Definition
The Global Innovation Index (GII) is an annual ranking of countries by their innovation capacity and output, published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in partnership with academic and research institutions. The index ranks approximately 130 economies on the basis of innovation inputs and outputs, providing a comprehensive assessment of national innovation ecosystems.
Methodology
The GII is calculated from approximately 80 indicators grouped into two sub-indices:
Innovation Input Sub-Index — measures the elements of the national economy that enable innovative activities, including institutions (regulatory environment, business environment), human capital and research (education, R&D), infrastructure (ICT, general infrastructure, ecological sustainability), market sophistication (credit, investment, trade), and business sophistication (knowledge workers, innovation linkages, knowledge absorption).
Innovation Output Sub-Index — measures the results of innovative activities, including knowledge and technology outputs (patent applications, high-tech exports, knowledge creation) and creative outputs (intangible assets, creative goods and services, online creativity).
The overall GII score is the average of the two sub-indices. Countries are ranked both by overall score and by the efficiency ratio (the ratio of output to input), which measures how effectively a country converts innovation investments into innovation outcomes.
Qatar’s Trajectory
Qatar has pursued a deliberate strategy to improve its innovation ecosystem, reflected in substantial investment in education (Education City), research (Qatar National Research Fund), technology parks (Qatar Science and Technology Park), and digital infrastructure. These investments are designed to improve Qatar’s performance on both the input and output dimensions of the GII.
Qatar’s GII ranking has shown gradual improvement, though the country continues to face challenges common to resource-rich economies: translating R&D spending into commercial innovation output, building a culture of entrepreneurship, and developing the density of knowledge linkages that characterise top-ranking innovation economies.
Significance
The GII is a relevant benchmark for Qatar’s progress toward the knowledge economy objectives embedded in the National Vision 2030. Sustained improvement in GII ranking would signal that Qatar’s investments in human capital, research infrastructure, and technology development are producing measurable innovation outcomes.