MobED, Hyundai Motor's next-generation autonomous mobility robot platform, in January earned the prestigious Best of Innovation Award in robotics at this year's CES in Las Vegas. (Hyundai Motor)

By Charles Audouin

The Ministry of Intellectual Property on Sept. 29 said the country ranked fourth among 139 countries in this year's Global Innovation Index of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Korea was fourth for the second consecutive year while topping all countries in Asia.

Jointly compiled by WIPO, Cornell University, the France-based business school INSEAD and other organizations, the index is a globally recognized indicator of a country's future growth drivers and innovation capabilities.

Launched in 2007, this evaluation method conducted a comprehensive analysis this year of 79 detailed indexes in seven core pillars: five related to input -- institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication and business sophistication -- and two related to output -- knowledge and technology outputs and creative outputs.

Korea stayed No. 1 in human capital and research for the eighth consecutive year, as well as placing second in creative outputs, a category that reflects global brand value and the ratio of trademark and design applications to gross domestic product (GDP).

In addition to leading the world in patent applications and Patent Cooperation Treaty filings of global patents relative to GDP, the nation was also tops in corporate research and development investment, research personnel and e-government services.

caudouin@korea.kr