Kazakhstan hosted the first regional presentation of the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024 results for Asian countries on Oct 1, highlighting the Central Asian region’s potential in innovation and high-tech development.
The index, compiled by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), analyzes innovation activity in 133 economies around the world, assessing their strengths and weaknesses.
This year, Kazakhstan rose in the ranking from the 81st to the 78th spot, entering the top three of Central and Southern Asian nations, according to the latest GII report revealed on Sept. 26 in Geneva.
Kazakh Minister of Justice Azamat Yeskaraev highlighted the progress Kazakhstan made in the ranking, noting that it drives the country’s economic growth and development across various sectors and creates favorable conditions for business and innovations.
“Improvements were felt in areas such as government effectiveness, the rule of law, PISA [Programme for International Student Assessment] scores in reading, mathematics and science, market sophistication, ease of doing business and the net inflow of foreign direct investments,” he said.
“In recent years, Kazakhstan has seen an increase in the number of patent applications, both nationally and internationally. From 2019 to 2023, over 8,000 patents for inventions and utility models were granted. These figures reflect our commitment to stimulating the country’s intellectual activity,” added Yeskaraev.
Despite these positive results, there is still much work to be done, according to the minister.
“We place special emphasis on improving legislative work, including to support innovative activities. We have undertaken significant reforms in legislation aimed at protecting intellectual property, which align with international standards and the requirements of the WIPO and WTO. We hope that our efforts will help the Republic of Kazakhstan more effectively integrate into the global innovation landscape and strengthen its position in future editions of the Global Innovation Index,” said Yeskaraev.