Europe is turning to metrics to govern innovation with uncertain results

The continent’s struggle to convert scientific strength into technological and economic leadership is increasingly framed as a question of execution, not ambition.

The Atomium in Brussels, built for the 1958 World’s Fair, symbolized Europe’s postwar confidence in science and technological progress. That legacy now underpins debates over how the continent can turn research leadership into economic and industrial strength. (Ben Morris/Unsplash)

Europe’s difficulty in translating world-class research into competitive …