The Philippines improved its Global Innovation Index (GII) 2023 ranking by climbing three steps upward to 56th, from 59th in 2022.
The country’s ranking started its zigzag slide in 2021 when it ranked 51st from its highest rank of 50th in 2020, shows the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, which publishes the GII.
The country’s GII 2023 accomplishment was accompanied with its being listed among those in the lower middle-income group with performance “above expectation for their level of development.”
With the Philippines are India, Vietnam, Ukraine, Indonesia, Iran Mongolia, Morocco, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Senegal, among 37 economies, the WIPO website says.
With innovation being recognized as key driver of economic development, it provides ranking and analysis referencing around 132 economies.
The GII 2023 captures the innovation ecosystem performance of 132 economies and tracks the most recent global innovation trends.
The pack is topped by Switzerland, Sweden, United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Republic of Korea as the top 10 in that order.
Those at the bottom are Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Mauritania, Guinea, Mali, Burundi, Niger and Angola, the WIPO web site shows.
For its GII 2023 score, the Philippines’ high ranks are in Business Sophistication (38th), Knowledge and Technology outputs (46th) and Market Sophistication (55th).
It ranks low in Institutions (79), Human Capital and Research (88), Infrastructure (86) and Creative Outputs (60).
The Philippines is among the Top Climbers in the decade 2013-2023, placing it among the top 60 countries together with Indonesia, but behind Vietnam, which is among the top 50, according to the WIPO website.
The report notes that in 2013 the Philippines ranks 90th.
It adds that the Philippines and Morocco (ranked 70th) “keep their innovation overperformer status for a fifth time.” The Philippines’ overperformance were from 2019 to 2023.
In the last four years, the Philippines consistently performed better in innovation outputs, compared to innovation inputs.
The year 2023 was no exception it being in 69th place in innovation inputs, compared to 76th in 2022, 72nd in 2021 and 70th in 2020.
For innovation outputs, the Philippines scored 52nd place in 2023, compared to 51st in 2022, 40th in 2021 and 41st in 2020.
Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. welcomed the Philippines’ improvement in its GII ranking, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said.
“The DOST shall remain focused on driving the country’s science, technology, and innovation-driven economic development by continuously investing in programs and projects that can advance the country’s productivity and competitiveness in the global knowledge economy,” Solidum said.
“Our good performance in innovation outputs compared to inputs is reflective of our country’s ability to translate our innovation investments,” he added.
Solidum said the DOST “hopes to support our local companies to drive innovation and wealth, with banner programs like the DOST’s Science for Change Program, Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program and the Community Empowerment thru Science and Technology program.”
He said that in the next four years the DOST is “optimistic to see incremental improvements in the country’s GII ranking as we dedicatedly review our policies, programs, and strategies.”
Image credits: WIPO web site
