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15 June 2017Copyright

Switzerland tops WIPO innovation index, but disparity persists

Switzerland has retained its lead for the seventh consecutive year in the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) innovation index.

Sweden, the Netherlands, the US and the UK complete the top five, while a group of nations including India, Kenya and Vietnam outperformed countries at the same development level.

The “Global Innovation Index 2017”, co-authored by Cornell University, INSEAD and WIPO, was released today, June 15.

High-income economies took 24 of the top 25 spots, with China the exception at 22. In 2016, China became the first-ever middle income economy in the top 25.

However, there is still a gap in “innovative capacity” between developed and developing nations and “lacklustre growth rates” for research and development activities—at the government and corporate levels, the report found.

According to the index, a group of middle and lower-income economies performed significantly better on innovation than their current level of development would predict.

A total of 17 economies comprise these “innovation achievers” this year—a slight increase from 2016—with nine from Sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya and Rwanda, and three from Eastern Europe.

Francis Gurry, WIPO director general, said: “Innovation is the engine of economic growth in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy, but more investment is needed to help boost human creativity and economic output.

“Innovation can help transform the current economic upswing into longer-term growth.”

Each year, the innovation index surveys 130 economies using dozens of metrics, from patent filings to education spending.

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