The Philippines fell two places to 52nd in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, according to a report published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on October 5. The country ranked 69th for innovation inputs and 40th for outputs, compared with 50th overall in 2025. Despite the decline, the Philippines placed third among 36 lower-middle-income economies and remained within its statistical range of 50th to 53rd since 2020. The result highlights a persistent gap between the country’s ability to produce innovation and the resources supporting it.
The Department of Science and Technology said the weaker input ranking reflected areas including gross research-and-development spending, science and engineering graduates and the number of researchers. DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. called for greater coordination among government, universities, industry and investors. He identified artificial intelligence, biotechnology, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and climate technologies as fields needing stronger R&D capacity. The department said it wants research to move beyond laboratories and into validation, industrial adoption, commercialization and globally competitive ventures that can serve Philippine industries.
The report also recorded gains in technology adoption and innovation impact. The Global Innovation Tracker showed improvement in nine indicators, including scientific publications, R&D spending, connectivity, robotics and electric-vehicle adoption. EV adoption posted the largest increase, rising 629.2 percent from 2024 to 2025, although venture-capital activity declined. For Philippine technology companies, the mixed results suggest that market adoption is advancing faster than the financing and research pipeline needed to build more locally developed products and services at scale.
DOST said it will strengthen programs that support local industries and encourage private-sector R&D investment. Solidum also urged institutions to use shared definitions for technology transfer and commercialization, saying inconsistent terminology can hinder targets, reporting and international partnerships. The ranking does not mean the country’s innovation system is collapsing; it shows that the Philippines remains competitive among peers while needing more scale. The next challenge is converting connectivity and adoption gains into durable research capacity, stronger startups and exportable Philippine technology.
Sources:Philippine Daily Inquirer·WIPO Global Innovation Index
