Filipino innovations have pushed the Philippines’ climb 4 notches up in the Global Innovation Index (GII) for the year 2020.
The Philippines moved up to 50th spot in 2020, up from 54th place in 2019, in the GII released by the World Intellectual Property Organization on September 2, 2020, amid the ongoing pandemic.
The 13th edition of the leading reference for measuring an economy’s innovation performance placed the country in the first 50 among 131 economies, the Philippines’ best rank on the GII.
The GII rankings evaluated the economies based on 7 criteria:
- Business Sophistication
- Creative Outputs
- Human Capital & Research
- Infrastructure
- Institutions
- Knowledge & Technology Outputs
- Market Sophistication
The Philippines performed above average in two of the seven GII pillars: Business sophistication and Knowledge & technology outputs.
The country is also considered to be well-integrated into global trade with the following rankings:
- 1st in High-technology imports
- 3rd in High-technology exports
- 6th in Productivity growth
- 7th in terms of firms offering formal training
- 8th in terms of registered utility models by origin
- 8th in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services exports
- 10th in Creative goods exports
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato de la Peña welcomed the good news saying “it can be considered as a testament that DOST’s efforts in spearheading science, technology, and innovation are bearing fruits.”
The Philippines’ DOST chief said the country stands out for the innovativeness of its business sector and the innovation outcomes produced by its investments, with levels of outcomes that remain even above some high-income economies.
The DOST has strongly supported the growth of our micro, small, & medium enterprises (MSMEs) through projects like the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), making them highly competitive even on the global stage.
The department has prioritized initiatives that are proven to be extremely useful during the COVID-19 pandemic such as the Philippines’ first locally-developed test kits, biomedical devices like the RxBox vital signs monitor, disease model, and other useful apps.
The country’s ranking in university/industry research collaboration is in the upper 25% of the GII 2020. This is consistent with the increasing number of R&D partnerships between academe and industry that DOST has supported in the Science for Change Program, particularly in the Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage the Economy or CRADLE.
“The latest GII ranking of the Philippines is a great source of hope and inspiration for all Filipinos who are facing uncertainties in the midst of the current pandemic. We look forward to sustain this momentum through future projects and collaborations among various stakeholders. This milestone has shown that doing and applying science for the people’s good is a good strategy and mission,” said the DOST Secretary.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to the science and technology sector for developing Filipino innovations that pushed the Philippines’ climb 4 notches up in global rankings!
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