‘Superstar’ Shanghai tops New York for first time in global science rankings

Half of top 20 research cities in annual Nature Index snapshot of most impactful scientific research are now in China

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Shanghai nudging past New York for second place in the latest Nature Index science cities ranking reflects China’s growing research output, according to a new report. Photo: AP

Published: 2:00pm, 28 Nov 2024Updated: 3:57pm, 28 Nov 2024

For the first time, Shanghai has overtaken New York to claim the second spot among global science cities, propelled by strengths in biopharmaceutical research, advanced materials and artificial intelligence, according to this year’s Nature Index Science Cities supplement.

Shanghai’s rise highlighted China’s shift towards innovation-driven growth, supported by national policies like “Made in China 2025”, the report suggested.

The achievement also reflected a broader trend in China’s dominance in global scientific research, with Beijing continuing to lead the rankings for the eighth consecutive year – half of the top 20 science cities in the ranking are now Chinese.

“China’s research output in the journals tracked by the Nature Index continues to grow strongly, demonstrated by Beijing extending its lead at the summit of the science cities ranking to almost double the share of the second-placed city,” wrote Simon Baker, chief editor of the report, which was released last week.

“The fact that this second place is now taken by Shanghai, pushing New York into third, only reinforces this trajectory,” Baker added.

First launched by the academic journal Nature in 2017, the Nature Index Science Cities rankings evaluate cities based on their contributions to high-quality journals in natural sciences, providing a snapshot of where the most impactful scientific research is taking place.

By tracking the institutional affiliations of authors, the index highlights both the volume and quality of research output, making it a benchmark for assessing the scientific and innovative strength of cities and regions worldwide.