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Scientific collaboration and high-technology exchanges among BRICS and G-7 countries

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Abstract

Over the last two decades, emerging countries located outside North America and Europe have reshaped the global economy. These countries are also increasing their share of the world’s scientific output. This paper analyzes the evolution of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and G-7 countries’ international scientific collaboration, and compares it with high-technology economic exchanges between 1995–1997 and 2010–2012. Our results show that BRICS scientific activities are enhanced by their high-technology exports and, to a larger extent, by their international collaboration with G-7 countries which remains, over the period studied, at the core of the BRICS scientific collaboration network. However, while high-technology exports made by most BRICS countries to G-7 countries have increased over the studied period, both the intra-BRICS high-technology flows and the intra-BRICS scientific collaboration have remained very weak.

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  1. These countries are: Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Argentina, Turkey, Indonesia, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, Egypt, Colombia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Chile.

  2. Statistic for China refers to China PR, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

  3. Resolution no 11 (2009 Summit): We reaffirm to advance cooperation among our countries in science and education with the aim, inter alia, to engage in fundamental research and development of advanced technologies.

    Source: BRICS Information Center, University of Toronto (www.brics.utoronto.ca).

  4. Resolution no 29 (2010 Summit): We reaffirm our commitment to advance cooperation among BRIC countries in science, culture and sports.

    Source: BRICS Information Center, University of Toronto (www.brics.utoronto.ca).

  5. Includes ‘Electronics (excluding parts and components) (SITC 751 + 752 + 761 + 762 + 763)’, ‘Parts and components for electrical and electronic goods (SITC 759 + 764 + 776)’, ‘Machinery and transport equipment (SITC 7)’, ‘Medicinal and pharmaceutical products’ (UNCTAD Statistics 2014).

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Correspondence to Hamid Bouabid.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Engineering and Technology co-publications for the period 1995–1997

 

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Italy

Japan

Russia

S. Africa

UK

USA

Brazil

 

49

11

71

45

7

30

16

18

0

72

165

Canada

  

151

205

143

78

67

188

51

11

153

1031

China

   

57

166

3

59

270

10

2

231

461

France

    

400

38

267

82

161

6

264

678

Germany

     

93

222

239

336

21

377

1018

India

      

22

43

8

1

62

309

Italy

       

59

83

3

217

580

Japan

        

114

2

175

1123

Russia

         

9

88

386

S. Africa

          

35

46

UK

           

777

USA

            

Engineering and Technology co-publications for the period 2010–2012

 

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Italy

Japan

Russia

S. Africa

UK

USA

Brazil

 

142

110

355

252

79

166

52

66

13

204

612

Canada

  

1863

651

402

234

245

316

68

30

445

2473

China

   

1059

1216

215

288

2369

189

62

2848

8527

France

    

1432

311

1142

454

407

92

1009

1808

Germany

     

411

949

538

587

65

1389

2455

India

      

173

313

77

98

344

1296

Italy

       

221

189

25

943

1679

Japan

        

148

15

501

1654

Russia

         

12

229

486

S. Africa

          

109

161

UK

           

2178

USA

            

Medical Sciences co-publications for the period 1995–1997

 

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Italy

Japan

Russia

S. Africa

UK

USA

Brazil

 

165

21

241

188

17

80

98

27

11

345

1118

Canada

  

102

1182

777

54

433

626

99

57

1372

7570

China

   

134

132

22

47

413

25

4

206

824

France

    

1871

85

1521

544

325

80

2480

4574

Germany

     

122

1314

845

542

114

2845

6792

India

      

42

83

16

5

216

554

Italy

       

309

145

44

1868

4105

Japan

        

119

35

1108

6425

Russia

         

6

336

905

S. Africa

          

258

341

UK

           

7611

USA

            

Medical Sciences co-publications for the period 2010–2012

 

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Italy

Japan

Russia

S. Africa

UK

USA

Brazil

 

1178

328

1169

1216

250

1059

387

116

207

1664

5821

Canada

  

2553

3667

4032

608

2423

1419

266

460

6173

20,856

China

   

