Welcome to the 19th edition of WIPO’s flagship Global Innovation Index (GII).
At a time of economic, social and cultural disruption, heightened by astounding advances in AI, harnessing the power of innovation and creativity is increasingly seen to be critical for growth, development and competitiveness. However, even as changes accelerate, the question that confronts us remains the same: how do we turn great ideas into real products, businesses and jobs that represent real value for economies and societies?
Against such a backdrop, this edition’s Special theme puts deep science entrepreneurship in the spotlight. More than 30,000 deep science startups and spinouts have been created since 2000, with a combined enterprise value of around USD 8 trillion. Deep science entrepreneurship is spreading beyond traditional innovation hubs, with growing activity across middle-income economies in fields such as health technologies, advanced manufacturing and agritech. Significantly, almost half of deep science startups hold patents, compared with only about 15 percent for any other type of early-stage company.
These findings are relevant to economies at every stage of development. Although innovation ecosystems differ, the fundamental building blocks are remarkably consistent, involving strong links between research and industry, and effective IP and technology transfer systems, together with long-term finance, skilled talent and a policy environment that encourages responsible risk-taking and investment. Countries that have such a foundation are best placed to build strong and effective innovation ecosystems.
The GII continues to evolve alongside this landscape. This 2026 edition introduces the Dealroom–WIPO Deep Science Startup Tracker, the first global mapping of deep science startups and spinouts, providing new evidence on where science-based entrepreneurship is emerging and how it is evolving around the world. Also the GII Innovation Ecosystems & Data Explorer has been expanded for this edition, offering deeper insights into areas such as high-technology trade and deep science startups.
Close to 100 WIPO Member States already use the GII to benchmark innovation performance and inform national strategies. We hope this 19th edition will continue to serve as a trusted resource for ministers, policymakers, researchers and businesses seeking to strengthen innovation ecosystems and thereby ensure that today’s breakthroughs become tomorrow’s solutions.
Daren Tang
Director General
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)