Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou topped the Global Innovation Index 2026 as the World's most innovative cluster. (photo credit: unsplash)Top 10 Innovation Clusters in Global Innovation Index 2026: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has released the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026, which tracks and ranks science and technology hubs across the globe.The index analysed patent filings, scientific publications, and venture capital deals. This helped identify areas with a significant population that includes inventors, scientific authors, and venture capitalists.According to the report, the Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou cluster emerged as the world’s most innovative cluster overall (ranking 44th by innovation intensity per capita). Tokyo–Yokohama ranked second, followed by San Jose–San Francisco at No. 3, which topped the index for innovation intensity. Beijing, Seoul, and Shanghai–Suzhou rounded out the top six, while New York City (7), London (8), Boston–Cambridge (9), and Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto (10) closed out the top ten.Bengaluru and Delhi were ranked at No. 25 and No. 27 in the list, respectively.The GII methodology mapped patents, scientific publications, and venture capital activity using geocoding to achieve high-accuracy, city-level location benchmarks—reaching 99.9 per cent precision for inventor addresses.Also Read | Top 10 countries for travel and tourism: Japan knocks US off top spot in WEF tourism indexScientific author addresses and venture capital deals were levelled at 99.8 per cent and 99.5 per cent accuracy, respectively.The Global Innovation Index based its ranking on four stages of the innovation cycle within the parameters of global technology trends — science and innovation investments, technological progress, technology adoption and socioeconomic impact.Story continues below this adSan Jose–San Francisco, on the other hand, was ranked No 1 by innovation intensity.Meanwhile, India was placed as the 4th economy with the top 100 innovative clusters. Bengaluru was mentioned as the most innovative cluster in India.First published in 2007, the GII is considered as the world’s leading reference for measuring innovation. The UN and other member states use the index as a key reference for shaping science and technology policies across the globe.Top 10 Innovation Clusters in Global Innovation Index 2026RankCountry1.Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou2.Tokyo–Yokohama3.San Jose–San Francisco4.Beijing5.Seoul6.Shanghai–Suzhou7.New York City8.London9.Boston–Cambridge10.Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto