This edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII) ranks the most innovative economies in the world in 2024 amongst 133 economies and unveils the world’s top S&T innovation clusters.
This year, the Global Innovation Index also reveals how to foster innovation via social entrepreneurship to make a societal impact that benefit everyone everywhere.
Global Innovation Index Ranking 2024
For the 14th consecutive year, Switzerland is the most innovative economy in 2024 followed by Sweden, the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Gain an overview of how your economy's innovation ecosystem performs and where its innovation strengths and weaknesses live via the GII Innovation Ecosystems and Data Explorer 2024.
Global Innovation Index 2024 Ranking
Top Science and Technology Clusters in 2024
The GII’s top Science and Technology innovation clusters are the areas with the highest numbers of inventors and scientists globally and can include entire regions or cities.
The top science and technology innovation hub in 2024 is Tokyo–Yokohama (Japan), followed by Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou, Beijing, Seoul and Shanghai–Suzhou.
For the second consecutive year, China is the economy with the most S&T innovation clusters followed by the United States.
Find out where the top 100 S&T innovation clusters are located
.
Global Innovation Tracker
The Global Innovation Tracker gives an overview of the current state of global innovation within the four stages of the innovation journey.
It reveals how rapidly technology is progressing in the face of higher interest rates and geopolitical conflicts. According to this year’s Global Innovation Tracker, whilst levels of investments in R&D are still high, international patenting has decreased.
Science and innovation investment
Technological progress
Technology adoption
Socioeconomic impact
Find out more about the latest key innovation trends in the Global Innovation Tracker
.
Driving innovation via social entrepreneurship
Social enterprises aim to address economic, social and environmental challenges to alleviate poverty and other complex issues. The GII reveals how to drive innovations via social entrepreneurship.
How do social enterprises innovate?
To make a societal impact, social enterprises must innovate by adopting one or several organizational models.
Find out about the different approaches social enterprises can opt for to innovate
.
Social entrepreneurship and IP
Before profit comes into play, the prime objective of social enterprises is to produce a social impact (facilitating access to education, promoting peace in conflict zones, providing sustainable solutions, preserving indigenous cultures, etc.). Whilst some enterprises protect their intellectual property rights via patents and trademarks, other social entrepreneurs do not engage in filing their intellectual property rights to make it open source.
Find out about the correlation between social entrepreneurship and IP
.
How to foster innovations by social enterprises?
There are multiple ways policymakers can help foster innovations, the GII will explore eight ways that can help social enterprises innovate.
Find out about the different ways stakeholders can foster innovations by social enterprises
.
About Global Innovation Index
Since its inception in 2007 as a magazine article, the GII has evolved into an instrument that has shaped the innovation measurement and policy agenda becoming a cornerstone of economic policymaking. Published annually, the core of the GII provides performance measures and ranks close to 140 economies on their innovation ecosystems. In addition, the GII identifies the world’s top 100 science and technology clusters, tracks global innovation trends with the GII Global Innovation Tracker and takes up a “special innovation theme” every two years.
It is recognized by the UN General Assembly as an authoritative reference to design Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policies.
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Past editions of the GII
GII 2023 – Innovation in the face of uncertainty
The GII 2023 takes the pulse of global innovation trends against the background of an economic environment fraught with uncertainty.
GII 2022 – What is the future of innovation-driven growth?
The GII 2022 tracks the most recent global innovation trends against the background of an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, slowing productivity growth and other evolving challenges.
GII 2021 – Tracking Innovation through the COVID-19 Crisis
The GII 2021 presents the most recent global innovation trends in the new Global Innovation Tracker. This edition also focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on innovation.
GII 2020 – Who Will Finance Innovation?
The GII 2020 shed light on the state of innovation financing by investigating the evolution of existing mechanisms and pointing to progress and remaining challenges.