National Innovation Index Report 2014（簡體書）

To enhance China's indigenous innovation capability and build it into an innovation-oriented country is a goal set forth in China's Outline of the National Program for Long- and Medium-Term Scientific and Technological Development (2006-2020)(MLP). The National Innovation Index research project was launched by China Academy of Science and Technology for Development (CASTD) in 2006 to monitor and evaluate China's progress in building itself into an innovation-oriented country. With the assistance and support of leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology and relevant government departments and public institutions and experts and scholars of many research institutes, the National Innovation Index Report has been released annually since 2011. The National Innovation Index Report 2014 is the fifth of the series.
As one of the important outcomes of the effort of the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish a national innovation survey system, the National Innovation Index Report evaluates China's innovation capability on the basis of international comparison and analysis. Like the 2013 report, the National Innovation Index Report 2014 includes evaluation of regional innovation capability and enterprise innovation capability. With indicator-based description and data analysis, it aims to provide an objective picture of the innovation capability of China as a country and the gap with internationally advanced levels. The current national innovation survey is still under way nationwide and its results will not be finalized until the second half of 2015. New survey data and research findings will be used in the evaluation reports separately on regional innovation capability and enterprise innovation capability to provide more reference information for improving China's national innovation survey system and implementing the innovation-driven development strategy.
The National Innovation Index Report has developed an indicator system of the national innovation index with reference to domestic and international theories and methodologies regarding national competitiveness and innovation evaluation, which consists of five dimensions—innovation resources, knowledge creation, enterprise innovation, innovation performance and innovation environment. This report uses the same indicator system as in the previous report, where the national innovation index is comprised of five first-level indicators and 30 second-level indicators, with the latter including 20 quantitative indicators which highlight the scale, quality, efficiency of innovation activity and international competitiveness based on innovation with a balance between big and small countries, and 10 qualitative indicators which reflect the innovation environment.
This report continues to feature 40 scientifically and technologically active countries (with their combined R&D expenditure accounting for more than 98% of the global total) and use the internationally accepted method of benchmarking analysis to measure the national innovation index. All data used are from databases and publications of governments or international organizations and are internationally comparable and authoritative. Based on the statistical (survey) data from 2012 to 2013, this report has calculated the innovation index of 40 countries and compared with the results in the previous report.
In today's world, international competition is shifting from the competition of comparative advantages in resources to the competition of innovation factors. A country's prosperity and sustainable development is primarily dependent on the fostering and accumulation of its national innovation capability rather than the size of its population and natural resources. The world constantly changes, so does the innovation capability of all countries as their ability to optimally allocate their innovation resource factors evolves. In the face of the opportunities and challenges brought by scientific and technological development and international political and economic situations, all countries are increasing investments in science, technology and innovation to strengthen their innovation capability. Against the background of global competition, China's national innovation index remained at the 19th place in 2013 with a higher score and smaller gap with leading countries.
Innovation-driven development has become a national strategy of China. The establishment of the national innovation survey system will create enabling conditions for the improvement of the indicator system for innovation evaluation and the implementation of innovation monitoring, analysis and evaluation. Evaluating the national comprehensive innovation capability, monitoring China's innovation capability build-up and analyzing the gap between China and leading innovation-oriented countries is an endeavor that requires constant exploration and in-depth research. We sincerely hope that the annual national innovation index report will provide a window into understanding and evaluating China's innovation-driven development. In the meantime, we welcome experts and scholars in various fields to contribute their valuable opinions and suggestions for the improvement of the national innovation index and join us in witnessing the great historical process of China building itself into an innovation-oriented country.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Wang Yuan, Yang Qiquan, Gao Changlin, Liu Shumei, Luo Yafei, Sun Cheng, Lü Yongbo, Lu Yue and other experts and scholars for the valuable guidance and support they generously provided to us in the preparation of this report.