Asia's status as global sci-tech innovation hub secured: report

GUANGZHOU, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- As one of the major global innovation hubs, Asia's status in the world's scientific and technological innovation landscape has been further consolidated, according to a report released Wednesday by the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).

With a wealth of intellectual resources and well-established innovation traditions, Asia has long been a powerhouse for global innovation and development, said Li Baodong, secretary-general of the BFA.

Asian economies are catching up with their counterparts in Europe and North America in major fields amid a new round of technological revolution, Li stated. "In terms of quantity, quality and industrial maturity of innovation, Asian countries are growing at an accelerated pace," he said.

Li added that China's technological innovation in the fields of healthcare, biopharmacy, new energy, low-carbon technology, new materials and advanced manufacturing is quantitatively and qualitatively among the top in the world.

Citing the Global Innovation Index 2023, released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the report said that five Asian countries, namely Singapore, China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Israel, rank among the top 15 most innovative economies in the world.

"Southeast Asia and East Asia have narrowed their gap with Europe," Li noted.

Compiled by the BFA Academy and the South China University of Technology, the Boao Forum for Asia Innovation Report 2023 was released on Wednesday in southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.