The Global Innovation Index 2012 goes to the press in the second quarter of 2012, while the global economic recovery is fragile and uneven across different regions. Most current economic forecasts by leading international economic institutions predict a slowdown of gross domestic product (GDP) growth throughout 2012 and an uncertain recovery in 2013. In this context, the economic policy debate is placing renewed emphasis on achieving an appropriate policy framework that fosters growth and employment while promoting sustainable public finances. Policies that promote innovation and structural policies fostering long-term output growth should feature prominently in these discussions.

For this fifth edition, the World Intellectual Property Organization (a specialized agency of the United Nations) joined INSEAD as co-publisher of the Report. They also collaborated with Alcatel-Lucent, Booz and Company, and the Confederation of Indian Industry as Knowledge Partners.

The Report covers 141 economies (16 more than in 2011), accounting for 94.9% of the world’s population and 99.4% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (in current US dollars).

The Global Innovation Index 2012 Report is downloadable here in full or in parts

The Global Innovation Index Framework

The Global Innovation Index 2012 (GII) relies on two sub-indices, the Innovation Input Sub-Index and the Innovation Output Sub-Index, each built around pillars.


Five input pillars capture elements of the national economy that enable innovative activities: (1) Institutions, (2) Human capital and research, (3) Infrastructure, (4) Market sophistication, and (5) Business sophistication. Two output pillars capture actual evidence of innovation outputs: (6) Knowledge and technology outputs and (7) Creative outputs.


Each pillar is divided into sub-pillars and each sub-pillar is composed of individual indicators. Sub-pillar scores are calculated as the weighted average of individual indicators; pillar scores are calculated as the weighted average of sub-pillar scores. Four measures are then calculated:


  • The Innovation Input Sub-Index is the simple average of the first five pillar scores.
  • The Innovation Output Sub-Index is the simple average of the last two pillar scores.
  • The overall GII is the simple average of the Input and Output Sub-Indices.
  • The Innovation Efficiency Index is the ratio of the Output Sub-Index over the Input Sub-Index.
 

The GII model is revised every year in a transparent exercise to improve the way innovation is measured. Compared to 2011, the Infrastructure pillar was reorganized to single out ecological sustainability in a new sub-pillar. In addition, a sub-pillar on online creativity was added to the Creative outputs pillar.