WNAM REPORT: On Tuesday, China entered the top ten of the annual UN Innovation Policy ranking for the first time, surpassing Germany.
China secured the 10th position in the Global Innovation Index (GII) out of 139 economies, which are evaluated based on 78 indicators. This marks a significant milestone in China’s ongoing push for technological advancement.
According to Reuters, Beijing is making substantial investments in research and development (R&D), signaling its determination to become a global innovation leader. Germany, meanwhile, slipped to 11th place.
The GII report highlights that China is rapidly approaching the status of the world’s largest spender on R&D. This investment is already bearing fruit: China accounted for about a quarter of international patent applications in 2024, maintaining its position as the largest source of new patents worldwide. In contrast, the United States, Japan, and Germany—countries that together represent 40% of total patent applications—experienced a slight decline.
Patent ownership is widely recognized as a key indicator of a country’s economic strength and industrial expertise, reflecting its capacity for innovation and technological leadership.
Switzerland retained the top spot in the ranking, holding this position since 2011, followed by Sweden and the United States. The rest of the top ten includes South Korea, Singapore, Great Britain, Finland, the Netherlands, and Denmark, positioned between the United States and China.
An interesting trend to watch is how emerging economies are leveraging innovation ecosystems, including startups and AI research hubs, to accelerate their progress. China, for example, is fostering homegrown tech giants and increasing collaboration between academia and industry, which could reshape the global innovation landscape in the years ahead.