1231

2204

466

789

3247

273

168

3280

20,640

France

    

6937

529

5561

1458

507

465

8152

11,810

Germany

     

696

6722

2166

879

492

11,779

19,770

India

      

393

534

82

187

1234

3656

Italy

       

1071

394

290

8011

12,655

Japan

        

222

133

2590

10,986

Russia

         

63

617

1600

S. Africa

          

1616

2408

UK

           

23,715

USA

            

Earth and Space co-publications for the period 1995–1997

 

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Italy

Japan

Russia

S. Africa

UK

USA

Brazil

 

41

9

136

63

14

67

27

19

17

88

240

Canada

  

69

309

289

24

81

152

115

34

368

1557

China

   

82

114

7

23

99

27

7

94

276

France

    

663

49

417

130

230

33

592

1412

Germany

     

81

433

149

319

68

703

1796

India

      

30

42

20

9

68

198

Italy

       

51

104

18

353

696

Japan

        

79

14

182

842

Russia

         

11

174

546

S. Africa

          

93

154

UK

           

1983

USA

            

Earth and Space co-publications for the period 2010–2012

 

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Italy

Japan

Russia

S. Africa

UK

USA

Brazil

 

140

76

402

377

50

202

83

47

49

300

756

Canada

  

1010

1359

1486

162

736

482

205

202

1874

4425

China

   

666

1190

146

341

1001

183

71

1188

4768

France

    

3258

290

2303

840

541

311

3104

5035

Germany

     

382

2463

1022

904

389

3757

6454

India

      

152

271

100

79

287

889

Italy

       

546

339

170

2110

3364

Japan

        

284

116

989

2596

Russia

         

61

487

966

S. Africa

          

497

561

UK

           

6938

USA

            

Appendix 2

Total high-technology exportsa between BRICS and G-7 countries during the period 1995–1997

Economy partner

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Brazil

 

1,108,274.57

5,535,033.68

2,300,504.26

9,493,056.27

57,877.243

Canada

221,206.198

 

8,317,911.49

3,141,493.76

5,864,859.7

84,703.051

China

515,930.426

4,768,989.53

 

17,403,664

30,159,106.2

494,534.607

France

593,627.933

1,656,268.87

11,123,586.7

 

96,591,463.8

140,093.125

Germany

1,338,511.35

2,702,556.37

32,143,451.5

73,327,852.4

 

614,833.998

India

58,460.466

219,377.926

3,158,104.7

1,746,650.03

5,253,224.26

 

Italy

1,022,789.75

601,976.218

6,795,436.96

33,278,495.6

60,869,105.7

245,342.467

Japan

235,894.191

1,442,138

67,426,234.4

4,190,650.98

25,910,246.7

118,273.571

Russia

32,097.585

343,591.131

1,590,619.85

2985800.86

12,283,325.4

408,248.526

S. Africa

388,552.332

201,510.789

3,833,399.53

1,663,339.61

8,669,576.65

145,862.55

UK

562,983.063

3,561,251.16

22,280,976.2

44,363,375

79,249,427.4

887,791.014

USA

9,281,469.95

241,385,697

172,785,615

31,254,443.7

84,043,622.3

1,880,985.5

Economy partner

Italy

Japan

Russia

S. Africa

UK

USA

Brazil

6,585,713.91

7,008,407.01

6,609.451

89,165.132

2,165,389.08

32,114,426.9

Canada

2,581,526.02

16,645,337.5

33,135.618

104,652.077

4,948,961.7

278,958,834

China

12,541,724.6

174,667,606

2,035,615.23

504,784.037

13,584,303.6

96,642,591.7

France

41,700,050.3

16,985,807.6

96,282.39

498,361.189

40,529,069.8

35,735,812.6

Germany

47,274,032

63,204,579.8

979,354.577

2,747,261.39

60,817,804.2

54,521,915.1

India

1,965,155.01

4,374,663.2

1,054,811.26

289,602.752

2,758,528.81

6,165,868.99

Italy

 

