Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Chang Lih Kang. — Photo Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia ranked 33rd out of 133 countries in the 2024 Global Innovation Index (GII) – the highest achievement since 2016, according to Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Chang Lih Kang.

This is an encouraging improvement as Malaysia had remained stagnant at the 36th place for three years (2021 to 2023), Chang said, adding that it is a testament to the Malaysian government’s commitment to building a strong and synergistic innovation ecosystem.

The country’s goal under the 12th Malaysia Plan is to break into the top 30, and it is striving to achieve this target next year, he stressed.

The minister added that the GII, issued by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, is an important index used by countries and multinational companies to assess innovation ecosystems and aid in policy making and investment decisions.

Malaysia managed to strengthen its overall position but also maintained performance in several key areas.

The country remains second in the most innovative countries category for upper middle-income countries and continues to rank first in three critical sub-indicators: graduates in science and engineering, high-tech exports, and creative goods exports. — VNS