Turkish president proud of country climbing 31 spots on global innovation index over last decade

Türkiye is proud of the level of innovation it reached by climbing 31 positions in the global innovation index over a decade, the country's president said on Thursday.

"We are immensely proud of the level of innovation we have reached over the years. Thanks to our gradually realized vision, we have climbed 31 positions in the global innovation index over the last 11 years,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a video message sent to an event of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Erdogan said that Türkiye stands above the average for upper-middle-income countries in the sub-indexes for human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, knowledge, and technology outputs as well as creative outputs.

Noting that the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office has risen to the top of leading trademark and industrial design indexes as a result of these endeavors, he said: "These achievements undoubtedly reflect Türkiye's commitment to building a dynamic and strong innovation ecosystem."

He underlined that the country's 2024-2026 roadmap for global innovation index roadmap will contribute to its objective of innovative economic growth by encouraging investments in this area.

Türkiye's goal in the 12th development plan for the 2024-2028 period is to secure a position among the top 10 countries in the Global Innovation Index (GII), he stated.

"We have attained a stage through our National Technology Initiative where we can independently develop and manufacture advanced technologies," he said. "In our 2053 vision, we aim to be a hub for advanced technologies by embracing innovation in science and technology."

The president reiterated Türkiye's commitment to supporting the UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries, with the principle of "leaving no one behind."

Erdogan also voiced a "strong commitment" to enhancing the partnership with WIPO and strengthening Türkiye's presence in the global innovation ecosystem.

According to the 2024 index released on Thursday, Türkiye, along with China, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines, are the fastest "10-year climbers."

The report said that Türkiye "continues to forge ahead, gaining two ranks" in the innovation index.

"It also takes the 3rd position among the upper-middle-income group. Türkiye stands out in various areas: it ranks 1st globally in trademarks and industrial designs, and 9th in intangible asset intensity – all showing an improvement this year," the report added.

Türkiye ranks 37th among the 133 economies featured in the GII 2024.

The GII ranks world economies according to their innovation capabilities. Consisting of roughly 80 indicators, grouped into innovation inputs and outputs, the GII aims to capture the multi-dimensional facets of innovation.