(Publ. 14 SEP 2020) We already know that Sweden has a very high capacity for innovation and is at the forefront this year as well. For the second year in a row, Sweden secures proudly a second place when WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) presents its annual survey “Global Innovation Index”, in which the ability of 131 countries to create a good development environment for innovation is measured.

The world today is facing major challenges as it struggles to cope with the economic and social damages of the coronavirus COVID-19. Now more than ever, innovation – primarily to find treatments and a vaccine – is humanity’s best hope to overcome the humanitarian as well as the economic recession. This pandemic is a reminder that health-related research and development is not a luxury but a necessity. A side effect of the current crisis has been to stimulate interest in innovative solutions in health, of course, but also in areas such as remote working and remote education, e-commerce and mobility solutions, which in turn has positive consequences that promote, among other things, reducing or reversing long-term climate change.

The top three countries are still Switzerland, Sweden and the United States, closely followed by the United Kingdom, which has overtaken the Netherlands. In addition to the countries we usually see again in the top 10, a new country has placed in tenth place, South Korea. At a time when we are seeing an increase in unilateralism and nationalism, it is important to remember that in the economies that have advanced in the rankings, notably Vietnam, India and the Philippines, it has been possible to see how they have benefited from their integration into global value chains and innovation networks. The full top 10-list can be found below, with each country’s placement from 2019 in parentheses.

The world’s 10 most innovative countries 2020:

1  Switzerland (1)
2  Sweden (2)
3  United States of America (3)
4  United Kingdom (5)
5  Netherlands (4)
6  Denmark (7)
7  Finland (6)
8  Singapore (8)
9  Germany (9)
10 Republic of Korea (11)