According to Lianhe Zaobao on September 29, in the Global Innovation Index 2026, Singapore ranks 5th in the world and 2nd in Asia, with no change in its position from the previous year. It marks the fourth consecutive year for Singapore to secure a spot in the global top five. The assessment framework consists of 79 sub-indicators, among which Singapore takes the global first place in 12 indicators, two more than last year.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) officially launched the Global Innovation Index 2026 report on September 29. The top six economies are Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, South Korea, Singapore and the United Kingdom, maintaining the same ranking as last year. Asia continues to deliver solid innovation performance this year, with five Asian economies listed in the global top 20. South Korea, Singapore and Chinese mainland rank within the top ten, while Japan and Hong Kong of China take the 12th and 14th positions respectively.
The Global Innovation Index comprehensively assesses the innovation capacity of 139 economies across the globe through 79 indicators grouped into innovation input and innovation output. Innovation input covers five pillars: institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication and business sophistication. Innovation output reflects the practical results of innovation activities, divided into knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs.