The soft-power of the globe, which was the preserve of the West for centuries, is fast shifting to the East as emerging nations led by India and China are enhancing their science, education and technology policies, according to recently published findings.
According to Thomson Reuters report, the country has seen a whopping 146 percent increase in its research output in the past decade alone, taking its global share to 3.6 percent.
“Over the past decade, the country has increased its scientific research output by a whopping 146 percent and now accounts for 3.6 percent of the total world share of researches, increased of its world share by 1.1 percentage points from 2.5 per cent a decade,” says the report.
According to the report, the country produced twice as many published research papers in 2012.
The study on the G20 nations compared the research and innovation landscape of each of the nations and has found that the US and European Union have dropped in science and innovation impact, while Australia, China, India, France and Britain have gained influence.
The study analysed the citation patterns in scientific research papers and the patent portfolios of the G20 over a 10-year-period and has found that the emerging markets, notably China and India, have made strides in closing the research and innovation gap with the developed nations.
Patent activity in the country oscillated between 4,000 and 7,000 per annum since data became widely available in 2005. For 2008 to 2012, the country captured its greatest world share of papers in chemistry, some 6.3 per cent of the world total, says the study.