China has entered the United Nations’ annual list of the world’s ten most innovative nations for the first time, displacing Germany, Europe’s largest economy, as companies in Beijing ramp up investment in research and development.
Switzerland held on to the top spot, a position it has maintained since 2011, followed by Sweden and the United States. China came in tenth in the Global Innovation Index (GII), which assessed 139 economies against 78 indicators.
The survey showed that China is on course to become the leading spender on Research and Development (R&D), rapidly narrowing the gap in private sector investment.
However, the global outlook for innovation is overshadowed by falling investment. Growth in R&D is forecast to slow to 2.3% this year from 2.9% in 2024 – already the weakest since 2010 in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
China accounted for roughly a quarter of international patent applications last year, remaining the largest source, while the United States, Japan and Germany – which collectively represent 40% – all registered slight declines.
Patent ownership is widely regarded as a key measure of economic strength and technological expertise.
In the longer term, Germany should not be overly concerned about its slip to eleventh place, said GII co-editor Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, noting that the rankings did not take into account the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
“The challenge for Germany is how, alongside its strong, decades-long role as an industrial innovation powerhouse, it can also become a leader in digital innovation,” said World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang.
The other countries in the top ten – positioned between the United States and China – were South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Millions of people across 13 countries are expected to face worsening food insecurity between June and November 2026, according to a new report from t...
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. ...
Ukraine is seeking an additional $20 billion in military funding from its allies, Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Wednesday, as Kyiv looks t...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had a "very good" conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G7 summit in ...
Uzbekistan unveiled an ambitious investment and reform agenda at the Fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum, bringing together more than 8,300 ...
Millions of people across 13 countries are expected to face worsening food insecurity between June and November 2026, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Ukraine is seeking an additional $20 billion in military funding from its allies, Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Wednesday, as Kyiv looks to strengthen its battlefield position and increase pressure on Russia ahead of potential negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had a "very good" conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G7 summit in France, adding that Washington and New Delhi were working on trade agreements despite recent strains in bilateral ties.
Uzbekistan unveiled an ambitious investment and reform agenda at the Fifth Tashkent International Investment Forum, bringing together more than 8,300 participants from 100 countries, including heads of state, government officials, global corporations and international financial institutions.
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. President criticised Israel for its tactics against Hezbollah, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to tackle militants.
A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island early Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring four, according to emergency authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.
Australia's weather bureau warned on Tuesday that an El Niño weather pattern has formed in the tropical Pacific and could intensify in the second half of 2026, becoming one of the strongest events recorded in seven decades.
Pakistan's heavy reliance on imported energy was laid bare by the U.S.-Iran conflict, which disrupted regional supplies, drove up costs and exposed vulnerabilities in the country's energy security. However, a proposed peace agreement now offers hope for economic relief.
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as tech firms race to redefine personal devices in the AI era.
The Canadian government has introduced a digital safety bill that would ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, unless platforms meet specific safety standards.
NASA has named three American astronauts and one Italian astronaut to fly on its Artemis III mission, a major orbital test planned for late next year that will evaluate lunar landing vehicles developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
China will send an astronaut to its space station on Sunday for a one-year mission, the longest duration for the country so far. The mission will help study long-duration human physiology in space as China works toward a crewed Moon landing by 2030.
Anxiety over artificial intelligence is hardening among young workers as executives promote faster adoption and companies point to automation in fresh job cuts.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment