China “reshaping global research networks”
Clarivate has published a new report from the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Research collaboration in a changing world. It examines how global research collaboration is evolving in response to geopolitical tensions, pandemic disruptions, and strategic national investments.
The report says China is now leading the way in research output, while its collaborations with partners worldwide are burgeoning. Meanwhile, the USA’s output is declining alongside its global collaboration share.
Drawing on data from the Web of Science Core Collection and InCites, the report reveals key trends shaping global research collaboration. These include the rise of multilateral partnerships, Mainland China’s expanding influence, and the strategic challenges now facing the United States.
Emmanuel Thiveaud, Senior Vice President, Research and Analytics, Academia & Government at Clarivate said: “Universities, funders, and policymakers can use this report to navigate the evolving landscape of global research collaboration with greater confidence. The findings support the research community’s efforts to build diverse partnerships, track collaboration impact, support emerging economies, and balance security with open scientific exchange – helping them to make informed decisions which advance research and learning.”
Key findings from the report include:
Global collaboration is expanding, but not equally
- Multilateral partnerships now drive international research, boosting diversity and accelerating discovery;
- Europe, especially Germany and the U.K., maintains strong international ties – around two-thirds of output involves foreign partners; and
- India and other emerging economies are growing in international co-authorship, though still below global averages.
Mainland China’s rise is reshaping global networks
- Mainland China leads in research output, with rapid growth across major fields;
- Its collaborations in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East are outpacing regional growth; and
- Collaboration with the U.S. has declined since 2019, while links with the EU27 are strengthening and may soon surpass U.S. levels.
The United States faces strategic challenges
- U.S. research output and citation impact are falling, and its global collaboration share is shrinking; and
- Policy restrictions and reduced funding risk isolating the U.S., but ongoing partnerships with Mainland China help sustain output and impact.
Collaboration drives impact
- Internationally co-authored papers consistently achieve higher citation impact (CNCI), especially among the U.S., EU27, and Mainland China; and
- Mainland China–EU27 collaborations now match U.S.–EU27 in citation impact, signalling a shift in research excellence.
The report recommends that universities prioritise multilateral partnerships and closely monitor CNCI trends to better understand the impact of collaborative outputs. Funders should recognise the growing significance of emerging economies and champion inclusive, high-impact models of collaboration. Policymakers are urged to balance national security considerations with the need for open scientific exchange, particularly in critical and emerging technologies.