Britain has dropped additional down the world’s innovation league desk, falling to sixth place within the newest international rankings revealed by the World Mental Property Organisation (Wipo).
The UK was ranked fifth final yr and fourth in 2024, with the newest slip elevating recent considerations in regards to the nation’s skill to stay aggressive in opposition to fast-rising rivals.
The annual International Innovation Index measures almost 140 economies on 80 indicators, together with analysis and improvement spending, enterprise capital exercise, high-tech exports and mental property filings.
Switzerland as soon as once more claimed the highest spot, adopted by Sweden and the US. South Korea rose sharply to fourth place, climbing from eleventh in 2019, whereas China entered the worldwide high ten for the primary time.
Lord Vallance, the UK’s science minister, stated he was “not pleased with the path of journey” however insisted the federal government had a plan to reverse the pattern.
“We’ve got clearly acquired the potential with the science base that we now have acquired, the start-up base that we now have acquired and the entrepreneurs we now have acquired to be on the forefront,” he stated. “After all I don’t need us to be slipping down that rating. I would like us to go within the different path and that’s my massive focus on this ministerial job.”
In Europe, Germany fell two locations to eleventh and France slipped to thirteenth, regardless of Paris stepping up efforts to draw UK tech corporations post-Brexit.
The Wipo report additionally highlighted robust performances from rising economies. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Brazil, Mauritius, Bahrain and Jordan have all been among the many quickest climbers since 2020.
International development in analysis and improvement spending slowed to 2.9 per cent in 2024, down from 4.4 per cent the earlier yr and the bottom fee since 2010. Wipo expects it to weaken additional this yr to 2.3 per cent.
Whereas corporations in AI, software program and prescription drugs raised funding, the slowdown was pushed by cuts in automotive and client items sectors.
