What it’s like to live in the world’s most innovative countries

The BBC speaks to residents and travellers in some of the top-ranked countries on the 2024 Global Innovation Index to find out how cutting-edge technology benefits day-to-day life.

With the rise of AI, self-driving cars and wi-fi connected appliances, it can feel like innovation is everywhere these days. But certain countries are known for developing cutting-edge technologies that benefit residents and visitors alike. 

To dive into those countries making the most impact in these areas, the World Intellectual Property Organisation recently released its 2024 Global Innovation Index, ranking 130 economies based on measures like their education system, technology infrastructure and knowledge creation (like patents filed or mobile apps created).

To find out how innovation benefits day-to-day life in some of the top ranked countries, we spoke to residents and frequent travellers, who shared their tips on how to best experience the heart of the tech ecosystem and the ways that technology has improved their quality of life.  

This small European country has had a remarkable year in the rankings, with high placements in the Smart Cities Index and the Global Liveability Index. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the country placed in the top spot for innovation this year. In fact, 2024 marks the 14th consecutive year that Switzerland has maintained its number-one ranking. 

Fuelling that score are its world-leading innovation outputs in both knowledge and technology (measured by assets like patents, technology company valuation and high-tech exports), and creative outputs (measured by things like national feature films, mobile app creation and trademarks). It also scores highly in university and industry research and development collaboration and patents. 

“Switzerland is very focused on innovation and fosters a culture of support and creativity,” said Zurich resident Rosamund Tagel, founder of Glow Concierge. “There is a solutions-focused work ethic that is ingrained in children from a young age, which leads to people working to solve common problems and help the population as a whole.” As one example, she points to Swiss company Climeworks that is able to remove excess carbon dioxide from the air.

As an entrepreneur herself, she finds Switzerland also has no shortage of business opportunities and resources available. “When I was starting my business, there were several sources of funding available as well as startup accelerators and incubators,” she said. The government offers step-by-step advice and resources to those looking to start a business here, with specific advice geared toward foreign nationals. 

Frequent travellers also love how innovation makes life easier here. Travel journalist Simone Harvin recently travelled throughout Switzerland and found the ease of public transport tech one of the best in the world. “The SBB [Swiss national railways] app allowed me to connect to the country’s various modes of transportation – trains, buses, cable cars – and easily plan my trips from one city to the next,” she said. “The hyper-planner in me loved being able to see which trains expected more passengers than others and which train cars offered amenities like quiet zones and restaurants.”

She also took advantage of SBB’s door-to-door luggage service.  “Being able to drop your belongings at check-out in one city and checking in to your new city that evening with a day of bag-free exploring under your belt is the best way to make the most of Switzerland’s jaw-dropping train rides,” she said.

Ranking second in the index, Sweden has become a tech leader, particularly in the AI and the automotive industries. Its highest scores come in infrastructure and business sophistication, followed closely by knowledge and tech outputs.

Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, is sometimes referred to as the “Unicorn Factory” for its success in nurturing tech startups like Spotify and Klarna, said Daniel Langkilde, the founder of AI company Kognic. But he also recommends visiting Gothenburg, the country’s second largest city, to really appreciate the spirit of new tech. 

“Living here, I’m constantly inspired by the spirit of innovation that surrounds us. Sweden’s innovative ecosystem plays a huge role in shaping my day-to-day life,” he said, noting that the city is home to companies like Volvo and AI research hubs, which leads to a spirit of creativity and collaboration. 

But tech here isn’t just for tech’s sake. “What stands out about innovation here is how deeply it integrates with sustainability, a cornerstone of Swedish culture,” he said. “From advanced electric vehicle technology to smart city solutions [from waste management to city planning], Sweden doesn’t just innovate for the sake of progress but focuses on making life better and more sustainable.” 

To get a taste of it, he recommends visiting Lindholmen Science Park, an innovation hub  focused around AI, mobility and green technology. The area frequently hosts events, like how to use VR in education, and is home to restaurants and hotels.

