By Alimat Aliyeva
On Tuesday, China entered the top ten of the annual UN
Innovation Policy ranking for the first time, surpassing Germany,
Azernews reports.
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.