Reuter’s has just released its fourth annual “Top 100: Europe’s Most Innovative Universities” ranking. At the top of the list is Belgian institution KU Leuven, which has obtained the first spot for four years in a row. With 23 positions on the list, German universities account for more participants than any other country, followed by 21 schools from the United Kingdom, 16 French institutions, and the Netherlands with nine. Leiden University, at rank 14, tops all Dutch schools on the list.
The list aims to highlight schools that create useful technology, produce original research and aid the global economy. Reuters based their ranking on a variety of indicators, inclusion patent filing and research paper citations. “To compile its ranking of Europe’s most innovative universities, Clarivate Analytics identified more than 600 global organisations that publish the most academic research,” Reuters says. “Then they evaluated each candidate on 10 different metrics, focusing in particular on patent filings and research paper citations, and ranked universities within the region based on their performance.”
In the midst of British political turmoil, British institutions generally declined among the Top 100. However, for Dutch and German universities, their placement on the list generally improved. These trends may reflect the first wave of researchers who are leaving the UK for more stable jobs, according to Reuters.
The Dutch universities on the list include Leiden University at rank 14, Delft University of Technology at 16, Utrecht University at 25, Eindhoven University of Technology at 29, Erasmus University Rotterdam at 36, University of Groningen at 54, University of Amsterdam at 58, University of Twente at 88 and Maastricht University at 89. While Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Amsterdam, and University of Twente dropped on the list, the others’ ranks rose.
