In comparison to 2013, Kazakhstan improved its position by five points in the Global Innovation Index (GII) ranking, reported the press service of the Economic Research Institute of the Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning.
“According to the 2014 survey, Kazakhstan took 79th position, improving its position by five points compared to last year. On the regional classification among the countries of Central and South Asia, Kazakhstan is ranked second, between India and Bhutan,” the report states.
The results were obtained in accordance with a study conducted July 18 by the international business school INSEAD in collaboration with Cornell University and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
The study covered 143 countries, which together account for 98.3 percent of the world GDP and 92.9 percent of its population. According to this study, the most innovative countries are Switzerland, the U.K. and Sweden.
GII has been calculated since 2007 and currently represents the most comprehensive set of indicators of innovative development of the various countries of the world. The index consists of 81 different variables that characterise in detail the innovative development of countries at different levels of economic development and is calculated as a weighted sum of the scores of the two groups of indicators — resources and conditions for innovation (innovation input) and achieved practical results of the innovation (innovation output).
Having improved its position in 2014 on the main indicators, Kazakhstan demonstrates a positive trend on individual components of the index. In terms of business development, the country has risen 16 positions, finishing in 103rd place, market development improved nine positions and institutions three positions.
According to experts at the Economic Research Institute, despite Kazakhstan’s stable position in the GII and improvement of individual components of the index, development of the national system of support and introduction of innovations is at the stage of formation, thus explaining the lag behind the leading countries of the world.
The effectiveness of innovative activity depends on the general economic situation in the country and the state of scientific and technical strategy from full resource provision, market conditions, availability of professional staff and effective management.
“To improve the calculations, the method of calculating the ranking is revised annually. This year, we have introduced new quality indicators. As some processes cannot be represented properly, the GII model is not decisive in the evaluation of innovative development of the country,” emphasised specialists of the Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning.
According to the ministry, while there is not yet a specific model of innovative development of the economy in the world, if strictly followed the country must come to socio-economic wellbeing. According to the procedures of various international rankings, the basic factors of economic development are human capital, competitive business, infrastructural base and an effective institutional environment that will help achieve practical results in the field of technology and innovation.
The core of the GII Report consists of a ranking of world economies’ innovation capabilities and results. Over the last seven years, the GII has established itself as a leading reference on innovation. Understanding the human aspects behind innovation in more detail is essential for the design of policies that help to locally promote economic development and richer innovation-prone environments. Recognising the key role of innovation as a driver of economic growth and prosperity and the need for a broad horizontal vision of innovation applicable to developed and emerging economies, the GII includes indicators that go beyond the traditional measures of innovation, such as the level of research and development.
