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Earlier this month, the 2012 Global Innovation Index (GII) was jointly published by WIPO and INSEAD.  The GII profiles 141 countries according to 84 indicators, which fit into the following categories: institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs.

The GII indicators include patent and trademark registrations by both domestic residents, though they do not include an overall measurement of the strength of IPR protection. 

This year’s report seeks to discuss how different stakeholders work together to further innovation.  It recommends that countries try to strengthen the linkages among innovative sectors in their economies:

The theme of this year’s GII report, ‘Stronger innovation linkages for global growth’, underlines the importance of productive interactions among innovation actors — firms, the public sector, academia, and society—in modern innovation ecosystems … More and more attention is focused on the interplay of institutions and the interactive processes in the creation, application, and diffusion of knowledge, human capital, and technology. In particular, the transfer of scientific results and inventions and their application to societal challenges in high- and lower-income countries alike is garnering attention.

In the policy debate and the literature, emphasis is put on the increasingly collaborative nature of innovative processes. Such collaboration has been facilitated as innovation processes have become more fragmented and ‘open’.” As studied in several chapters of this publication, the role of the Internet more generally has been crucial in introducing changes to the innovation process and to related outputs. Markets for technologies that allow for knowledge diffusion have added a further boost to collaboration.

Overall, the report lists eight main conclusions:

1. A new dynamic of innovation is emerging around the world regardless of the deep and persistent
   innovation divides between countries and regions.
2. Three groups of countries can be identified by their innovation performance in relation to their income levels.
3. Pay attention to hysteresis effects in innovation — investing in innovation in times of crisis is essential.
4. A focus on the systemic dimension of innovation and building strong linkages across the innovation ecosystem is crucial.
5. Policy discussions in Europe have to include a focus on innovation, not just austerity, to bridge gaps in a two-speed continent.
6. Northern America continues to be an innovation leader but needs to address what could become chronic weaknesses.
7. BRICs need to renew their innovation drivers to live up to their expected potential.
8. Measuring innovation is a moving target.

The full report is available at http://www.globalinnovationindex.org.