The report, issued in Brussels on Tuesday, reads that Croatia is one of the moderate innovators with a below average performance recorded in the 27-strong European bloc.
Croatia's relative strengths are in human resources, innovators and in the impact of innovations on the economy. "Relative weaknesses are in Open, excellent and attractive research systems and Intellectual assets".
The report highlighted the high growth of Croatia's expenditure on innovations, except research and development-related innovations, and on public-private co-publications and community designs.
"A strong decline is observed for the PCT patent applications and Licence and patent revenues from abroad."
The report noted that "growth performance in Firm investments, Linkages and entrepreneurship and Intellectual assets is above average".
In the other dimensions Croatia performs below average.
In the EU, innovation leaders are Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden.
The list classifies EU member states into four country groups: apart from Innovation leaders, there are Innovation followers, Moderate innovators and Modest innovators. The performance is measured using 25 indicators in research and innovations.
Apart from 27 EU member states, the report covered Croatia, Serbia, Turkey, Iceland, Macedonia, Norway, and Switzerland.