Casablanca – Morocco has made a significant breakthrough in the 2025 edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII), rising to 57th place worldwide—its highest ranking ever—and entering the top 60 global innovators for the first time. The jump of nine positions compared to 2024 underscores the kingdom’s steady upward trajectory, having advanced from 75th place in 2020 among 139 economies evaluated.

The GII, compiled annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with Cornell University and INSEAD, provides a comprehensive benchmark of countries’ innovation performance, relying on approximately 80 indicators. These cover a wide spectrum of factors, including institutional capacity, human capital, infrastructure, knowledge creation, market sophistication, high-tech exports, venture capital activity, and intellectual property filings.

Regional and income-level standing

Morocco now ranks 4th among lower-middle-income countries, reflecting its position among the most dynamic emerging economies. Within the North Africa and West Asia region, Morocco occupies 8th place out of 18 countries, highlighting its growing regional influence in technology and innovation. Analysts note that these rankings signal Morocco’s transformation into a regional innovation hub, capable of attracting investment and developing competitive industries.

This performance comes amid a broader structural shift in the Moroccan economy, which is gradually moving away from reliance on primary resources and low-cost manufacturing toward technology-intensive sectors and intangible capital, including intellectual property, knowledge-based services, and high-tech manufacturing.

Input and output performance

According to the report, Morocco ranks 77th in innovation inputs, which assess the resources, investments, and institutional frameworks available to support innovation. Its output performance, however, is stronger, with the kingdom securing 51st place in innovation outputs, a measure of the tangible results of innovation efforts in research, technology, and creative industries. This suggests that Morocco is efficiently converting its investments into measurable outcomes, demonstrating significant progress in the innovation ecosystem.

High-tech manufacturing and intellectual property

One of Morocco’s notable achievements is its performance in high-technology manufacturing, where it ranks 12th globally. This sector accounts for nearly 50% of the country’s total industrial output, signaling Morocco’s growing industrial sophistication. The country also remains in the top 10 worldwide for industrial design filings relative to GDP, ranking 6th, while trademark filings and the density of intangible assets place Morocco 26th globally.

Experts say these figures reflect a private sector increasingly capable of creating intangible value, developing strong brands, and moving up the global value chain. The country’s performance in intellectual property—supported by the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC)—has been instrumental in protecting and promoting local innovation, ensuring that research, design, and creative outputs are legally safeguarded and commercially viable.

Innovation overperformer recognition

For the first time, Morocco is identified as an “Innovation Overperformer” in the GII, meaning that its innovation outcomes significantly exceed expectations for its level of economic development. Morocco joins a select group of emerging economies, including India, Vietnam, Brazil, and Indonesia, illustrating a consistent, long-term commitment to fostering innovation across research, industry, and technology.

This recognition not only reflects the kingdom’s progress in high-tech sectors and intellectual property but also underscores its strategic focus on innovation as a driver of sustainable economic growth, combining technology adoption with human capital development.

Policy implications and recommendations

Despite these advances, the GII report emphasizes the need for Morocco to intensify investments in research and development (R&D) and strengthen collaboration among universities, research centers, and private companies. Enhancing the infrastructure for innovation remains a key priority, particularly to support the development of a mature, integrated technology ecosystem capable of sustaining long-term growth.

Experts argue that continued focus on startup ecosystems, venture capital financing, and knowledge-based industries will be essential for Morocco to maintain and expand its global innovation standing. Recent reports indicate that Morocco attracted $7.5 million in venture capital funding in July 2025, positioning the country among the top four MENA economies in terms of startup investments, further reinforcing its innovation potential.

Global context

Globally, the 2025 GII is led by Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, South Korea, and Singapore, followed by the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, and China, which enters the top 10 for the first time. The report warns that slowing global investments in innovation could limit future growth prospects for emerging and developed economies alike.

As the GII enters its 18th edition, it continues to serve as a critical reference for global innovation trends, offering policymakers, investors, and academics a detailed framework to assess countries’ innovation performance, guide strategic decisions, and track progress over time.

Morocco’s ascent in the Global Innovation Index reflects a decade-long effort to position innovation at the heart of its development strategy, integrating technology, intellectual property, and human capital. The country’s performance demonstrates that with sustained investment, policy coordination, and an enabling business environment, emerging economies can significantly enhance their innovation competitiveness on a global scale. Morocco’s achievements in 2025 not only mark a historic milestone but also set the stage for continued growth in the years ahead.