For the second consecutive year, Pakistan has showcased remarkable progress in innovation, earning recognition in the 2023 Global Innovation Index (GII) by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Pakistan secures the 88th position out of 132 featured economies in the GII, and relative to its GDP, it outperforms expectations for its developmental level.
Within Central and Southern Asia, Pakistan ranks fifth among ten economies, and among the 37 lower-middle-income group economies, it holds the 12th spot. Notably, Pakistan’s performance in innovation outputs surpassed its innovation inputs this year. It ranks 113th in innovation inputs, a lower position compared to the previous year, but achieves 68th place in innovation outputs, an improvement.
Pakistan’s strengths in innovation primarily lie in knowledge and technology outputs (69th), creative outputs (70th), and business sophistication (72nd). However, it faces challenges in infrastructure (120th), human capital and research (117th), and institutions (113th). In lower-middle-income-group economies, Pakistan performs below the group average in market sophistication, human capital and research, infrastructure, and institutions.
The country also lags behind the regional average in market sophistication, human capital and research, infrastructure, and institutions within the Central and Southern Asia segment. Key innovation strengths in Pakistan include mobile application development, high-tech imports, and the domestic market’s scale.
Prominent universities in Pakistan contributing to innovation include the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Quaid-i-Azam University, and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS).
The top 15 intangible asset-intensive companies operating in Pakistan encompass Colgate-Palmolive Pakistan Ltd, Systems Ltd, and Meezan Bank Ltd. Leading firms with substantial global brand value include Habib Bank Ltd, Pakistan Mobile Communication Ltd (Jazz), and United Bank Ltd.
The GII report notes that Pakistan lacks data for 11 indicators and possesses outdated data for 14 indicators. Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore emerge as the world’s most innovative economies in 2023.