CTA unveils new global innovation champions
At CES 2025 in Las Vegas
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has unveiled the 2025 Global Innovation Scorecard, recognising nations excelling in areas such as broadband, autonomous vehicles, and blockchain technologies.
The announcement was made on January 7 during the CES 2025 conference in Las Vegas, where representatives from the honoured nations were recognised on stage.
CES 2025, hosted by the CTA, is the most influential tech event in the world. It is a proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators.
Among those accepting the prestigious Innovation Champion awards were Erkki Keldo, Estonia’s Minister of Economy and Industry; Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, Finland’s Ambassador to the United States; Dr Volker Wissing, Germany’s Federal Minister of Justice and Minister for Digital and Transport; Dirk Beljaarts, the Netherlands’ Minister of Economic Affairs; Ebba Busch, Sweden’s Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister; and Ralf Heckner, Switzerland’s Ambassador to the United States.
The 2025 Global Innovation Scorecard, marking its biennial release, evaluated 74 countries and the European Union across 16 categories and 56 metrics. This year’s report is the most comprehensive, assessing political, economic, and demographic factors that foster innovation. Countries were graded based on available, verifiable data and their ability to influence public policy regarding technology and innovation.
Innovation Champions represent countries that foster a highly skilled workforce, promote fast broadband, encourage a thriving entrepreneurial environment, and embrace new technologies such as Web 3.0, autonomous vehicles, and blockchain.
The countries honoured as Innovation Champions include Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Gary Shapiro, CEO and Vice Chair of the CTA, said: “Technology drives solutions to global challenges, from access to health care and mobility to energy and sustainability. Our Innovation Champions exemplify the transformative power of collaboration between government and industry to enhance lives worldwide. We aspire for global leaders to learn from each other and fully harness the benefits of technology in the future.”
Alongside the Innovation Champions, the CTA also introduced a category for Innovation Leaders. This group includes countries that excel in key areas such as education, entrepreneurship, and research and development investment.
Notable nations ranked as Innovation Leaders include Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, the European Union, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
The Global Innovation Scorecard is critical for identifying nations that foster and implement technologies that address local and global challenges. The CTA’s emphasis on countries with strong collaboration between government and industry highlights the importance of public policy and governmental influence in shaping the future of technology and innovation on the global stage.
As the world continues to face complex challenges, including in healthcare, energy, and sustainability, the CTA’s Innovation Champions and Leaders demonstrate the role of innovative technologies in improving lives and solving pressing global issues.
Image: Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, unveils Nvidia Cosmos, Blackwell RTX 50 Series GPUs, and AI tools for PCs at CES 2025 in Las Vegas on January 7, 2025. Credit: Nvidia
