To analyze the EU Member States' ST innovation abilities is too difficult a task.In order to explain it clearly,this paper tries to discuss it from the following three perspectives.Firstly,it summarizes and depicts briefly the European Innovation Scoreboard and its Summary Innovation Index.It then proceeds to describe the evolution of the EU member states' innovation abilities,makes a comparison of both the advantages and disadvantages between the Innovation leaders and the Modest innovators,and analyzes the EU's international strengths and weaknesses concerning the ST Innovation.In the last part,it points out the three principal factors which will determine the EU's innovation abilities both at present and in the future. <<