Practical research, applied science unifier of Europe's most innovative unis

London

AT first glance, the most innovative universities in Europe don't appear to have much in common. Some are Catholic schools, some are secular, others are state-run and some are private. One is 920 years old. Another has been an independent institution for less than a decade. They're scattered across the continent, some in large cities, others in rural areas.

The single unifier: Nearly all of them emphasise practical research and applied science, as opposed to pure academics. Technical universities and colleges dominate Reuters' first-ever ranking of Europe's top 100 innovative universities, a list that identifies the educational institutions that are doing the most to advance science, invent new technologies, and help drive the global economy.