Brazil top-ranking Latin American nation in Global Innovation Index
Brazil has climbed five positions in the Global Innovation Index (GII) compared to 2022 and now ranks 49th among 132 countries. After 12 years out of the group of the top 50 economies in index, Brazil now heads the ranking of Latin American and Caribbean countries, overtaking Chile (52nd) for the first time.
The data were released Wednesday (Sep. 27) by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and will be presented during the 10th International Congress on Industry Innovation, currently held at the São Paulo Expo.
Among the five countries making up BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), Brazil comes third, ahead of Russia (51st) and South Africa (59th). China is 12th, and India is 40th.
Brazil scored highly in indicators such as online government services (14th) and e-participation (11th). It also stands out for the value of its 16 unicorns (startups with a high market value in dollars), appearing in 22nd position, and for its intangible assets (31st), obtaining good results worldwide for its trademarks (13th) and the global value of its brands (39th).
The top ten countries in the global index are: Switzerland, Sweden, the US, the UK, Singapore, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and South Korea.
The ranking has been published annually since 2007 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in partnership with the Portulans Institute and the support of international partners—in the case of Brazil, CNI and the Business Mobilization for Innovation (MEI), partners in the production and dissemination of the GII since 2017.
Created in 2007, the GII has become a standard in evaluating innovation and a pillar in the creation of science, technology, and innovation policies.
Potential
Despite the gains in position for the third consecutive year, Brazil’s ranking is still considered below the potential of the country, which today boasts the 10th largest economy in the world, according to CNI. For the entity’s chair Robson Braga de Andrade, Brazil has the conditions to grow each year on the ranking through investments and policies aimed at science, technology, and innovation.
“We have a great deal of untapped potential to improve our innovation ecosystem, integrate the scientific and business sectors, and consequently boost even greater innovation,” he declared.
The calculation
The countries’ overall placement on the list is the result of a complex calculation that splits indicators into innovation inputs and outputs, with different weights for each indicator.
The first category of indicators—inputs—refers to the conditions available to support innovation activities, such as education, the business environment, and specialized human resources. The second—outputs—indicates the performance of countries in terms of the innovation produced, including scientific production, patents, new products, and services.
