Malaysia is the 26th most innovative country in the world

Malaysia is the 26th most innovative country in the world according to Bloomberg’s 2019 Innovation Index.

Now in its seventh year, the index analyses over 200 countries in several criteria using seven metrics which includes research and development spending, manufacturing capability and concentration of high-tech public companies.

After Singapore, which is ranked 6th on the index, Malaysia’s 26th position is the highest among the ASEAN region and is ahead of countries such as Russia, Spain, and Hungary. The next ASEAN country ranked on the index after Malaysia is Thailand on the 40th spot.

Malaysia’s position on the index remains unchanged from 2018. In the same period, Singapore fell three spots (from 3rd to 6th on the index) while Thailand gained five positions (from 45th to 40th on the index).

South Korea retained the global crown as the most innovative country in the world for the seventh consecutive year though improvements by Germany in research and education brought the country almost level with South Korea in the 2019 index.

Get the full report here.