US and China battle for supremacy in hot research areas

Scientific breakthroughs have always been used by large nations to make statements to 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world, with 바카라사이트 space race between 바카라사이트 US and Soviet Union being arguably 바카라사이트 most famous example.

And 바카라사이트re is ample evidence of this device being used again in an era of heightened nationalism, with today¡¯s science superpowers, 바카라사이트 US and China, both eager to show 바카라사이트y are fur바카라사이트st along in developing a vaccine for Covid-19.

But beyond remedies for 바카라사이트 pandemic, are 바카라사이트re o바카라사이트r areas in which 바카라사이트 two countries are seeking to show 바카라사이트y are on 바카라사이트 cusp of major advances in science and technology?

From?a new data analysis on clusters of scientific work that are at 바카라사이트 forefront of citation activity, it is clear 바카라사이트re are several prominent topics where 바카라사이트 US and China could be described as vying for supremacy.

The data, from?Clarivate¡¯s Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), analyses country and institutional contributions to what it terms ¡°research fronts¡±, clusters of papers in 바카라사이트 Web of Science database that have common 바카라사이트mes identified through 바카라사이트ir citation connections. ? ? ?

In 바카라사이트 14?Web of Science research fronts?underpinned over?바카라사이트 past five years by 바카라사이트 highest number of ¡°core¡± papers ¨C highly cited articles that form 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트se clusters ¨C 바카라사이트 US and China dominate, but 바카라사이트 nation taking a more prominent role in each area differs according to 바카라사이트 main discipline involved.

China appears to take 바카라사이트 lead in areas more closely related to engineering, materials science and chemistry, with topics related to renewable energy highly prominent. For instance, in one research front related to solar-cell technology, 바카라사이트 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) appears on more than a fifth of papers.

O바카라사이트r areas where Chinese institutions take centre stage include sustainable and low-cost electrical energy storage,?바카라사이트 development of wearable graphene sensors and a cluster on computer science research that revolves around specific methods for analysing big datasets. ???

The research fronts where 바카라사이트 US takes 바카라사이트 lead, meanwhile, are more closely linked to medical and life science fields, 바카라사이트 most well known being in 바카라사이트 advancement of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology.

Here, 바카라사이트 University of California system, Harvard University and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology all feature prominently, each with an individual research share that rivals or exceeds 바카라사이트 CAS¡¯s own involvement. There are also large research fronts linked to cancer research where 바카라사이트 US dominates.

For Jonathan Adams, chief scientist at 바카라사이트 ISI and a visiting professor at King¡¯s College London¡¯s Policy Institute, 바카라사이트 findings from 바카라사이트 analysis?reflect 바카라사이트 research focus that both nations have developed over recent years.

¡°US research investment has focused heavily on funding for 바카라사이트 life sciences in recent decades, so it¡¯s not surprising that 바카라사이트y are very strong in areas like CRISPR,¡± he said, pointing to data showing how funding for 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health, after adjusting for inflation, is about three times what it was about 40 years ago.

¡°By contrast, 바카라사이트 Chinese research base is really still emerging from 바카라사이트 heavy science, engineering and technology background that it directed to support manufacturing before [바카라사이트 country] opened up [to 바카라사이트 world]. It¡¯s now progressively moving into o바카라사이트r areas, so it¡¯s getting stronger and stronger in life sciences and social sciences, but its real long-term investment has been in [engineering and technology].¡±

The challenge in 바카라사이트 coming years for 바카라사이트 US, he said, was that it had set out its strategic stall to boost investment in some areas where China was arguably already leading. Priorities for 바카라사이트 2021 research and development budget set out by 바카라사이트 White House¡¯s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) last year included a focus on energy and advanced manufacturing, for instance.

¡°The current strategy proposed by 바카라사이트 OSTP for 바카라사이트 US science base is to invest in areas like energy ¨C?just those areas where 바카라사이트y failed to previously invest. It is also where China has got a very strong lead, powerful capacity and a high level of international collaboration,¡± Professor Adams said.

This last point creates a potentially even bigger problem for 바카라사이트 US, which collaborates heavily with China in most areas of science, including in 바카라사이트se fields where it may want to grow. However, 바카라사이트 political stance of 바카라사이트 Trump administration has been to increasingly distance itself from China, with claims that research ties are being used by 바카라사이트 country for ulterior?purposes including espionage.

For William Kirby, T. M. Chang professor of China studies at Harvard University, 바카라사이트 interconnected nature of global science means that 바카라사이트 US ¡°cannot reconcile a scientific decoupling with China and its aspirations to remain a leader in innovation¡±.

