Measuring EU Innovation for Competitiveness and Economic Growth. Presentation of the 2025 International Property Rights Index

On 15 October 2025, the Vice President of the European Parliament Pina Picierno hosted a high-level presentation of the 2025 International Property Rights Index (IPRI), organised in collaboration with the Property Rights Alliance (PRA), an affiliate of the Tholos Foundation, and in support of BK Agency and SME Connect. The event brought together. The event brought together policymakers, economists, and representatives of the transatlantic innovation community to highlight the essential role of strong property rights and intellectual property frameworks in supporting Europe’s competitiveness and long-term economic growth.

The evening opened with welcoming remarks by PRA Executive Director Lorenzo Montanari and Vice President Picierno, followed by the official presentation of the 2025 Index by Dr. Sary Levy-Carciente of the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom. Her presentation introduced the main findings of this year’s report, which assesses 126 countries and provides a comprehensive overview of global trends in the protection of physical and intellectual property rights.

A subsequent panel discussion on innovation and competitiveness in EU–US relations featured Vice President Picierno, MEPs Stefano Cavedagna and Stephen Bartulica, Dr. Levy-Carciente, and Stephen Ezell of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Moderated by Euronews journalist Eleonora Vasques, the debate explored how both sides of the Atlantic can strengthen cooperation in strategic technologies and maintain global leadership in innovation.

The event concluded with a case study session on “The IP Compass: A Strategic Guide for EU Policymakers Navigating Innovation and Global Competition”, with contributions from Dr. Matthias Bauer (ECIPE), Vassilis Kessidis, Robert Tyler, and Horst Heitz. The session provided insights into how the EU can modernise its intellectual property landscape and create a more innovation-friendly environment for research, investment, and entrepreneurship.

Overall, the presentation of the IPRI 2025 underscored the growing recognition within European institutions that secure property rights and coherent innovation policies are essential pillars of economic growth and technological progress. The event offered an opportunity to bring these issues to the forefront of the public debate and to highlight ongoing efforts to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in an increasingly dynamic global landscape.