MOST INNOVATIVE COUNTRIES
Which are the world's most innovative countries?
What makes a country a benchmark for innovation (R&D)? Parameters such as the GII (Global Innovation Index) serve as a scale for discovering the most innovative countries. For this purpose, data provided by the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) is used.
The Global Innovation Index (GII) 
External link, opens in new window. focuses on assessing innovation at all levels in 133 countries around the world. To do so, it investigates a country's own research spending, its efforts in education, the number of science-related publications and many other parameters, always divided according to the country's economic level. For this report it is vital to know which countries are performing above the expectations placed on them and which are at the expected level. That is why the GII divides countries into four levels:
WHAT IS THE GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX
The Global Innovation Index (GII) focuses on assessing innovation at all levels in 133 countries around the world. To do so, it investigates a country's own research spending, its efforts in education, the number of science-related publications and many other parameters, always divided according to the country's economic level. For this report it is vital to know which countries are performing above the expectations placed on them and which are at the expected level. That is why the GII divides countries into four levels:
- High economic level: Includes practically all the countries of the European Union, Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea, in Oceania Australia and New Zealand as well as several Middle Eastern and American countries.
- Upper-middle economic level: This includes most of the emerging countries and also other American countries, as well as the first African countries. Their economies are moving towards the top positions and their growth is remarkable.
- Lower-middle economic level: Includes countries such as India and Vietnam, as well as most of the African continent and Asia.
- Low economic level: Includes African countries and Yemen, as they have the lowest GDP per capita and are therefore the most difficult countries to invest in.
In the division we discussed previously, three measures can be seen, those countries that are innovating above their group (the clearest example is China, 11th in the overall ranking despite belonging to the second group), those that are doing at the average of the group and those that are below expectations.
THE WORLD'S MOST INNOVATIVE COUNTRIES
The GII determines that the 10 most innovative countries in the world are:
Switzerland
Switzerland stands out in terms of its policies for doing business, being the best country in the world for doing business. They are also leaders in knowledge creation while maintaining high rankings in economic sustainability and knowledge dissemination.
United States
The United States stands out thanks to the sophistication of its market, being one of the easiest countries to invest in and also having the capacity to help in the creation of new technologies, helped by its strong entertainment and computer industry.
Sweden
The Nordic countries are in first place in the infrastructure category, and in research they also achieve an honourable position, third place. Their main problem is related to the institutions and the amount of bureaucracy required to carry out a new project.
United Kingdom
They rank fourth thanks mainly to the high level of their universities and the amount of research they publish. They fall behind other European countries due to their problems in terms of institutions and a surprisingly low position in Europe in terms of infrastructure.
The Netherlands
The Dutch are the best country in terms of income from intellectual property, while they rank very low in the percentage of science and engineering graduates. They also struggle with the ratio of teachers to students in secondary education, which they compensate for by being the third most creative country online.
South Korea
It is a leader among Asian countries and also in the areas of research and development, including a leading position in universities and government participation in online services. Its main problem is investment and difficulties in doing business in the country.
Singapore
Singapore has the main advantage in institutions, being the leader in both political climate and regulation. However, the problem comes in its relationship with the creative arts where the country falls out of the top 20 and also in diversification in its own industry.
Germany
The fifth European country and eighth overall has a clear advantage over the rest in its logistical capacity and market diversification, which adds to its second place in research. However, its problems in the area of information and communication technologies and the ability to find credit mean that it ends up in this position.
Finland
The Nordic country has a notable advantage in both technology literacy and infrastructure, ranking in the top 4 in both areas. However, the main problem is in exports of creative goods and the ratio of students per teacher, where they lag behind countries such as Sweden.
Denmark
Denmark's main strength is infrastructure, where they rank 5th, including the best ranking for the environment. Elsewhere, they remain between 9th and 15th, but do not stand out in any other category, making them the third Nordic country on the list.