Singapore rank tops in competition & creativity but weaker in output: Report

SINGAPORE – Singapore ranks top in terms of generating creative inputs, such as governance and creating a competitive environment, but it has been found to be comparatively weak in turning these inputs into outputs such as patents, according to the inaugural Creative Productivity Index.

Singapore was ranked 10th overall, but was first in input. In terms of output, it fell to sixth.

This report, which was launched yesterday by the Economist Intelligence Unit, measured the creativity of 22 Asian economies, defined as the ability to innovate and generate new ideas and blueprints. The economies included Hong Kong, India and Vietnam. The United States and Finland were included as a comparison with western high-income benchmark countries.

There were 36 input indicators, such as infrastructure and strength of university-industry collaboration, and eight output indicators, like agricultural value per worker and patents.

The top rankings for Singapore were driven by high scores in infrastructure, financial institutions and governance. But the report found it could do better in the enrollment of students in technical and vocational Programmes.

The number of patent applications was also relatively low, as compared to other economies.

The report stated that some key challenges for policy makers would be to understand how increasing certain inputs would lead to an increase in outputs, and how to enable this.