First public report on EU-China STI cooperation forthcoming in August 2023

ZSI works on a study to shed light on research and innovation cooperation patterns between EU MS and China

The first public report of ReConnect China will be available in August 2023 and work on it has already started. ZSI leads on developing a report assessing cooperation patterns between R&I actors in China and the EU Member States. The study will be based on two specific dimensions of analyis:

  • Co-patenting analysis (last 10 years) based on EPO PATSTAT Global 2022 single edition (worldwide patent database: PATSTAT contains bibliographical and legal status patent data from leading industrialised and developing countries): The objective is to identify both prevalent, but also emerging cooperation networks between R&I institutions and private companies in China and the EU MS based on jointly filed patents
  • Co-publication analysis (last 10 years) based on Web of Science data for jointly authored scientific works between institutions/individuals from EU and China (classified by Science-Metrix ontology): The objective is to identify both prevalent, but also emerging cooperation networks between R&I institutions (research institutes and universities) in China and the EU MS based on jointly co-authored scientific publications

The analysis will be compared against the current policy background pertaining to EU-China negotiations and frameworks for cooperation in science, technology and innovation. At the end, the report’s findings shall be conducive for answering the following questions:

  1. In which economic sectors (based on co-patenting activities) and scientific fields (based on co-publication activities) does cooperation take place?
  2. What are challenges, drivers, perils, but also opportunities for EU partners when cooperating with China in STI?
  3. Do the cooperation patterns identified correspond to recommendations made in official EU policy documents related to STI (EU Global Approach to R&I/2021, Tackling R&I foreign interference/2022 etc.)?