Clarivate Plc has published its 2025 edition of the G20 research and innovation scorecard, developed by analysts and data scientists at the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). This interactive, evidence-based report offers a comprehensive assessment of the research and innovation performance of G20 member countries, combining scholarly output with economic context and policy alignment.
For the first time, the scorecard integrates data from the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), a multidisciplinary component of the Web of Science Core Collection. This expansion provides a more representative view of global research activity by incorporating a wider range of journals and disciplines.
The 2025 release introduces refined metrics and visualizations to emphasize research collaboration and societal impact, reflecting the Ubuntu philosophy—centered on interconnectedness—championed by this year’s G20 host, South Africa. It includes OECD field-level analyses, open access publishing data, and coverage of research aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), illustrating how G20 nations are collectively addressing pressing global challenges.
The scorecard is publicly accessible on Clarivate’s website and is being launched in the lead-up to the G20 Summit scheduled for November 22–23 in Johannesburg.
Clarivate underscores its aim to support responsible research assessment by offering transparent, data-driven tools that aid academic institutions and policymakers. The updated scorecard incorporates new data sources and revised analytical frameworks to foster a more inclusive and collaborative global research landscape.
Highlights from the 2025 G20 Scorecard include:
• European Union: Collaboration with Mainland China has more than doubled over the past decade, rising from 3.0% in 2015 to 6.6% in 2024. Collaboration levels with the United States (12%) and the United Kingdom (9%) have remained consistent.
• Mainland China: Produced nearly 900,000 research papers in 2024—three times its 2015 output—solidifying its position as the top contributor among G20 nations. Over half of these publications involved domestic partnerships, indicating a shift toward internally driven collaboration.
• United States: International collaboration has increased to 43%, though it remains lower than in other advanced economies, likely due to the country’s substantial internal research capacity. Mainland China is now the United States’ most frequent international research partner.
• United Kingdom: International co-authorship has grown from 55% in 2015 to 70% in 2024, supported by an increase in multilateral partnerships. While the United States remains its leading partner, collaboration with Mainland China has also grown significantly—from 5.5% to 14.4%.
• Canada: Maintains strong collaborative ties with the United States, with 26.8% of Canadian papers in 2024 co-authored by U.S.-based researchers. Medical & Health Sciences (47.2%) and Natural Sciences (39.5%) dominate these joint efforts.
• Australia: Mainland China has surpassed the United States as Australia’s leading research collaborator. The share of co-authored publications with China increased from 9.7% in 2015 to 19.5% in 2024, with much of this research focused on Natural Sciences (56.3%) and Engineering & Technology (45.4%).
Clarivate emphasizes that this year’s scorecard captures how G20 nations are adapting their research strategies to expand open access, enhance global cooperation, and engage with research that supports the SDGs. Enhanced visualizations and detailed field-level data provide greater clarity on evolving global research dynamics and intergovernmental collaboration.
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