(Yicai) Sept. 30 -- China held onto 10th place among the world's most innovative economies for the second consecutive year in the World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index 2026.

The top five economies were Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore, followed by the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, and Denmark, according to the rankings published yesterday.

The Global Innovation Index assesses nearly 140 economies using around 80 metrics spanning research and development, high-tech trade, skilled employment, and IP licensing. Serving as a barometer for innovation activities worldwide, the GII informs economic policymaking for governments.

The latest report shows the artificial intelligence industry is reshaping investment in innovation. “Artificial intelligence is opening new technological frontiers across all scientific fields, and government and corporate research investment hit an all-time high in 2025,” WIPO Director-General Daren Tang said.

New-generation deep-tech startups are translating breakthroughs into products and driving transformations in life sciences, space, robotics and clean energy, Tang noted.

The report said AI is fueling a rebound in venture capital financing and R&D spending, while emerging economies continue to post innovation gains, keeping pace with the traditional leading economies in innovation.

The GII estimates that global R&D spending rose 3.3 percent in real terms last year and is set to increase 3.6 percent to USD 3.4 trillion this year. Corporate outlays on R&D climbed 5.8 percent in real terms in 2025, reaching a record USD 1.5 trillion, driven by software and AI developers as well as defense-related R&D.

In the 2026 GII Top 100 Innovation Clusters list unveiled by WIPO earlier this month, 25 Chinese urban clusters made the cut. Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou retained its global No. 1 position, Beijing ranked fifth, and Shanghai-Suzhou came in sixth, reflecting the robust innovation capacity of China’s major urban innovation clusters.

Editor: Tang Shihua