The United States and Finland tied for the top ranking on the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) International Innovation Scorecard released on Jan. 5 at the trade group’s CES 2023 technology conference in Las Vegas.
CTA first issued the Innovation Scorecard in 2019, and updated the rankings this year.
Both the U.S. and Finland are included in the scorecard’s top echelon of 24 countries that CTA has classified as the “Innovation Champion” ranking. Also included in that top category are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (EU).
The scorecard determines rankings based on an evaluation of numerous categories that CTA said “fuel tech innovation or stand in the way of progress.”
The grading categories include:
- Diversity;
- Freedom;
- Broadband;
- Human Capital;
- Tax Friendliness;
- R&D Investment;
- Entrepreneurial Activity;
- Unicorns;
- Resilience;
- Environment;
- Tech Trade;
- Drones;
- Telehealth;
- Digital Assets;
- Self-Driving Vehicles; and
- Cybersecurity.
In the latest rankings, the U.S. scored less than an “A” grade in only four categories: Tax Friendliness, at “C+”; Diversity, at “B+”; Freedom, at “B+”; and Tech Trade, at “B+”.
“The 2023 Scorecard captures a surge in entrepreneurship since the last release in 2019, as innovators around the world harnessed advanced technologies to develop vaccines with incredible speed, deliver medical care across borders, create online tools for commerce and education, and navigate complex supply chain challenges,” said Gary Shapiro, CTA’s president and CEO.
“This year’s Innovation Champions embrace policies that unleash innovation and empower diverse communities to bring new technologies to life and to market, improving the lives of millions,” Shapiro said.
