For the first time, Israel has been ranked in the top 10 on the UN World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index for 2019.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the news in a post on his Facebook page: "For the first time, the UN is ranking us among the top 10 leading nations on its Global Innovation Index. We've made Israel into a rising global power."
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For the past few years, Israel has been climbing on the UN index. In 2016, it was ranked 21st in innovation. In 2017, it jumped to 17th. In 2018, Israel placed just outside the top 10 and was ranked 11th. Israel's precise place in the top 10 on the 2019 Global Innovation Index has yet to be disclosed. The final results are slated to be unveiled on July 24 at a special event the WIPO will be hosting in New Delhi.
This year's WIPO event will focus on innovation in the health care field. Israeli Ambassador to India Dr. Ron Malka and Esti Sheli, head of the Department of Digital Health in the Health Ministry, will represent Israel.
The Global Innovation Index uses 80 indicators to rank the state of innovation in 129 countries. The indicators examine, among other things, the creative and supportive environment for innovation in different countries in terms of education, investment in infrastructure, investment in research, the level of business sophistication, and the political climate.
The GII has become a tool used by decision-makers and business people in creating ties between the public and private sectors. The index was developed by the WIPO, Cornell University, and INSEAD, one of the world's leading business schools.
