# Innovation & R&D — gaps & caveats (SEA-11)

**As of:** 2026-09-06  
**Pack:** `topics/innovation_rd/scoreboard.csv`

## Hard gaps (empty cells — do not invent)

| Gap | Countries | Why |
|-----|-----------|-----|
| R&D expenditure % GDP | **TLS** | No non-null WDI `GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS` in 2000–2025 pull |
| Researchers per million | **TLS** | No non-null WDI `SP.POP.SCIE.RD.P6` in 2000–2025 pull |
| Patent applications, residents | **MMR**, **TLS** | No non-null WDI `IP.PAT.RESD` in 2000–2025 pull |
| GII rank / score | **TLS** | Not among 139 economies in WIPO GII 2025 (country brief URL 404) |

No invented numbers were used to fill the scoreboard. Empty ≠ zero.

## Stale / vintage badges

| Indicator | Country | Year | Note |
|-----------|---------|------|------|
| R&D % GDP / researchers | **LAO** | **†2002** | Extremely stale — badge †2002; not comparable as “current” |
| R&D % GDP / researchers | **KHM** | **†2015** | Badge †2015 |
| R&D % GDP | **BRN** | **†2018** | Researchers newer (2022) |
| R&D % GDP / researchers | **PHL**, **IDN** | **2020** | Older than MY 2022 / TH·VN 2023 |
| R&D % GDP / researchers | **MYS**, **SGP** | **2022** | |
| R&D % GDP / researchers | **THA**, **VNM**, **MMR** | **2023** | Newest UIS cells |
| Patents (residents) | Most | **2021** | KHM/LAO **†2018**; BRN **2021** |
| High-tech exports % mfg | Most | **2024** | LAO/VNM/TLS **2023** |
| GII | Covered 10 | **2025** | Rank from WIPO PDF; score from TGE WIPO republication |

**Mandatory dashboard badge:** **mixed vintages** — especially R&D spend and researchers.

## Source consistency choices

1. **R&D expenditure** — WDI `GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS` = UNESCO UIS GERD % GDP; latest non-null; badge country year.
2. **Researchers** — WDI `SP.POP.SCIE.RD.P6` = UNESCO UIS FTE researchers per million; latest non-null; badge year.
3. **Patents** — WDI `IP.PAT.RESD` = WIPO resident applications (not PCT-only); latest non-null.
4. **High-tech exports** — WDI `TX.VAL.TECH.MF.ZS` share of manufactured exports; latest non-null.
5. **GII rank** — WIPO GII 2025 country brief PDFs (`_raw/gii2025_*.pdf`).
6. **GII score** — TheGlobalEconomy ASEAN/country pages citing WIPO GII 2025 (saved `_raw/tge_*.html`); ranks cross-checked to WIPO PDFs. Prefer rank for sort; score for magnitude charts with TGE/WIPO citation.

## Caveats for readers / writers

- **Singapore** is the regional ceiling on R&D intensity (**1.81%** GDP), researchers (**~8,782**/mn), patents (**2,024**), and GII (**5th** / **59.9**) — not a mid-income peer for PH comparisons.
- **Philippines** matches **Indonesia** on GERD % GDP (~**0.28**, both 2020) but trails **Malaysia (~1.01)** and **Thailand (~0.94)** by a wide margin; researchers (**~320**/mn) are the **lowest of the MY/TH/VN/ID peer five**.
- **PH resident patents (490, 2021)** are also the **lowest of the peer five** (IDN **1,397**; VNM **1,066**; MYS **883**; THA **867**).
- **PH high-tech export share (~61%, 2024)** is a **peer strength** (above MYS **~59%**, VNM **~44%**, THA **~28%**, IDN **~9%**) — do **not** read this as high domestic R&D spend; WIPO GII likewise notes PH leadership on high-tech exports alongside weaker R&D spending.
- **GII 2025:** PH **50th** / **33.6** — better than IDN **55th** / **31.3**; behind MYS **34th**, VNM **44th**, THA **45th**. VN and IDN are GII “innovation overperformers” relative to development level (WIPO narrative).
- **Laos †2002** R&D cells must carry a dagger; never present as current SEA capacity.
- Lower GII **rank** = better; higher GII **score**, GERD, researchers, patents, high-tech share = better (direction differs for rank).

## Optional indicators deferred

- PCT patents by inventor origin / patent families (GII sub-indicators)
- GERD performed/financed by business (UNESCO UIS detail)
- Trademark / industrial design filings (WIPO IP stats)
- Venture capital / unicorn metrics (GII / PitchBook-style)
- Scientific & technical journal articles (WDI `IP.JRN.ARTC.SC`)
- Direct UNESCO UIS SDMX pull (WDI used as distribution)

## Reading rule

Badge every R&D spend and researcher year. Never present †2002/†2015 cells as current. Never invent TLS GII or MMR patents. Prefer “high-tech export composition” language over “innovation intensity” when citing `TX.VAL.TECH.MF.ZS`.