Switzerland Is the Most Innovative Country in the World

Switzerland should be revered not only for its breathtaking natural beauty but for its continued commitment to world-improving research and technology. In a report released earlier this week, Switzerland finished first, ahead of Sweden, the U.K., the U.S., and Finland, as the world’s most innovative country for the sixth consecutive year. The Global Innovation Index—a nine-year-old report conducted by INSEAD (a business school headquartered in France), the World Intellectual Property Organization (a United Nations agency), and Cornell University—studies and ranks 128 countries according to five key pillars. These include caliber of national institutions, the amount of capital spent on research and infrastructure, as well as evolution in market and business environments. Switzerland once again won the top spot by promoting eco-friendly growth, a high number of patents, and also creating many global research-and-development companies. Home to the world-renowned science and engineering schools EPFL in Lausanne and ETH Zurich, Switzerland is regularly rated highly when it comes to technological innovation. What’s more, the Alpine country continually receives high marks for pushing collaborative efforts between universities and businesses throughout the nation. Another notable takeaway from the report is that China has joined the top 25 for the first time.