9,626,026.84

109,004.824

261,658.747

22,843,434.8

16,124,896.6

Japan

3,876,925.63

 

151,232.478

532,500.109

13,444,269.3

115,364,810

Russia

4,250,135.02

3,125,188.11

 

24,697.987

3,112,746.8

4,075,608.28

S. Africa

2,399,015.06

5,215,853.06

4,730.313

 

6,052,733.56

5,521,300.57

UK

23,389,342.1

43,185,341.6

153,357.265

1,584,003.64

 

76,683,916.1

USA

22,076,804.4

374,359,641

320,235.981

1,709,587.02

57,684,256.6

 
  1. aWhich includes: ‘Electronics (excluding parts and components) (SITC 751 + 752 + 761 + 762 + 763)’, ‘Parts and components for electrical and electronic goods (SITC 759 + 764 + 776)’, ‘Machinery and transport equipment (SITC 7)’, ‘Medicinal and pharmaceutical products’

Total high-technology exportsa between BRICS and G-7 countries during the period 2010–2012

Economy partner

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Brazil

 

2,537,253.61

70,666,480.7

9,810,857.78

26,691,010.4

2,087,242.51

Canada

991,945.726

 

53,453,342.7

4,737,524.96

21,656,047.8

901,704.232

China

3,834,264.87

7,942,057.86

 

50,376,341.3

217,196,480

5,427,026.47

France

1,522,463.88

4,522,375.95

77,749,618.2

 

226,694,799

2,906,982.87

Germany

5,280,281.74

4,837,382.23

213,177,059

151,525,172

 

6,008,122.76

India

763,614.794

1,478,318.71

123,846,794

7,370,333.88

24,517,194.7

 

Italy

1,665,948.74

1,474,353.96

70,291,088

44,979,299.7

124,653,569

3,443,127.97

Japan

559,158.976

2,258,458.04

355,441,941

10,144,637.5

39,220,385.8

1,300,712.65

Russia

330,427.623

2,295,825.57

67,461,182.6

18,629,134.1

85,292,540.9

3,299,508.86

S. Africa

1,980,408.99

843,383.67

23,301,796.7

5,132,571.18

23,208,932.9

5,415,742.47

UK

1,616,130.41

6,583,497.42

101,301,619

44,510,169.7

155,854,807

6,045,528.13

USA

14,485,197.1

300,398,111

979,671,914

50,710,189.4

214,285,973

22,380,937.9

Economy partner

Italy

Japan

Russia

S. Africa

UK

USA

Brazil

12,426,676.3

13,317,077

81,423.658

319,920.861

5,886,598.78

61,242,834.5

Canada

3,849,842.48

24,466,136.8

48,197.372

504,593.225

9,620,967.11

421,686,868

China

27,123,295.6

484,992,004

3,507,670.3

809,485.138

43,941,631.1

214,388,418

France

65,350,976

16,147,164.2

341,392.201

1,251,528.31

36,676,909.8

31,109,824.6

Germany

74,013,103.1

52,969,171

1,772,505.03

7,137,069.28

68,851,353.1

74,715,223

India

8,538,856.34

17,761,377

4,434,286.8

317,476.11

6,256,034.37

18,408,389

Italy

 

10,540,336.2

174,977.18

240,337.141

24,604,641.4

19,444,928.2

Japan

7,181,549.28

 

799,120.816

1,427,257.51

11,222,912.5

65,888,548.5

Russia

15,469,563.2

28,461,925.2

 

333,430.236

14,532,930

13,023,144.9

S. Africa

3,438,102.96

10,234,082.6

101,001.027

 

6,651,042.14

10,384,149.1

UK

29,828,737.6

28,851,672.4

276,240.857

2,003,242.72

 

59,348,056.1

USA

43,565,489.1

324,882,146

878,554.417

7,960,331.9

85,360,632.4

 

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Bouabid, H., Paul-Hus, A. & Larivière, V. Scientific collaboration and high-technology exchanges among BRICS and G-7 countries. Scientometrics 106, 873–899 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1806-0

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