Tokyo-Yokohama ranked as World's leading science and technology hub for 2022 by WIPO

The Tokyo–Yokohama region continues to reign as the World's leading “Science & technology (S&T) cluster”, according to the latest edition of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) flagship Global Innovation Index (GII).  Tokyo–Yokohama heads an S&T league table that includes Silicon Valley, Shanghai, Shenzhen-Hong Kong, Paris and New York in the Top 10.

Tokyo–Yokohama recognized as top 100 S&T cluster for 5^th year running

Each year, the GII tracks the innovative performance of more than 130 countries worldwide in various categories relating to industrial property.  The purpose of the Science and technology (S&T) cluster rankings is to highlight the importance of innovation at the local level within national economies or across borders. Tokyo–Yokohama was awarded top status as the geographical area with the highest density of inventors and scientific authors based on patent-filing activity and scientific article publications. 

Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto also made the 2022 S&T Top 10. Japan ranked third overall for the number of science and technology clusters behind the US, China (joint top) and Germany. 

The future of innovation-driven growth

The latest GII publication also identifies two trending "innovation waves" —”The Digital Age” and “Deep Science”— that are seen as vital for driving change in the post-pandemic world that still faces significant supply-chain, energy, ecological and geopolitical challenges.

The Digital Age

The Digital Age innovation wave is built upon advances in supercomputing, AI and automated systems that a necessary to drive productivity and scientific breakthroughs across all established and emerging industries. 

Japan is already recognized as a leading player in these fields and is actively incentivizing inward talent and investment in tandem with the JPO's liberalization of the intellectual property landscape for software, IoT and AI creations.

Deep Science

The Deep Science innovation wave centres on cutting-edge developments in biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, new materials and other sciences.  Game-changing research in the following four related fields is critical to the future prosperity of humanity – “health, food, environment, and mobility”.

Here too, Japan stands at the forefront of innovative progress. With an ageing population, limited availability of arable land and scant natural resources – necessity has long been the mother of invention here. Japanese know-how is in increasing demand in these areas as the world begins to confront the same issues.

KIPB Japan is ready to partner with you

The staff at KIPB Japan in Tokyo are proud to represent and support the creative companies and entrepreneurs—domestic and international—that continue to make Tokyo–Yokohama’s world-leading innovation possible.

These are difficult but exciting times. If your firm or organization wants to be part of the innovation landscape in Japan, please get in touch.  We specialize in assisting overseas start-ups, SMEs and established multinationals to build and maintain their IP portfolios in Japan and worldwide.

The biggest science and technology innovation clusters in the world in 2022 (Top 10 & selected)

1 Tokyo–Yokohama

2 Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou

3 Beijing

4 Seoul

5 San Jose–San Francisco

6 Shanghai–Suzhou

7 Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto

8 Boston-Cambridge

9 New York City

10 Paris

19 London

23 Cologne

25 Amsterdam–Rotterdam

26 Taipei–Hsinchu

30 Tel Aviv–Jerusalem

33 Singapore

35 Stockholm

36 Eindhoven

39 Melbourne

46 Istanbul

47 Brussels

51 Zürich

53 Milan

54 Toronto

71 São Paulo

73 Helsinki

Links

GII's Top 100 S&T clusters

Global Innovation Index 2022