The 2021 Global Innovation Index (GII) reveals severe weaknesses in Mauritius’ preparedness to face future economic challenges. Does the country need to show more appetite for innovation to improve its performance in this index?
The GII international index aims to assess innovation strengths and weaknesses and identify gaps in innovation metrics. The 2021 GII edition ranked Mauritius 52nd. The report entitled “Tracking Innovation through the COVID-19 crisis” shows that Mauritius has maintained the same position as last year and is still first in Africa.
Here is how Mauritius performed in the seven pillars of the index: Institutions (21st), Human Capital and Research (71st), Infrastructure (65th), Market Sophistication (29th), Business Sophistication (111th), Knowledge and Technology Outputs (93rd) and Creative Outputs (31st).
A close look at the Business Sophistication and Knowledge and Technology Outputs pillars shows that Mauritius performs poorly in University-Industry Research and Development Collaboration (109th) and High-Tech Imports as a Percentage of Total Trade (97th) among other areas.
Mauritius Maintains 52nd Place in Global Innovation Index #Mauritius #GII pic.twitter.com/DP4225OlxQ
— Le Matinal Media (@lematinal_media) September 27, 2021
What explains this poor performance?
“Since the last few years, we have observed an intense acceleration in the technology adoption pace of some companies while others were comfortable with a fixed budget for both new skills and technology adoption. The pandemic was a brutal reality check”, says Tan Chee Peng, the i5.0 Secretariat Chairman. Regrouping a group of innovation-driven companies like Harel Mallac Technologies and the Mauritius Commercial Bank Consulting Services and institutions like the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council, the i5.0 Secretariat seeks to improve spending on software, formal training, and innovation linkages.
“Whether we like it or not, the pandemic has accelerated the workplace digitalization process. Like many others in the industry, I have observed large and small companies cut budgets for training and R&D. This is certainly not the right time to be pennywise pound foolish”, he added.
The i5.0 Secretariat will hold a Leadership 5.0 Masterclass on October 22 with C-Suite International Speakers from 13 countries on “Reimagining and Rethinking Innovative Sustainable Development”.
Tan Chee Peng explains that organizations must leverage expertise accessible both inland and overseas and improve monitoring mechanisms on knowledge impact on the workplace to improve business performance.
