Is the UK slipping behind as a ‘scientific superpower’? The Royal Society published a report yesterday that shows that a new group of countries including China, Brazil and India are 'emerging as new major scientific powers’.
Looking at the report, it’s interesting to see that the rate of scientific expansion in some countries has been dramatically underestimated, and within as little as two years China could overtake the US in terms of having the greatest share of authorship of scientific papers.
The UK is currently in a respectable third place behind the US and China. Although we’ve slipped down the ranks in recent years, the good news is that we’re the second most cited country, suggesting that the quality of UK science is still well respected.
More and more countries are recognising the importance of scientific and technological development and are investing in it – great news for the advancement of science because a broader range of questions will be answered, or considered from a different perspective. And, most importantly, it should mean greater international collaboration, which is essential to help find solutions to global problems, such as climate change, food security and pandemics – all issues that affect the work we do at the Agency.
But the scientific community in the UK can’t just sit back. Given reduced resources and financial constraints, how can the UK maintain its contribution?