The Global Innovation Index (GII) is an important reference for measuring the innovation performance of an economy. Many countries use the GII both to assess and improve their innovation ecosystems, and as a reference in specific economic plans and/or policies.
The 2022 edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII) tracks the most recent global innovation trends against the background of an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, slowing productivity growth and other evolving challenges. It reveals the most innovative economies in the world, ranking the innovation performance of around 132 economies while highlighting innovation strengths and weaknesses.
This edition’s thematic focus on the future of innovation-driven growth provides a stance on whether stagnation and low productivity growth are here to stay, or whether we are about to enter a new era, where new innovation spurts – the Digital Age and the Deep Science Innovation waves – bring about an economic uplift.
Like every year, the Global Innovation Index 2022 announces the biggest science and technology (S&T) innovation clusters in the world with the highest density of inventors and scientific authors. S&T innovation clusters are often referred to as “science and technology hubs”.
In 2022, Tokyo–Yokohama is the top science and tech hub in the world, followed by Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou (China and Hong Kong, China), Beijing (China), Seoul (Republic of Korea) and San Jose–San Francisco (United States).
The Global Innovation Tracker measures the pace of technological progress and adoption, and captures key innovation trends within the four stages of the innovation journey.
According to this year’s Global Innovation Tracker, despite the economic downturn, investments in science and innovation have been remarkably resilient and technology adoption recorded positive growth rates across technologies. However, the socioeconomic impact of innovation is at a historic low, showing the detrimental effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Global Innovation Index underlines that techno-optimist see in the Digital Age Wave and Deep Science Wave a concrete input for economic growth; concerning the Digital Age Wave with the impact of ICT in the transition from an exclusive method of innovation to general-purpose technology.
In addition to a reinvigorated Digital Age Wave, there is the real possibility of another upcoming innovation wave – a Deep Science wave – evolving around breakthrough inventions and innovations in the fields of life sciences and health, agri-food, energy and clean tech, and transport.
The Global Innovation Index underlines that the techno-optimist sees in the Digital Age Wave and Deep Science Wave a concrete input for economic growth; concerning the Digital Age Wave with the impact of ICT in the transition from an exclusive method of innovation to general-purpose technology.
In addition to a reinvigorated Digital Age Wave, there is the real possibility of another upcoming innovation wave – a Deep Science wave – evolving around breakthrough inventions and innovations in the fields of life sciences and health, agri-food, energy and clean tech, and transport.
Moving into the edition 2022 of the Global Innovation Index, we see Switzerland confirmed as the most innovative economy in the world for the 12th consecutive year, followed by the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. China is closing in on the top 10, while Turkey (37th) and India (40th) enter the top 40 for the first time.
Some key changes in the top 15 ranking see Canada returning to the top 15 global innovators (15th), while Vietnam (48th), Iran (53rd) and the Philippines (59th) emerge as the middle-income economies with fastest growing innovation yield.
| Country/Economy | Overall GII | Institutions | Human Capital and Research | Infrastructure | Market Sophistication | Business Sophistication | Knowledge and Technology Outputs | Creative Outputs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| United States | 2 | 13 | 9 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Sweden | 3 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| United Kingdom | 4 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 22 | 8 | 3 |
| Netherlands | 5 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 10 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| China | 11 | 42 | 20 | 25 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 11 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Canada | 15 | 15 | 12 | 30 | 6 | 20 | 24 | 20 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Turkey | 37 | 101 | 41 | 48 | 37 | 47 | 47 | 15 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| India | 40 | 54 | 43 | 78 | 19 | 54 | 34 | 52 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Viet Nam | 48 | 51 | 80 | 71 | 43 | 50 | 52 | 35 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Iran | 53 | 131 | 54 | 75 | 11 | 115 | 50 | 33 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Philippines | 59 | 90 | 86 | 81 | 78 | 39 | 41 | 58 |
Europe still hosts the largest number of innovation leaders – 15 in total – that rank among the top 25. Out of the 39 European economies covered, 12 move up the rankings this year: the Netherlands (5th), Germany (8th), Austria (17th), Estonia (18th), Luxembourg (19th), Malta (21st), Italy (28th), Spain (29th), Poland (38th), Greece (44th), the Republic of Moldova (56th) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (70th).
| Country/Economy | Overall GII | Institutions | Human Capital and Research | Infrastructure | Market Sophistication | Business Sophistication | Knowledge and Technology Outputs | Creative Outputs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 5 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 10 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Germany | 8 | 20 | 2 | 23 | 14 | 19 | 9 | 7 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Austria | 17 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 38 | 18 | 19 | 26 |
| Estonia | 18 | 12 | 34 | 10 | 3 | 25 | 21 | 24 |
| Luxembourg | 19 | 5 | 32 | 40 | 31 | 4 | 33 | 9 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Malta | 21 | 28 | 42 | 27 | 33 | 16 | 32 | 2 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Italy | 28 | 58 | 28 | 26 | 35 | 33 | 16 | 16 |
| Spain | 29 | 38 | 26 | 16 | 30 | 32 | 27 | 28 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Poland | 38 | 65 | 36 | 43 | 61 | 38 | 38 | 38 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Greece | 44 | 69 | 31 | 46 | 64 | 55 | 46 | 54 |
| … | ||||||||
| Republic of Moldova | 56 | 98 | 62 | 84 | 58 | 79 | 49 | 43 |
| … | ||||||||
| Bosnia and Erzegovina | 70 | 94 | 67 | 55 | 25 | 98 | 63 | 83 |
As far as developing economies are performing above expectations in terms of innovation relative to their level of economic development, Indonesia (75th), Uzbekistan (82nd) and Pakistan ( 87th).
| Country/Economy | Overall GII | Institutions | Human Capital and Research | Infrastructure | Market Sophistication | Business Sophistication | Knowledge and Technology Outputs | Creative Outputs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 75 | 71 | 90 | 68 | 36 | 92 | 78 | 72 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Uzbekistan | 82 | 63 | 65 | 74 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 102 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Pakistan | 87 | 118 | 113 | 114 | 100 | 81 | 70 | 67 |
It is also interesting to highlight the important innovation performance compared to their weak economies of Kenya (88th), Rwanda (105th) and Mozambique (123rd) as regards Sub-Saharan Africa.
While for the Latin America and Caribbean area, Brazil (54th) and Peru (65th) are outperforming in terms of development.
| Country/Economy | Overall GII | Institutions | Human Capital and Research | Infrastructure | Market Sophistication | Business Sophistication | Knowledge and Technology Outputs | Creative Outputs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 54 | 102 | 50 | 65 | 49 | 35 | 55 | 51 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Peru | 65 | 61 | 47 | 79 | 40 | 49 | 90 | 65 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Kenya | 88 | 82 | 119 | 107 | 111 | 80 | 74 | 79 |
| … | ||||||||
| Rwanda | 105 | 33 | 106 | 95 | 115 | 113 | 111 | 126 |
| … | ||||||||
| Mozambique | 123 | 129 | 114 | 91 | 120 | 121 | 120 | 107 |
Insights.
Global Innovation Index & PNRR – Mission 1
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2022). Global Innovation Index 2022: What is the future of innovation-driven growth? Geneva: WIPO. DOI 10.34667/tind.46596