“This report has been commissioned by the UK’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to assess the performance of the United Kingdom’s (UK) research base compared with seven other research-intensive countries (Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US), three fast growing nations (Brazil, India and Russia), and other international benchmarks. It tracks investment in, and performance of, the national research system in an international setting, combining a variety of indicators to present a multifaceted view of the UK’s comparative performance in research as well as the trends that may affect its future position. The UK has long held a leading position in the global research landscape. It is home to some of the oldest and most prestigious learned societies in the sciences (including the Royal Society, founded in 1660) and the social sciences and humanities (such as the British Academy, founded in 1902), and has produced some of the greatest thinkers of the last millennium.The locus of global research continues to shift, with rising research nations such as China and Brazil competing on a global stage with long-standing research powerhouses such as the UK, Germany, France and the US. Within this context, this report examines how the UK research base compares internationally, and what trends may affect the UK’s future standing as a world-leading research economy.”

• International Comparative Performance of the UK Research Base – 2013 Ref: BIS/13/1297
• International Comparative Performance of the UK Research Base – 2013: Appendix F – supplementary data Ref: BIS/13/1297