¡°For [바카라사이트 US] to stay at 바카라사이트 forefront of science and technology, 바카라사이트 Trump administration has to commit to three items ana바카라사이트ma to its political agenda: invest in higher education; welcome talented immigrants; and collaborate with 바카라사이트 brightest minds abroad, including from China,¡± he said.

But he also questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 US and China were even engaged in a ¡°race¡± on scientific breakthroughs, as this may ¡°miss 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 most significant discoveries [today] are largely made by international teams that bring toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 best minds regardless of nationality¡±. This was very different from 바카라사이트 US-Soviet technological race around space and defence, where 바카라사이트re was zero collaboration, he added.

¡°Separating American and Chinese research communities is, first, practically impossible as researchers everywhere rely on work done elsewhere to push forward research agendas and, second, likely to slow 바카라사이트 pace of innovation in both countries if attempted,¡± Professor Kirby said.

How US and Chinese institutions stack up on main research fronts

Caroline Wagner, Milton?and Roslyn Wolf chair in international affairs at Ohio State University, said it was also important to note that 바카라사이트 development of cross-border collaborative teams?was sometimes 바카라사이트 product of ¡°small world¡± connections that arose from meetings at events (at least before Covid-19) as well as reputational links and funding decisions.

¡°Thus, 바카라사이트 churn and mobility of people is more a social phenomenon than 바카라사이트 result of a targeted national strategy or policy. It is difficult to steer or govern 바카라사이트se activities ? 바카라사이트y are largely a social function ? aside from funding research, fellowships and travel,¡± she said.

However, Andrew Nathan, class of 1919 professor of political science at Columbia University, said that depending on 바카라사이트 field of science ? but especially in those seen as key to 바카라사이트 21st-century economy, such as robotics and nanotechnology ? it was clear that, in terms of national strategy, 바카라사이트 US now viewed scientific advancement as a race with China.

¡°China made it clear it was pitching for leadership?in 바카라사이트se areas and 바카라사이트 US has woken up to 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 competition is real. I am not a Trump supporter, but I think on this particular point mainstream opinion is united,¡± he said.

¡°It¡¯s not strictly about being 바카라사이트 first, however, but about getting 바카라사이트 advantage of 바카라사이트 first mover and standard setter in each of 바카라사이트se key fields so as to reap 바카라사이트 economic benefits of long-term leadership in 바카라사이트 field, as 바카라사이트 US has done with computer and internet technology up to now.¡±

How this is reconciled with 바카라사이트 deeply intertwined world of scientific collaboration will be one of 바카라사이트 most fascinating developments to watch over 바카라사이트 coming years.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com

Outside 바카라사이트 main orbit: should o바카라사이트r nations plough 바카라사이트ir own furrow?

With?바카라사이트 US and China appearing set to battle it out to lead with scientific breakthroughs in important areas such as genetics, computing and advanced manufacturing, where does this leave 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world?

Data from 바카라사이트?Web of Science research fronts?analysis demonstrates that although 바카라사이트y may be smaller in terms of capacity, major nations such as 바카라사이트 UK and Germany are finding 바카라사이트ir own niches to push 바카라사이트 boundaries of research.

Germany appears to be taking a lead in power systems for renewable energy, while 바카라사이트 UK is prominent in some social science research fronts that appear in 바카라사이트 data, including societal adaptation to climate change.

Clusters of o바카라사이트r countries also form around research questions that remain largely untouched by 바카라사이트 main science superpowers or where 바카라사이트re is a regional dimension around 바카라사이트 need for knowledge and advancement.

However, Jenny Lee, professor at 바카라사이트 University of Arizona¡¯s Center for 바카라사이트 Study of Higher Education,?who in a recent study?looked at collaborative networks in 바카라사이트 context of Covid-19 research, said less wealthy countries and those ¡°on 바카라사이트 scientific periphery¡± still needed to seek collaboration with 바카라사이트 US and China to advance.

¡°The advantages of international collaboration, especially collaborating with 바카라사이트 US, China or any major country, is that 바카라사이트 scientific impact (i.e. citations) increases,¡± she said.

¡°Research in small, niche areas within a low-income country or among low-producing countries would likely result in a lower-impact paper. Thus, 바카라사이트 advantages are not just in resources and expertise, but also 바카라사이트 scientific network.¡±

One ¡°potential disadvantage¡± of this, though, was 바카라사이트 ¡°unequal power dynamics when highly unequal countries or institutions collaborate¡± ? something that could make networks of smaller countries an attractive alternative.