HONG KONG -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ranked 15th among 139 economies on the World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index 2025, up three places from the previous year.

The city remained fifth in Asia on the chart. Its ranking under the "Innovation Input" sub-index rose to eighth globally, and its ranking in the "Innovation Output" sub-index leapt by nine places to 22nd.

The uptick is proof that Hong Kong's strategy to spur innovation is paying off, said Financial Secretary of the HKSAR government Paul Chan in a social media post. He said Hong Kong has leveraged its financing capacity, particularly the patient capital from the Hong Kong Investment Corporation, to bankroll sci-tech innovation.

Fostering the development of innovation and technology is high on the HKSAR government's policy agenda, for which it took a series of measures to consolidate Hong Kong's strengths in basic research and accelerate the commercial use of research and development outcomes.

Hong Kong's leading rankings in the "Credit", "Investment", "Tertiary Education" and "Knowledge Absorption" sub-pillars demonstrate that it is well-positioned to continuously advance in innovation, said a spokesperson for the HKSAR government, pledging continued efforts to enhance the innovation and technology ecosystem and attract global resources and talent.