The empirica global network ENIR was initiated in 2001 starting with experts from selected European Union Member States. Currently there are more than 500 members in more than 40 countries. Apart from the EU, its accession states and EFTA, coverage is truly global, including in particular the USA, China, India, Korea and Japan.

The ENIR is coordinated by empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbH, Bonn (Germany). empirica is an internationally active
research and consulting firm founded in the 1980s working for private and public clients on a range of topics relating to innovation across all sectors, with particularly strong competence in the IT industry, energy and healthcare.