Israel has been rated the ninth most innovative country in the world in 2008, according to a ranking presented in the latest Economist Intelligence Unit report called "the world’s most innovative countries." The report forecast that Israel would continue to rise and overtake the eighth position sometime between 2009 and 2013.

The EIU’s innovation index ranks 82 countries based on their innovation capacity and predictions of their performance through 2013. The forecast for 2009-13 takes into consideration the negative impact of the global economic crisis on countries’ long-term ability to innovate.