From my observation, it is quite normal for countries from backward areas, including southern Europe and vast areas of Africa and western asia to claim they are innovative, creative or whatever with similar meaning.
I do not understand why, but think about it as a mentality problem. By all measurable indicators, the top innovative countries in the world are actually highly disciplined and organized ones, like Germanic and North East Asian countries. But most people still like to believe that "innovative" are close to a chaotic and disorganized societies.
In Vietnam now, some highly professional figures still uphold a Western and individual culture. They argue that only such culture will create innovation.
From my view, it is only a myth created by chauvinist Western so called social scientists. Without the cheap money coming from robbing their colonies, western coutries will soon go into a stall in science.