China surpasses Germany, enters top 10 most innovative countries in the world for the first time

China leads in international patent filings and enters the world's top 10 innovation nations for the first time, replacing Germany's usual position.

A humanoid robot on display at the Beijing Robot Industrial Park - Photo: REUTERS

According to Reuters news agency on September 17, China appeared for the first time in the top 10 most innovative countries in the world , based on the annual rankings of the United Nations.

The Asian country has replaced Germany - Europe's largest economy , as businesses in Beijing boost investment in research and development (R&D).

The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025 report surveyed 139 economies based on 78 criteria, ranking Switzerland at the top - a position it has held since 2011 - followed by Sweden and the US.

China entered the top 10 for the first time, pushing Germany down to 11th place. The remaining countries in the top group include South Korea, Singapore, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark.

The GII report shows that China is on track to become the world's largest spender on R&D as it rapidly closes the gap in private sector funding.

China will account for about 25% of international patent applications in 2024, remaining the largest contributor globally. The US, Japan and Germany – three countries that together account for 40% of the world’s applications – all saw slight declines.

Patent ownership has long been considered an important sign of a country's economic strength and industrial level.

However, the survey also warned that global innovation is being hampered by falling investment levels.

R&D growth is expected to slow to 2.3% this year from 2.9% last year – already the lowest since the 2010 financial crisis.

Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, co-editor of the GII report, said Germany's drop in ranking is not a cause for concern in the long term, and noted that the new rankings do not fully reflect the impact of trade tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

The big challenge for Germany now is how to become a powerhouse in digital innovation, in addition to its long-standing position as an industrial engine, said Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

XUAN THAO

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trung-quoc-vuot-duc-lan-dau-lot-top-10-quoc-gia-doi-moi-sang-tao-nhat-the-gioi-20250917104119598.htm