The Philippines is the second ‘overperformer’ in ICT deployment, research and development, skills, and access to finance, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s Technology and Innovation Report 2021 published last February.
The report provides a “country readiness index” in the use of frontier technologies. These include artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data, blockchain, 3D printing, robotics, drones, gene editing, 5G, nanotechnology, and solar photovoltaics.
According to the report, “the over performance of a nation is measured by the difference between the actual index ranking and the estimated index ranking based on per capita income.”
The Philippines was among the few developing countries that have exhibited stronger capabilities to use, adopt, and adapt frontier technologies than its per capita income.
Other countries in the top five include India, Ukraine, Vietnam, and China.