PH still recognized as an “extraordinary upward mover” as it placed 59th at the GII 2022
THE Philippines still gained recognition as an “extraordinary upward mover, with small setback” in terms of innovation according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO. This is based on the newly released 2022 Global Innovation Index (GII) where the Philippines ranked 59th among 132 economies in the world.
Compared to last year’s 51st place, the WIPO recognized the Philippines’ ability to perform above expectations for its level of development. According to the GII report, the country produced more innovation outputs relative to its level of innovation investments.
This year, the Philippines ranks 5th among the 36 lower-middle-income group economies, a notch down compared to its 4th place ranking in 2021. The country also maintained its rank of 11th among 17 economies in South East Asia, East Asia, and Oceania. These high marks are present even if the Philippines’ Innovation Inputs dipped from 72 in 2021 to 76 in 2022 and Innovation Outputs from 40 in 2021 to 51 in 2022.
The GII is an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for, and success in, innovation. According to the WIPO website, the GII tracks the most recent global innovation trends against the background of an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, slowing productivity growth and other evolving challenges. It reveals the most innovative economies in the world, ranking the innovation performance of around 132 economies while highlighting innovation strengths and weaknesses.
“The Philippines rank in the latest Global Innovation Index is a challenge to both the government and private sector to prioritize innovation,” says DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the DOST is fully committed to drive the local industry to succeed through our investments in S&T facilities and laboratory network in support of our local industry’s productivity.”
In support of this statement, DOST Assistant Secretary Leah J. Buendia, OIC of the Office of the Undersecretary for R&D, said: “The Philippines continues to capitalize on its strengths and increasing capacity in industry 4.0 technologies. DOST funded R&D facilities and laboratories with an active nationwide network for the development of industry and programs for digitalization, sustain the industry’s efforts for a more streamlined and efficient process.”
The lower rank in 2022 was largely due to decreased performance score in Knowledge and Technology Outputs which are mainly a function of knowledge creation, knowledge impact, and knowledge diffusion. However, it must be noted that this lower performance, the Philippines continues to perform above regional average among its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania.
The public may watch the unveiling of the Global Innovation Index 2022 at the WIPO website on September 29, 2022 via this link: https://webcast.wipo.int/home
