JST's Center for Research and Development Strategy (CRDS) publishes a variety of reports and proposals on cross-cutting initiatives, including surveys of international and domestic science and technology trends, related policies, and assessments of societal expectations.

While the elements of science and technology are becoming increasingly fragmented, new innovations are being accelerated through the fusion of different fields. Against this backdrop, CRDS has placed emphasis on continuing dialogue with both the policymaking community and the research and development community to formulate the unique perspectives found in its R&D Overview Reports. These Overview Reports serve as a foundational resource for R&D strategy.

This report is designed to complement the Overview Reports by utilizing quantitative data derived from academic papers and patents to provide concrete analyses of trends in various countries by field. Covering the period from 2015 to 2024, it reorganizes certain subfields of life sciences and clinical medicine to address a total of 123 fields: 31 in Environment and Energy, 38 in Systems and Information Science and Technology, 30 in Nanotechnology/Materials Research, and 24 in Life Science and Clinical Research. In addition, it highlights research and development trends across eight key areas: environment, energy, information and AI, nanotechnology and materials, life sciences and clinical medicine, quantum, communications, and semiconductors. In the online dashboard released at the same time, information that could not be fully included in the print edition is also provided in a visually easy-to-understand and organized manner.

As in the 2025 edition, a notable increase in the number of publications from India has again been observed across many research fields, accompanied by growth in the number of publications in the top 10% and top 1%. This is particularly noticeable in the fields of information, AI, and communications, but no significant change has yet been observed in the number of patents. This pattern differs from China's trajectory in the 2010s, where paper volume increased first followed by a rise in top-tier publications. The underlying policies and future developments warrant close attention.

It should be noted that publication and patent data are subject to field-specific characteristics and societal factors, and therefore cannot provide a complete picture of trends in science and technology. For a more comprehensive understanding, we recommend also referring to the Overview Reports.

These studies are intended not only to support the policy-making community, but also to help researchers understand the state of science and technology within and beyond their own specialties, and to explore a diverse range of possibilities. CRDS will continue to refine its approaches and provide proposals and information that contribute to the advancement of science and technology in Japan.