
United Arab Emirates has been ranked first in Arab world and 38 in the world, according to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2013, issued by Cornell University and INSEAD, a leading international business school and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a specialised agency of the United Nations.
The Global Innovation Index combines this year between the experiences of INSEAD partners such as Booz ‘&’ Company and the Confederation of Indian Industry, in addition to advisory board consists of 14 international experts. In spite of the economic crisis, innovation stays alive as the research and development expenses exceeded the levels seen in 2008 in most countries. The report this year highlights the local dynamics in terms of innovation, an aspect which was not enough dealt with globally.
The Global Innovation Index (GII) is a recognition of the key role that innovation serves as a driver of economic growth and prosperity. It is also an acknowledgement of the need for a broad horizontal vision of innovation that is applicable to both developed and emerging economies, with the inclusion of indicators that go beyond the traditional measures of innovation (such as the level of research and development in a given country).