Bureaucratic regulations are the biggest barrier to innovation, according to the Global Index 2026 survey by Bosch Tech Compass.
The survey found that 41 per cent of respondents identified bureaucratic regulations as an obstacle to innovation.
Expensive energy prices followed at 36 per cent, highlighting the impact of costs on innovation.
Lack of skilled workers and poor educational institutions ranked third at 27 per cent, while dependency on foreign companies was cited by 25 per cent of respondents.
Insufficient funding for research and development (R&D) stood at 23 per cent, followed by access to capital at 20 per cent.
Poor physical or digital infrastructure was cited by 19 per cent, while cultural resistance to risk and change and limited collaboration between sectors each accounted for 18 per cent.
Other barriers included lack of entrepreneurship (17 per cent), national raw materials (15 per cent) and international collaboration (14 per cent).
