Academic Network - Portulans Institute

About Global Innovation Index

The GII provides detailed metrics on innovation performance using approximately 80 indicators for almost 130 economies, thus covering 93% of the world’s population and 98% of global GDP. The GII is a tool for action and has established itself as a central policy tool for innovation around the world.

The GII is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, in association with the Portulans Institute. Moving into its 16th edition this year, the GII has evolved into a valuable benchmarking tool that facilitates public-private dialogue and that helps policymakers, business leaders, and other stakeholders to evaluate their innovation progress on an annual basis.

Launched in 2021, our Academic Network, engages leading institutes from around the world in GII research. Our Academic Partners include – The American University in Cairo School of Business (Egypt), SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University (USA), National Research University Higher School of Economics (Russia), INSEAD (France), Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University (Nigeria), Peking University (China), EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), University of São Paulo (Brazil), Universidad de los Andes School of Management (Colombia), University of Johannesburg (South Africa), Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (UK), VinUniversity (Vietnam).

Interested in becoming an Academic Partner? Contact us at info@portulansinstitute.org

GII as a Tool for Research

The GII is unique in presenting a rich database of variables affecting innovation policies, debates and actions. It has been used by numerous researchers to analyze different facets of innovation in local and national contexts. A search on Google Scholar for the keywords “Global Innovation Index” produces over 18,500 results, with 3,000 results since 2020. A large number of leading academics and subject matter experts have also contributed thematic chapters to various editions of the GII.

Role and Benefits for GII’s Academic Partners

Established in 2021, our Academic Network engages world-leading universities and their faculty and graduate students in the GII research and to support the dissemination of the GII results in the academic community. The Academic Network welcomes researchers and institutions active in diverse fields including science, law, business management and public policy. We extend our gratitude to all Academic Network partners for their support.

Modes of participation:

Participate in the activities of the GII of a global community of experts lead by WIPO and Portulans Institute (PI).
Access to data for research and the ability to provide academic input to the GII team.
Participate in the discussion and dissemination of GII results at various events.
Co-host innovation research events, engaging academic researchers and interested corporate participants.
Identify faculty members or a member of the research staff to work closely with WIPO and PI, potentially joining PI as a Fellow for a relevant Community of Practice Program.

GII’s Global Impact and Media Coverage

Numerous countries have incorporated the GII data and analysis into their innovation agenda and metrics. The GII is also regularly featured at various high-level global policy events. In 2013, the global ranking was launched at the high-level segment of the ECOSOC meeting by the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon in Geneva. In 2014, the GII launch was hosted by the Australian Industry Minister in the context of the B20in Sydney.

In 2015, the British Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State hosted it in London. In 2016 and 2017, the report has been launched at the UN headquarters in Geneva. In 2019, the GII was launched by the Indian Minister of Industry and Commerce in New Delhi, India. Due to the Covid crisis, in 2020 the GII was launched online, including various regional events with governments and the GII Corporate Partners.

The GII’s annual release attracts high visibility. It was referred by world leaders, including the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Việt Nam Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, in prestigious geopolitical addresses. The GII is equally well received by the industry, academia, and the media.

Since the launch of the GII’s 14th edition in 2020, the report has been downloaded over 160,000 times, cited on Google Scholar more than 3,000 times and has been covered in 1,800 different media outlets by major global publications and broadcasters, including BBC Radio, The Economist, La Tribune, Le Temps, Deutsche Welle, Times of India, Nikkei,Manila Bulletin, Singapore’s Business Times, The Washington Post, the Financial Times and many more.

Daren Tang, a national of Singapore, officially assumed his functions as Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization on October 1, 2020, starting a six-year mandate at the helm of the Organization

Other Programs

The Portulans Institute Academic Network

Established in 2021, our GII Academic Network engages world-leading universities and their faculty and graduate students in Global Innovation Index research and supports the dissemination of the GII results in the academic community.

The Portulans Institute Community of Practice

PI’s Communities of Practice (CoPs) bring together experts from both the public and private sectors involved in policy-making, research or the development of market solutions. Each CoP is led by a PI Senior Fellow.

The Portulans Institute Corporate Partners Program

Our GII Corporate Partners are corporations or non-governmental entities that believe in the role of innovation in increasing the competitiveness of nations, enabling economic growth, driving societal changes, and building the foundation of an economy’s future.