Home to Silicon Valley, the California hub where tech companies like Google, Apple and Meta are headquartered, the US has consistently been a major player in global tech innovation. Placing third in the index, it ranks the highest of all countries in market sophistication and second in business sophistication. It also ranks among the top for both domestic and foreign patent and trademark applications.

That doesn’t surprise entrepreneurs like Richard Robins, who says a spirit of innovation has been baked into the country since its founding. “Benjamin Franklin, one of my personal historical heroes, represents well the attitude of the founders of the United States, whose temperaments were highly focused on making improvements in government and developing technology that would benefit society,” said Robins, owner of The Technology Vault.  “America’s founding was built upon the premise of solving problems based upon experience and forward thinking.”

While Silicon Valley remains an important keystone city in innovation (especially because of its proximity to major research university Stanford University), other regional hubs like New York’s Silicon Alley (the tech hub near the Flatiron District in NYC) or Seattle’s Cloud City have incubated a number of successful startups and major technology companies, from Peloton to Amazon.  

Don’t be surprised if you see driverless cars hauling passengers in many cities across the country, including Austin, Texas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Waymo, one of the first autonomous driving companies, can be hailed on an app just like Uber and uses sophisticated cameras to get from destination to destination – all without a driver.

Ranked fifth in the index, the United Kingdom scored high in market sophistication and creative outputs (ranked third overall) and its knowledge and technology outputs (fifth overall). It’s a country where innovation has helped make everyday life easier, with many residents pointing to the Oyster card system where you can use your credit card or a digital card to navigate London’s public transportation system, that has recently been expanded to more national rail stations, including most recently Stansted Airport. 

“This made life in one of the busiest cities much easier,” said Justin Bagri, travel blogger at Julina Explores who is based in the UK. “Less standing in queues topping up the card, no worries that you need to buy a day ticket (to save money) if you plan to travel a lot in a day, the system does it all for you.”

Innovation also appears here in less expected, but no-less-useful ways. Evie Graham, who runs the waste management firm Waste Direct in London recently implemented AI-driven route planning for waste collections. “This uniquely British approach combines historical data with real-time traffic patterns,” she said. “Visitors can see this technology in action across London, from smart bins that compact waste automatically to underground collection systems in newer developments.”

While most travellers spend their time in central London, one of the newest innovation hubs is Stratford’s Here East, built specially for the 2012 London Olympics but now home to start-ups, early innovation companies and universities. The community runs a number of free events, open to all, from VR masterclasses to skateboarding demos, and the area hosts an arcade bar, coffee shops and craft breweries.

Leading Asia and ranking sixth overall in the index, Korea stands out for its top placement in human capital and research, followed by its second-place ranking in creative outputs. Home to tech innovators like Samsung and LG and leading car manufacturers including Kia and Hyundai, the country has also recently started putting more money into its startup ecosystem, with venture investment growing significantly year-over-year. The government also launched Startup Korea in 2023, including a new visa that makes it easier for international entrepreneurs to settle in the country.

Technology plays a growing role in day-to-day life for both locals and visitors. AI researcher Elle Farrell-Kingsley travels extensively to South Korea for work and notes how advanced even menial things can feel. “One of my favourites was an AI-assisted robot in the National Museum of Korea,” she said. “QI, an AI-operated, self-driving robot uses speech recognition technology to help visitors navigate the exhibition halls and exhibits. QI could identify and walk next to me, respond to my voice commands and assist in multiple languages – Chinese, English and Japanese, as well as sign language for the hearing-impaired.” 

She also noted the high use of watches that double up as translators. “People would whisper into their wrist and it would translate a question, so they could either use it to know what to say in English or translate what I was saying,” she said. “Very Bond-esque.” 

While Korea’s capital, Seoul, has a very tech-forward culture, the country’s second-largest city, Busan, has earned the nickname “The San Francisco of South Korea” for its emphasis on smart city infrastructure and tech innovation. The city has recently also committed to being a 15-minute city with a ₩150bn (£84.5m) investment to create sustainable urban living initiatives by 2027.