BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII), titled "Innovations at a Crossroads: Defining the Future," offers a unique perspective on innovation, investment flows, scientific collaboration, and the dissemination of breakthrough technologies, Trend reports.
This is the 18th edition jointly published by the Portulans Institute (USA) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), covering the economies of 139 countries and highlighting their strengths and weaknesses in innovation.
Since 2007, the GII has served as an invaluable reference tool for nations to assess their innovation activities, refine policies, and improve effectiveness. The United Nations General Assembly recognizes the GII as an authoritative comparative analysis instrument for measuring innovation within the context of science, technology, and innovation policies in support of sustainable development.
The GII-2025 ranking is based on 80 indicators encompassing potential, performance results, and the framework conditions for innovation. These indicators include a broad range of data—from legislation, science, and education to market development, business environment, and infrastructure. The main goal of the GII publication is to provide a tool for countries to assess the efficiency of their innovation mechanisms.
Leading countries in the GII-2025 ranking are Switzerland at the top, followed by Sweden, the United States, South Korea, and Singapore. The top ten also includes the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, and China.
Among post-Soviet countries, Estonia ranks 16th, Lithuania 33rd, and Latvia 41st. Russia holds 60th place, while Azerbaijan has improved its position by one point compared to 2024 and now ranks 94th.
Azerbaijan’s innovation profile, according to GII-2025 experts, is assessed through seven groups comprising 80 indicators, divided into two result-oriented sub-indices: "Innovation Resources" and "Innovation Results."
In the "Innovation Resources" sub-index, Azerbaijan’s strengths include:
- Three indicators within the "Institutions" sub-block: Entrepreneurship policy and culture, Political stability of business environment, Business operational stability;
- Two indicators within the "Human Capital and Science" sub-block: Student-teacher ratio in secondary schools, and Graduates in science and technology;
- Two indicators within the "Business Development" sub-block: Cluster development status, University-industry R&D cooperation;
- Two indicators within the "Knowledge and Technology Results" sub-block: Patents by origin, Growth in labor productivity;
- One indicator within the "Market Development" sub-block: Funding for startups and small enterprises.
The authors of the ranking identify ten indicators where Azerbaijan ranks from 2nd to 50th places. It should be noted that in the "Infrastructure" (third) and "Creative Activity Results" (seventh) sub-blocks, there are no indicators reflecting the country's strengths.
In 2025, Azerbaijan's "Innovation Resources" sub-index ranked 76th, improving by 6 points compared to the previous year. In this sub-index, Azerbaijan surpasses several post-Soviet countries: Armenia (78th), Ukraine (80th), Moldova (89th), Kyrgyzstan (93rd), Belarus (102nd), and Tajikistan (105th). Meanwhile, the "Innovation Results" sub-index lags behind the "Resources" sub-index by 36 points.
Within the "Innovation Resources" sub-index, the "Institutions" block occupies a high 41st place, improving by 10 points. Azerbaijan outperforms other post-Soviet countries such as Latvia (46), Uzbekistan (62), Armenia (70), Kazakhstan (77), Moldova (91), Tajikistan (102), Ukraine (108), Kyrgyzstan (119), Russia (131), and Belarus (137).
In the aggregate "Institutional Environment" indicator, Azerbaijan ranks 65th. The "Operational Stability" indicator for enterprises is at 45th place, improving by 3 points, while the "Government Effectiveness" indicator is 74th. Azerbaijan surpasses Uzbekistan (90), Armenia (82), Moldova (81), Tajikistan (116), Ukraine (94), Kyrgyzstan (122), Russia (112), and Belarus (128) on this metric.
The "Business Environment" sub-block is ranked very high at 3rd place overall, improving by 12 points from 2024. The "Entrepreneurship Policy and Culture" indicator is second, and "Policy Stability" is 20th.
In the "Human Capital and Science" sub-block, Azerbaijan ranks 67th in the "Public Funding of Secondary Education" indicator, 20th in "Student-Teacher Ratio," and 70th in the PISA scores for reading, math, and science. The "Higher Education" indicator, measuring "Graduates in Science and Technology," is 36th, improving by 9 points. The "Research and Development" group ranks 47th, with "Researchers" at 47th place and "Global Corporate R&D Investments" at 44th.
Within "Infrastructure," the ICT development indicator ranks 70th, having improved by 14 places. The "Government Online Service" indicator is at 66th place, up by 15 places, and the "Electricity Generation" indicator is also at 70th.
The "Market Development" sub-block ranks 72nd, gaining 42 places over 2024. Azerbaijan outperforms many post-Soviet neighbors: Uzbekistan (74), Russia (76), Kyrgyzstan (82), Armenia (83), Ukraine (85), Moldova (88), Kazakhstan (93), Belarus (102), and Tajikistan (110).
Key indicators include "Credit" at 37th place and "Funding for Startups and SMEs" at 12th place.
In the "Business Sophistication" sub-block, the indicator "Research Financed by Business" ranks 58th, improving by 5 points. The combined "Innovation Links" indicator is 60th, with "Cluster Development" at 30th and "University-Industry R&D Cooperation" at 36th. The "Knowledge Absorption" indicator, covering "Payments for Intellectual Property," is at 69th.
A critical component is the "Innovation Results" sub-index, which in 2025 ranks 112th. This includes indicators like "Knowledge and Technology Diffusion," with "Startup Creation" at 53rd and "Labor Productivity Growth" at 55th place, reflecting the impact of advanced technology adoption, intellectual labor results, and workforce skill improvements.
In the "Creative Activity Results" sub-block, the "Creative Goods and Services" indicator is at 47th place.
Regarding intellectual property, Azerbaijan's patent activity is the cream of the crop. The indicator "Patent Applications by Origin" sits at the 57th spot, yet experts are singing its praises, placing it among the country's top ten strengths. Azerbaijan is ahead of the pack, leaving Armenia in the dust at 79, Moldova trailing at 64, and Tajikistan not far behind at 77 on this metric. Azerbaijan and Georgia are in the thick of it, sitting pretty in the 53rd to 58th group, leading the charge in the South Caucasus.
Other relevant indicators include "Utility Models" (small patents), ranked 38th, and "Resident Trademark Applications," at 71st place.
In patent activity, Azerbaijan has climbed the ranks, now sitting pretty at 75th place in the "Patent Families" indicator, a leap of 16 spots from last year. It has outpaced Belarus at 76, Kazakhstan at 83, and left Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan all in the dust at 100. The "Resident PCT Applications" are sitting pretty at the 80th spot.
Experts emphasize that attracting venture capital and foreign direct investment and developing university-industry collaborations and international partnerships remain critical areas for Azerbaijan’s innovation growth. The report also notes that timely and complete data submissions and updates are essential for improving the country's ranking.
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