Global Innovation Index 2016: Switzerland, Sweden, UK, U.S., Finland, Singapore Lead; China Joins Top 25
Released jointly by WIPO, Cornell University, INSEAD and the 2016 GII Knowledge Partners, the Confederation of Indian Industry, du and A.T. Kearney China joins the ranks of the world’s 25 most-innovative economies, while Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Finland and Singapore lead the 2016 rankings in the Global Innovation Index, released by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). China’s top-25 entry marks the first time a middle-income country has joined the highly developed economies that have historically dominated the top of the Global Innovation Index (GII) throughout its nine years of surveying the innovative capacity of 100-plus countries across the globe. China’s progression reflects the country’s improved innovation performance as well as methodological considerations such as improved innovation metrics in the GII. Despite China’s rise, an “innovation divide” persists between developed and developing countries amid increasing awareness among policymakers that fostering innovation is crucial to a vibrant, competitive economy.