Innovation benchmarks in SE Asia

The Global Innovation Index, annual research from Cornell University, INSEAD and WIPO on innovation in economies is positive for Asia in 2018. The research measures 80 factors that lead to ability to innovate new technologies and put them to use. Factors include high-tech imports, quality of technical publications, R&D expenditure, overseas investment, numbers of scientific researchers, educational enrolment and numbers of patents and trademarks.

SEA is showing one of the biggest improvements this year. Singapore sits in 5th place, as one of world's most innovative states. Thailand one of the big movers this year now sits in 44th; with Vietnam in 45th. Malaysia is in 35th place. ASEAN policies, local policy improvement and greater economic dynamism are cited as the reasons. Philippines at 73rd and Indonesia at 85th lag behind.