THE Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) said the Philippines must strengthen its innovation ecosystem after falling two notches in the 2026 Global Innovation Index (GII), an annual ranking published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations agency.
The WIPO index ranked the Philippines 52nd among 139 economies, down from 50th in 2025, even as its overall score edged up to 33.8 from 33.6.
DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the country must invest more in research and development, human capital, infrastructure and innovation financing.
“Strengthening these foundations is critical to improving competitiveness and achieving our long-term innovation goals,” Balisacan noted.
Despite the lower ranking, WIPO continued to classify the Philippines as an “innovation overperformer,” meaning it produces better innovation results than expected for its level of development.
The country ranked 49th in innovation outputs. Its strongest indicators were high-tech exports, where it placed fourth, and high-tech imports, where it ranked sixth.
WIPO said the Philippines has made progress in high-tech manufacturing and trade, but remains weak in developing homegrown inventions. It cited limited research capacity, patent activity, and cooperation between universities and industries as key concerns.
DEPDev said the country needs to train more researchers and innovators, and strengthen partnerships among universities, businesses and international institutions. These efforts would help companies develop, expand, and market new products and technologies.
The government aims to put the Philippines among the top third — or near 43rd place — of economies in the GII by 2028 under the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028.
Balisacan said the country’s recent transition to upper-middle-income status could help attract higher-value investments, speed up technology adoption and increase participation in innovation-driven industries and global supply chains.
DEPDev, which serves as secretariat of the National Innovation Council, is also studying policy reforms for startups and innovative enterprises. These include easing regulations, improving access to innovation facilities and expanding financing options using intellectual property.
