Part -2 exploring matrices to compare the contribution of the west vis-à-vis Asia in new knowledge production.

Let us make an attempt to explore the suitable metrices to measure the degree of contribution of western countries specially USA and UK vis-à-vis Asia specially China, Japan and India in producing new scientific knowledge and technological innovation.

To measure the contributions of different countries in producing new scientific knowledge and technological innovation, several metrics can be considered. For scientific knowledge, metrics often include:

• Number of scientific publications: This indicates the volume of research output.
• Citations per publication (CPP): This measures the impact of the research by how often it is cited by other researchers.
• H-index: Reflects both the number of publications and the number of citations per publication.
• International collaboration: The extent to which researchers collaborate with international peers.
• Patents: The number of patents filed can be an indicator of practical applications derived from scientific research.

For technological innovation, the metrics might include:

• Global Innovation Index (GII): It ranks countries based on 81 indicators across a range of themes, such as creative outputs and knowledge and technology outputs.
• International Innovation Index: Measures the level of innovation of a country, considering both innovation inputs and outputs.
• OECD Business Innovation Indicators: Provides statistics describing innovation efforts by businesses within OECD member countries and other economies.

These metrics may provide a reasonable idea of the contributions of Western countries like the USA and UK with Asian countries such as China, Japan, and India

Yet another possible metric to measure the relative contribution of west over the production of new scientific knowledge and technological innovation would be to calculate what percentage of Nobel prize won in last decade belong to western democracy.

While Nobel Prizes are prestigious awards that recognize significant contributions to various fields, yet they are not the sole indicators of scientific and technological progress.

Nobel Prizes as a Metric:

Prestige and Recognition: Nobel Prizes are indeed highly respected and can reflect a region’s contribution to global scientific and intellectual advancements.

Limitations: However, they represent a limited sample size and are awarded for specific discoveries or contributions, which may not encompass all areas of innovation or knowledge production.

Alternative Metrics:

• Scientific Publications: The number and impact of scientific publications can be a more comprehensive indicator of knowledge production, as they reflect ongoing research across a broader spectrum of disciplines.
• Patents and R&D: The number of patents filed and the amount of research and development (R&D) spending are also important metrics, as they indicate a region’s investment in and output of technological innovation.
• Global Spread: Scientific knowledge production and technological innovation have become more globally distributed, with significant contributions coming from various regions beyond the traditional Western centres.
• Regional Dynamics: The dynamics of scientific collaboration and the rise of new innovation hubs in different parts of the world, including Asia and other regions, also play a crucial role in shaping the global landscape of innovation.

While Nobel Prizes can be one of the indicators of a region’s scientific achievements, relying solely on them to measure the domination of the West in science and technology would not provide a complete picture.

The number of Nobel Prize winners from Asia, Europe, and North America throughout history are as follows:

Asia: To date, there have been 60 Nobel Prize winners from Asia.

Europe: The United Kingdom has 137, Germany has 115, and France has 75 Nobel laureates.

North America: The United States has over 400 Nobel laureates, which is the highest number in the world.

These numbers include all categories of the Nobel Prize, such as Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economics. The Nobel Prize is awarded to individuals and sometimes organizations based on their contributions to their respective fields, and these figures reflect the laureates’ affiliations at the time they were awarded.

Let us look at the ranking of India in the list of number of patents filed and innovation in the worlds and compare it with the top 10 in this list.

According to the World Intellectual Property Indicators Report, India ranked 6th in the number of patent applications filed worldwide in 2022, with 77,068 applications. This was a 25.2% increase from the previous year, and the highest growth rate among the top 10 filers. India also ranked 46th in the Global Innovation Index, which measures the innovation performance of 132 economies based on 81 indicators. India improved its position by four places from 2021 and was among the top 50 most innovative countries for the third consecutive year.

The top 10 countries in the number of patent applications filed worldwide in 2022 were:

1. China: 1,619,268 applications

2. United States: 594,340 applications

3. Japan: 289,530 applications

4. Republic of Korea: 237,633 applications

5. European Patent Office: 193,610 applications

6. India: 77,068 applications

7. Germany: 57,213 applications

8. Canada: 38,052 applications

9. France: 34,583 applications

10. United Kingdom: 31,403 applications

The top 10 countries in the Global Innovation Index 2021 were:

1. Switzerland

2. Sweden

3. United States

4. United Kingdom

5. Republic of Korea

6. Netherlands

7. Finland

8. Singapore

9. Denmark

10. Germany

To be continued.