Innovation is not an option for the European Statistical System (ESS). It is a necessity. Today’s business environment, defined by competition from a large number of private data providers, an ever faster changing data ecosystem, and a rapid rise in increasingly urgent demands for new, timelier and more detailed statistics, makes innovation an even higher priority for all ESS partners. 
Eurostat and the National Statistical Institutes have for decades worked innovatively, successfully implementing new solutions and business ideas, and creating genuine value for their partners and users.

In 2023 European Statistical System Committee (ESSC) endorsed the ESS Innovation Agenda - a comprehensive innovation plan that aims to expand their use of digital technologies, widen the use of data sources including new digital sources, apply new technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence), pursue more innovative practices, and create conditions for successful innovation so that they can more quickly anticipate and respond to the challenges ahead.