Economists and policymakers hailed the progress made by the Philippines in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII) but warned that sustaining momentum will require deeper reforms.
The Philippines has risen to 50th place in the index, its highest ranking to date. The GII, published by the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization, ranks 140 economies based on their capacity for and success in innovation.
The Philippines ranked 59th in innovation inputs and 49th in outputs, showing its ability to turn limited resources into measurable results. Its strengths include high-tech exports and imports as a share of total trade and utility model registrations.
“This reflects efforts to expand digital infrastructure, human capital, and the startup ecosystem,” John Paolo Rivera, research fellow at the state-funded Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said.
“But sustaining and accelerating this momentum will require more strategic alignment between innovation policy and entrepreneurship support,” he said.
Rivera cited the need for stronger research and development incentives, streamlined intellectual property protection, and greater funding for academe–industry collaboration. He added that easier access to risk capital, stronger incubation networks, and lighter regulatory burdens are essential.
“Innovation thrives where trust, talent, and technology converge, and good governance will be key,” he said.
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said the country’s performance “reflects sustained efforts to strengthen its innovation ecosystem.” It aims to place the Philippines in the top one-third of global innovation economies by 2028.
In this year’s list, the country outranked Chile (51st), Brazil (52nd), and Indonesia (55th) but still placed 11th among 17 economies in Southeast, East Asia, and Oceania. It ranked 3rd among the 37 lower middle-income economies.
DEPDev Secretary and National Innovation Council vice chairman Arsenio Balisacan said surpassing the 2025 target was the result of “sustained reforms, targeted investments, and strong collaboration across sectors.” He noted the Philippines has been recognized as an “Innovation Overperformer” for seven straight years, consistently outperforming expectations for its level of development.
To sustain the climb, the National Innovation Council is pushing the 2023-2032 National Innovation Agenda and Strategy Document, which seeks more investments in R&D, stronger science and technology capacity, and expanded digital infrastructure.
It also plans to streamline business rules, develop a sandbox policy for startups, and launch a monitoring system to track outcomes.
