The science and technology innovation system is undergoing profound transformation. Currently, scientific and technological innovation stands at the cusp of a transition between old and new techno-economic long waves; enabling technologies—led by artificial intelligence—are driving revolutionary changes across the entire science and technology system, thereby triggering systemic restructuring and paradigm shifts. The new scientific and technological revolution and the new industrial revolution are no longer characterized by isolated technological breakthroughs; instead, they are marked by collective breakthroughs, systemic disruption, and holistic transformation. First, collective technological breakthroughs are unfolding. The widespread application of artificial intelligence in urban operations, manufacturing, and commercial services is generating a series of disruptive changes; commercial spaceflight is opening up entirely new opportunities, heralding the dawn of the space age... Countries worldwide are actively positioning themselves in emerging sectors to seize strategic advantages in the next wave of scientific-technological and industrial transformation. Second, systemic innovation emergence is gradually taking shape. The broad application of new technologies is giving rise to novel business models, industries, and sectors. Digital twins and intelligent technologies are fostering next-generation smart cities, with urban operations and governance undergoing comprehensive intelligent transformation; self-employment industries and the gig economy are creating new employment forms, occupations, and job roles; autonomous vehicles and drones are reshaping interpersonal interactions and geographical spatial relationships... Scientific and technological innovation is profoundly and extensively transforming the form and structure of human society. Third, holistic paradigmatic transformation is accelerating. Big data has become the 'fourth paradigm' of scientific research; design-driven innovation constitutes the 'third type of innovation'; user-led innovation has become a defining feature of Open Innovation 2.0; and novel R&D organizations have emerged as key actors in scenario-based R&D and innovation. Scientific paradigms, technological paradigms, and innovation paradigms alike are undergoing revolutionary change, and the emergence of evolutionary organizations has become a significant hallmark of the latest wave of institutional innovation.
The global innovation landscape is gradually shifting. From the perspective of comprehensive innovation rankings, the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Global Innovation Index 2020 (GII) shows that, as several Asian economies have made notable annual progress in innovation rankings, the core region of global innovation is steadily shifting eastward. India, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam are the economies with the largest gains in GII rankings—and all have now entered the top 50. Among the highest-performing economies in the GII, nearly all belong to the high-income group; China (ranked 14th) is the sole middle-income economy among the top 30. India (48th) and the Philippines (50th) entered the top 50 for the first time. Vietnam leads the lower-middle-income group, ranking 42nd for the second consecutive year. From the perspective of science and technology cluster distribution, the world’s current innovation hubs exhibit a 'tripod' configuration—comprising the United States, Western Europe, and East Asia—with the status of Asian science and technology clusters becoming increasingly prominent. For instance, the top four science and technology clusters—Tokyo-Yokohama, Shenzhen-Hong Kong, Seoul, and Beijing—are all located in East Asia. Moreover, although over 70% of science and technology cluster cities across major global countries are situated in developed nations, science and technology clusters in emerging market economies have become vital foundations for embarking on a path of 'innovation leapfrogging,' with the capabilities of such clusters in developing countries and other emerging economies steadily strengthening.
Distribution of the World’s Top 100 Science and Technology Clusters in 2020 (GII)
Last updated: 2026-03-08