Client: European Commission
May 2026
As part of the three-year study Quantitative Evidence to EU R&I Policy, commissioned by the European Commission, Science-Metrix supported the development and implementation of an evidence-based monitoring system for European research and innovation (R&I). The study drew on analyses of bibliometric, patent, and trademark data to inform key economic assessments of EU R&I performance and to support policymaking at the European level. The European Commission Directorate General for Research and Innovation funded this study through mandated work on contract LC-01985708.
Over the course of the study, Science-Metrix and its partners contributed a series of policy briefs addressing key topics in research and innovation (R&I). These briefs provide evidence-based insights to support EU policymaking across a range of emerging and strategic areas.
The policy briefs, described and linked below, explore themes including generative AI in science, gender dynamics in research mentorship networks, researcher mobility, the societal impact of research, and technological sovereignty.
This policy brief examines the rapid rise in mentions of generative AI (GenAI) chatbots in scientific literature, identifying a 13-fold increase between November 2022 and December 2023. The use of GenAI chatbots is concentrated primarily in ICT and Applied Sciences, where these tools are helping to improve research efficiency. Key applications include academic writing and practical implementation, highlighting their growing integration into research workflows. At the same time, the increasing use of AI in research and academia raises important concerns related to quality assurance and trust.
Read the brief on generative AI in research.
This policy brief investigates gender homophily in research mentorship networks. Homophily refers to the tendency of same-gender pairings—such as men mentoring men and women mentoring women—to occur more frequently than would be expected under gender-neutral (random) assignment. The study also examines the extent to which mentees, based on their gender, contribute to the Tree Index of both women and men mentors relative to expectations. The Tree Index measures the bibliometric performance of a mentor’s mentees as independent researchers later in their careers. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of mentorship in shaping career outcomes and suggest that strengthening mentorship support could help reduce gender inequalities in research.
Read the brief on gender dynamics in research mentorship networks.
See a related conference paper.
European mobility of published researchers: Patterns, trends, and implications across regions, disciplines, and cohorts
This report (re)applies a large-scale bibliometric method to track scientific mobility across three researcher cohorts who began publishing between 2005 and 2013, providing a consistent—though imperfect—basis for longitudinal comparisons across countries and cohorts.
Europe, as a bloc, maintains higher mobility rates than the US, China, or Japan. Within the European Research Area (ERA), however, mobility varies markedly by region, shaped by structural, cultural, and institutional factors, pointing to the need for nuanced, context-sensitive policies. The findings also show that long-term mobility correlates positively with research performance—especially in STEM—and strengthens collaboration networks.
Read the brief on European mobility of researchers.
Public engagement and pathways to societal impacts:
Insights from altmetric indicators
This policy brief examines the societal engagement and academic impact of European Commission–funded research (FP7, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe), using a field- and year-normalised dataset of approximately 10 million EU-27 publications from 2007 to 2021. It compares EC-funded and non-funded outputs across four engagement channels—policy documents, clinical guidelines, Wikipedia, and patents—and analyses uptake within Horizon Europe Global Challenges and Missions.
The findings show that EC-funded publications consistently achieve higher levels of engagement and impact. Relative gains are particularly strong in Eastern Europe, where funded outputs account for a smaller share of overall research production.
Read the brief on public engagement and pathways to societal impacts.
New challenges of technological sovereignty: Europe’s changing position in the global R&I system
This policy brief analyses the EU’s technological sovereignty and its position in the global R&I system across several central technological domains: Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Micro- and Nanoelectronics, Energy Harvesting, and Life Sciences. It constitutes a technology-oriented contribution to the broader debate on Open Strategic Autonomy based on analysis of scientific activity, technological activity, and
trade in relevant goods.
Read the brief on technological sovereignty.
Image: Getty
