Kyrgyzstan has dropped to the second hundred in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2023. Kyrgyzstan has not only worsened its overall ranking but also its position among Central and South Asian countries. These findings are from a joint study conducted by Cornell University (USA), INSEAD Business School (France), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The Global Innovation Index has been published since 2007 and covers the economies of 132 countries. It is compiled based on 81 indicators ranging from legislation, science, and education to market development, business, infrastructure, and more. The main goal of the GII is to provide an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of innovation mechanisms in countries.
Switzerland tops the 2023 innovation index, followed by Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. The top ten most innovative countries also include the Netherlands, South Korea, Germany, Finland, and Denmark.
Among Kyrgyzstan's neighboring countries, China has risen the highest, ranking 12th. Russia is in 51st place, Kazakhstan is 81st, and Uzbekistan is 82nd. Tajikistan is ranked lower than Kyrgyzstan, occupying the 111th position. There is no data for Turkmenistan in the rating.
Compared to 2022, Kyrgyzstan has dropped more than 10 positions, ranking 106th in the Global Innovation Index. Among Central and South Asian countries, it is in eighth place, falling behind Bangladesh.
The compilers of the rating classified Kyrgyzstan as a country with "expected level results." This means that experts did not predict a significant increase or decrease in Kyrgyzstan's innovation development indicators. Thus, the country's entry into the second hundred of the global rating may be due to the fact that Kyrgyzstan has simply outperformed other countries where innovation is developing more slowly.
"Kyrgyzstan produces less innovative products compared to the level of its investment in this sector," the report says.
Among the negative factors, experts noted a decrease in spending on software, a reduction in high-tech production in the country, and a low output of engineers and natural science specialists. They also highlighted the absence of effective research cooperation between universities and industry, undiversified industry, logistics problems, a minimal contribution to brand values, low university ratings, and the absence of unicorn companies.
On the other hand, Kyrgyzstan's main innovative advantages include entry mobility into higher education institutions, accessibility of loans from microfinance organizations, and total education spending relative to the country's GDP.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 28, 2023