How countries accumulate innovation

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South Africa has achieved the rank of Innovation Adopter in the second edition of the International Innovation Scorecard, an assessment of policies and practices around the world that fuel technological innovation or hinder progress, released at CES last week by the Consumer Technology Association ( call to action).

A record number of 24 countries have earned the top “Champion of Innovation” ranking: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg , the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union (EU).

“The 2023 Scorecard captures a surge of entrepreneurship since it was last released in 2019, as innovators around the world have harnessed advanced technologies to develop vaccines with incredible speed, deliver healthcare across borders, build online tools for commerce and ‘education and navigating complex supply chain challenges,” says Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CTA.

“This year’s innovation champions adopt policies that spur innovation and enable diverse communities to birth and commercialize new technologies, improving the lives of millions.”

The Scorecard measures 40 indicators in 17 categories, including tax relief, environmental quality, trade policy, broadband access and cybersecurity. The 2023 edition expanded to include a further nine countries, assessing a total of 70 nations worldwide, including all EU and G20 members.

The next tier of nations ranked on the Scorecard – Innovation Leaders – includes dynamic Asian economies such as South Korea and Malaysia, as well as a group of democracies just a generation out of the Cold War, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary. Four innovation leaders — Bulgaria, Malta, Slovakia and Greece — are newcomers to the group, reflecting the ever-expanding frontier of technological progress.

A third category of 20 countries are classified as Innovation Adopters, showing strong pro-innovation policies and trends in some categories, but not in most. Bright spots include the diversity of the workforce in Mexico and Costa Rica, the business-friendly tax policies of Romania and Kazakhstan, and the Philippines’ commitment to free trade.

The fourth and final category – Modest Innovators – is also the smallest on the Scorecard with only 10 countries listed. These nations have the most room for improvement, which can be by increasing the gender and ethnic diversity of their workforce, easing restrictions on the ownership and use of digital assets, or removing barriers to entrepreneurship and innovation.

South Africa’s scorecard is as follows:

Composite Grade – Innovation Adopter

Composite score – 2 313

Diversity – B-

Freedom – B-

Broadband – D+

Human capital – D+

Tax Facility – C-

Investments in R&D – C

Entrepreneurial activity – B

Unicorns – D

Resilience – C+

Environment – ​​c

Technology trading – F

Drones – C

Telemedicine – A-

Digital Resources – A

Self-driving vehicles – C

IT security – B

Artificial intelligence – a

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