Switzerland’s domination over the Global Innovation Index (GII) is to continue for another year after the latest report places the country at the top of the table for the fifth year running.
Crucially, the latest report demonstrates that world-leading innovation is underpinning by world-class universities.
In terms of innovation quality, measured by university performance, reach of scholarly articles, and usefulness of patent applications, both the UK and US were highlighted as the strongest examples, both drawing from well-developed academic infrastructure. Japan, Germany, and Switzerland were also underlined, demonstrating the importance of a strong university system to the overall innovation impact a country can generate. China, Brazil, and India are examples of countries which are growing in this regard, with China leading the pack.
Overall the report, which is co-authored by Cornell University, business school INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), showed little change at the top of the table. The top 25 performers are all high income economies, indicating that innovation in developed nations is a hard act for others to follow.
The report was this year launched in the UK which, bolstered by its top flight universities, has risen from 10th in 2011 to holding the second spot in the league table for two years running. Other climbers include the US, Ireland, and the Netherlands, which have all improved on their rankings from last year.
Commenting on the UK’s success at the launch of the eighth GII, Lucy Jeanne Neville-Rolfe, UK minister for intellectual property, said: “The UK has an outstanding tradition in producing the very best in science and research: with less than 1% of the world’s population we produce 16% of the top quality published research. This research excellence is a major factor in the UK maintaining its position at number two in the 2015 Global Innovation Index. “
The report also gave prominence to what it calls “innovation achievers”, ie. economies which outperform peers in relation to their gross domestic product. In particular, the low-income economies of Rwanda, Mozambique, and Malawi were said to be performing like middle-income economies, painting an optimistic future for innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Bruno Lanvin, co-editor of the report, said that these changes underline a growing desire for innovation, adding: “In all regions of the world, entrepreneurship, leadership and political will are making a difference regarding innovation. Barriers are falling, and innovation achievers are displaying performances higher than what their income per capita would suggest. Their experience is now becoming a basis for other countries to emulate their success and turn innovation into a truly global engine for sustainable growth.”
The report concluded that innovation policies need to play a central role in developing economies, and that innovation is crucial to targeting issues such as pollution, health, and poverty, saying that: “clear targets and a matching institutional set-up have proven to be a tool for success”. For developing countries to catch up on innovation, nations will need to focus on industry-university links, scientist recruitment, and working with foreign subsidiaries while considering how to capitalise on spillovers to the local economy from multinationals.
Top Ten Innovative Countries:
- Switzerland (Number 1 in 2014)
- United Kingdom (2)
- Sweden (3)
- Netherlands (5)
- United States of America (6)
- 6. Finland (4)
- Singapore (7)
- Ireland (11)
- Luxembourg (9)
- Denmark (8)