Research and Innovation Indicators 2018: Denmark’s researchers are still at the top

This year’s Research and Innovation Indicators paint yet another picture of Denmark as a strong research-oriented nation. The DNRF’s CEO points out the importance of prioritizing future research in order to maintain Denmark’s position among the elite research countries.

On Friday, October 5, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science published the Research and Innovation Indicators 2018, an annual report that takes a closer look at how Danish research is doing along a number of parameters from an international perspective. The report covers the years 2013 to 2017, and like last year’s, this year’s Research and Innovation Indicators show that Danish researchers are among the world’s best.

For instance, Denmark places third when measuring the number of citations per publication and second when looking at Denmark’s share of 10 percent of the most cited scientific publications among the OECD countries, surpassed only by Switzerland. The report also shows that, among the OECD countries, Danish researchers are the best in terms of publishing their results in collaboration with the business market. Since the Research and Innovation Indicators were first published in 2009, Denmark has been at the top along a number of parameters.

CEO of the DNRF, Professor Søren-Peter Olesen. — CEO of the DNRF, Professor Søren-Peter Olesen (Photo: DNRF)

At the DNRF, excitement is high over another good result for Denmark in the Research and Innovation Indicators, but the foundation emphasizes that it is important to look forward.

“This year’s Research and Innovation Indicators show that Denmark is one of the leading research nations worldwide, and we at the Danish National Research Foundation are excited about the results. Denmark’s position has been built over several years; however, it is important to point out that society must continue to prioritize research, so that Denmark maintains its position as one of the leading societies when it comes to knowledge and as a country where research and business go hand in hand,” said DNRF CEO Søren-Peter Olesen about this year’s report.

Main results from Research and Innovation Indicators 2018:
(Source: Ministry of Higher Education and Science)
- In Denmark, between 2013 and 2017, 20,457 scientific articles per one million inhabitants were published, putting Denmark at the fourth highest level among the OECD countries.
- In 2016, 2,279 Ph.D. degrees were awarded in Denmark, which equals 399 Ph.D. degrees per one million inhabitants, putting Denmark at the fourth highest level among the OECD countries
- Among OECD countries, Denmark has the highest level of researchers in its work force, with approximately 14 researchers per 1,000 workers.
- Danish publications have a high scientific impact (measured as citations per publication), ranking among the top of OECD countries and on a level with countries such as the Netherlands and Switzerland. About 19 percent of the Danish publications published between 2013 and 2017 are among the 10 percent most cited publications, the second highest level in the OECD countries.
- Among OECD countries, Denmark has the highest share of publications that are co-published with the business market. Between 2013 and 2017, about 6.6 percent of Danish publications were co-published with the business market; the majority of these articles were written in the fields of natural science and health.
- Denmark has a powerful position in the EU’s program Horizon 2020, with about 135 euro per inhabitants, one of the highest levels among European countries.