing "technology", per 100,000 population.
• VC Investment - The amount of venture capital investment in each region, as of 2024 according to technation.io. [UK Only - Regional Level]
• Smart City Rank - The smart city ranking of each city in 2025, according to imd.org. [EU Only]

All data is correct as of 28/05/25. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.

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