PH rises to 50th most innovative nation in the 2020 Global Innovation Index

THE Philippines moves up four places in the 2020 Global Innovation Index (GII), among the 131 economies in the world. The country improved from its 54th place last year.

Among the 29 economies that belong to the lower middle-income countries, the Philippines managed to reach the 4th place and ranks 11th among the 17 economies in South East Asia, East Asia, and Oceania. The Philippines performed well along with the innovation achievers like China, Vietnam and India in the overall GII innovation ranking over the given period.

The country’s latest performance in the GII is a testament to its continuous commitment to innovation since 2014 when it ranked 100th place. The Philippines moved up by 50 notches in just 6 years.

DoST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, one of the authors featured in the GII 2020, took note of the country’s GII ranking and stated, “The strategy of putting innovation at the center stage of our policy-making initiatives fortified our capacity as a country to be strong, resilient and adaptable to change. Even with the problems brought by COVID-19, we have shown that innovation through R&D is the key to survival and success in the new environment.”

The GII is jointly developed by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. This year, the 13th edition of the GII is themed: “Who Will Finance Innovation?”