Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country

Geneva, Switzerland. Photo courtesy of James Cridland/Flickr

Switzerland was ranked 1^st in the Global innovation index for the eighth consecutive year.

Switzerland leads the Global innovation index 2018, followed by the Netherlands and Sweden.

Switzerland scored high in terms of knowledge creation, impact and diffusion, as well as the number of trademarks filed, creative goods and services, online creativity.

World's most innovative countries 2018

United Kingdom and Singapore came in at number 4 and 5 respectively, followed by the US, Finland, Denmark, Germany and Ireland.

According to the Global innovation index, richer countries, with more diverse industry and export portfolios, are likelier to claim better positions when it comes to innovation. High-income economies compose almost all the top 25 of the Global innovation index. The single exception is China that has been moving upward in the ranking for the last few years and reached the 17^th position in 2018.

However, economies at all levels of development score higher in innovation when they have a more diversified export portfolio.

Global innovation index 2018 was compiled by Cornell university, France’s INSEAD business school, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.