PH maintains rank in 2018 Global Innovation Index

The Philippines managed to hold on to the 73rd spot among 126 countries in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2018 and continued to be among the top ten most innovative economies in its group, reflecting a steady and stable innovation performance.

The GII report, co-published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and their Knowledge Partners, relies on two sub-indices — the Innovation Input Sub-Index and the Innovation Output Sub-Index — each built around key pillars. The index looks into the strength of national economy pillars that drive innovation: institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, and business sophistication.

The two pillars of Innovative Output Sub-index reflects results of the country’s innovation activities: knowledge and technology outputs and creative outputs.

Together, these seven pillars are comprised of sub-pillars, and those in turn are made up of a total of 80 indicators.

Based on the report, the Philippines showed particular strength in the inputindicators of graduates of science and engineering, gross capital formation, market capitalization, trade, competition and market scale among others.

Notably, the Philippines ranked 9th out of 30 economies belonging in the lower-middle income group in terms of overall innovation performance.

If only measuring the Innovation Input Sub-Index the Philippines landed the 8th spot out of 30 lower-middle income economies this year. In the 2017 GII, the Philippines got the 9th spot out of 27 lower-middle income countries in this sub-index.

The Philippines this year, however, was eased out of the top ten in the Innovation Output Sub-Index in the lowermiddle income group.

But the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines noted that even with the Philippines failing to rank high in the Innovation Output Sub-Index, it continues to dominate neighboring Asean nations in one specific output-indicator: ICT services exports.

The GII figures showed the Philippines outpaced nine other Asean states in terms of ICT services exports, coming out on top among the ten Asean states in this indicator. In overall ranking, the Philippines leapt 8 spots, coming from the 16th spot in the 2017 GII, to garner the 8th among all 126 economies in ICT services exports.

This year’s GII theme of ‘Energizing the World with Innovation’ put focus on the state of innovation in the energy sector of 126 countries and economies.

Now in its 2nd decade, the GII has established itself as a “tool for action” for decision makers, leading to the improvement of innovation metrics, the removal of obstacles to innova-tion and the shaping of efficient national innovation policy strategies.

The GII is among the 12 global competitiveness reports monitored by the public-private sector task force, the National Competitiveness Council.

It is a leading reference for measuring a country’s innovation performance.