Hong Kong's ranking rose by one place to 14th globally among 139 economies and remained 5th in Asia in the Global Innovation Index 2026 published by the World Intellectual Property Organization today.

As regards the two sub-indices under the index, Hong Kong's ranking in the "Innovation Input" sub-index remained at 8th globally, while its ranking in the "Innovation Output" sub-index rose by one place to 21st.

The Government said that it is pleased to see the good progress Hong Kong has achieved in the index, highlighting that expediting the development of innovation and technology (I&T) has been a policy priority.

The Government also noted that it is fully committed to developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre, following the directions set out in Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan.

Hong Kong will enhance the institutional framework for I&T development, expedite alignment with key national strategies in technology, and develop the new "three major I&T parks and five key research and development institutions" paradigm.

The city will also advance new industrialisation accordingly to establish a framework with Hong Kong characteristics for a new industrialisation system, as well as take forward the AI+ Initiative on all fronts by enhancing the layout of computing infrastructure, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in accelerating their adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), and empowering different sectors of the economy through AI technology.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong will leverage the advantage of being closely connected to the Mainland and the world to develop an international hub for science and technology co-operation, as well as deepen the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, thereby attracting global I&T resources and talent.

The Government emphasised that it will strive to realise the vision in the Five-Year Plan that Hong Kong will essentially establish an international I&T centre based in the bay area, serving the entire country, while connecting to the world, after 2030.