The Philippines had jumped quite a number of places higher in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2019.
From being in the 73rd position last year with a score of 31.56, it is now in the 54th place among 129 countries, with a score of 36.18.
According to a recent press release, the country’s scores significantly increased in five of the GII’s eight pillars.
The country’s significant increase in scores was felt in the following five pillars:
- Institutions
- Infrastructure
- Business sophistication
- Knowledge & Technology outputs
- Creative outputs
Recognising the efforts in advancing innovation
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez described it as great news for the nation and the innovation ecosystem as a whole.
It recognises the efforts of the various government agencies like DTI, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in advancing innovation among the people and MSMEs.
This includes efforts in creating an innovative culture, as well as in building linkages with academe and industry.
With the signing into law of the Philippine Innovation Act (RA11293) and Innovative Startup Act (RA11337), further improvements in the country’s ranking are expected.
Efforts to building the Philippines’ innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, accelerating and globalising the start-ups and preparing the MSMEs better for the Fourth Industrial Revolution are being intensified.
The country’s score and rankings in the GII’s input and output sub-indices improved.
From 39.14 in 2018 and ranking 82nd, the Philippines’ input sub-index score has risen to 41.68 and ranks 76th.
From 23.98 in 2018 and ranking 68th, the Philippines’ output sub-index score has increased to 30.68 and ranks 42nd.
The GII 2019 highlights that included among the strengths of the Philippines are the following:
- Percentage of tertiary graduates in Science and Engineering
- E-participation
- Percentage of firms offering formal training
- Trade, competition, and market scale
- Knowledge absorption
- Knowledge diffusion
- Creative goods exports
Initiatives and projects
With innovation at the heart of the Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy (i3S) and the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of Government Services, the Department is confident that the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem can be further improved.
In collaboration with DOST and other national government agencies as well as partners from the industry and the academic community, the focus is in strengthening the human capital, building capacity for research and development, and facilitating technology transfer, and the conduct and commercialization of market-oriented research.
The Department, together with DOST, NEDA, Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Department of Education (DepEd), formulated and is implementing the Inclusive Filipinnovation and Entrepreneurship Roadmap.
The Roadmap aims to bridge the gaps in the country’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem towards fostering connected and creative communities across the country.
Through Regional Inclusive Innovation Centres (RIICs), the Department envisions the transformation of the country’s regions into productive and innovative economic growth centres.
