NZ moves up Global Innovation Index

New Zealand has been ranked 13th in the world in the 2012 Global Innovation Index – up two places from 2011.

The report, which analyses innovation in 141 countries, also ranks New Zealand third in the Asia and Oceania region after Singapore and Hong Kong.

“The 2012 Global Innovation Index recognises the good progress New Zealand is making as a smart and innovative country to do business,” Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says.

“The index is one of the most widely cited composite indicators of national competitiveness and New Zealand has scored highly on the ease of starting a business, education, knowledge creation and the number of new businesses per capita.”

Switzerland, Sweden and Singapore top the rankings, while New Zealand is ahead of countries such as Norway (14th), Israel (17th) and Australia (23rd).

“We’re also ahead of major economies such as Korea, China, Japan and Germany. This shows that although we may not have the size or population of those countries, it’s the quality of our people, their ideas, and the regulatory and business environments that are helping make a positive difference,” Mr Joyce says.

The index is prepared by the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD, a leading graduate business school), and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (a specialised agency of the United Nations).

The report is available at: http://www.globalinnovationindex.org/gii/main/fullreport/index.html