GB
United Kingdom
United Kingdom ranks between 2nd and 20th across the 45 technologies, by share of the 10% most cited papers, 2021–2025. Best placings: 6G and advanced wireless (2nd), large language models (3rd) and advanced aircraft engines (3rd).
United Kingdom's rank in each of the 45 technologies
TechnologyRankIts neighbours in the rankingShare of the top 10%, from 2021 to 2025Its institution with the most credit
6G and advanced wireless
2ndof 80
1stCN39.9%2ndGB9.0%3rdUS6.2%4thCA3.8%5thSG3.2%
Queen Mary University of London1.6% of the top 10%
Large language models
3rdof 96
1stCN27.4%2ndUS19.4%3rdGB3.7%4–5DE2.4%4–5KR2.4%
University of Oxford0.2% of the top 10%
Advanced aircraft engines
3rdof 47
1stCN64.6%2ndUS4.9%3rdGB4.3%4thIN2.8%5–6TR2.0%
Cranfield University1.3% of the top 10%
Drones and swarming
3rdof 81
1stCN52.2%2ndUS5.1%3rdGB3.8%4thKR3.6%5thCA2.6%
Queen Mary University of London0.5% of the top 10%
Autonomous underwater vehicles
3rdof 44
1stCN71.7%2ndUS3.7%3rdGB2.4%4–6IT1.7%4–6KR1.6%
University of Strathclyde0.5% of the top 10%
Radar
2–3tied, of 41
1stCN77.0%2–3US2.9%2–3GB2.8%4thIT2.7%5–6KR2.2%
University College London0.6% of the top 10%
Directed energy
3–4tied, of 214.0 papers of credit
1stCN57.5%2ndDE5.6%3–4GB4.3%3–4US4.3%5–6IN3.3%
University of Southampton2.2% of the top 10%
Magnets and superconductors
3rdof 58
1stCN35.0%2ndUS14.2%3rdGB5.7%4thIN4.8%5–6DE4.6%
University of Glasgow1.3% of the top 10%
Genome sequencing
3rdof 59
1stUS33.6%2ndCN27.6%3rdGB5.0%4thDE4.7%5thAU3.9%
Wellcome Sanger Institute1.0% of the top 10%
Advanced composites
3rdof 68
1stCN50.8%2ndUS6.0%3rdGB5.6%4thIN5.0%5thTR3.3%
University of Edinburgh0.8% of the top 10%
Quantum computing
4thof 71
1stUS34.9%2ndCN11.2%3rdDE6.0%4thGB5.9%5thCH3.7%6thJP3.4%
University of Oxford1.0% of the top 10%
Quantum communication
4thof 57
1stCN28.9%2ndUS14.1%3rdDE7.6%4thGB5.5%5thIT3.6%6–8ES3.3%
University of Strathclyde1.3% of the top 10%
Atomic clocks
4–6tied, of 27
1stUS38.7%2ndCN19.9%3rdDE11.5%4–6GB4.7%4–6JP4.7%4–6AU4.2%
National Physical Laboratory2.5% of the top 10%
Electric batteries
4–5tied, of 89
1stCN68.0%2ndUS7.6%3rdKR3.4%4–5GB2.2%4–5DE2.2%6thAU1.9%
University College London0.3% of the top 10%
Nuclear fusion
4thof 50
1stUS27.5%2ndCN14.8%3rdDE11.8%4thGB10.1%5thFR5.3%6thIT5.0%
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority3.0% of the top 10%
Quantum sensors
4thof 48
1stCN22.5%2ndUS21.5%3rdDE10.2%4thGB8.4%5thFR5.2%6thIT3.3%
University of Nottingham2.4% of the top 10%
Nuclear fission power
4–5tied, of 64
1stCN43.3%2ndUS22.1%3rdKR4.4%4–5GB3.1%4–5RU3.1%6–7FR2.1%
University of Manchester0.7% of the top 10%
Optical communication
3–4tied, of 54
1stCN38.8%2ndUS12.4%3–4CA3.5%3–4GB3.5%5–6DE3.2%5–6JP3.1%
University of Southampton1.3% of the top 10%
Distributed ledgers
4thof 103
1stCN20.6%2ndIN12.4%3rdUS6.7%4thGB4.8%5thSA4.3%6thAU3.7%
University College London0.3% of the top 10%
Advanced robotics
4thof 54
1stCN31.5%2ndUS16.0%3rdIT6.4%4thGB4.7%5thDE4.5%6thHK3.4%
Imperial College London0.4% of the top 10%
Additive manufacturing
5thof 90
1stCN34.0%3rdIN6.7%4thAU3.9%5thGB3.6%6–7IT2.9%6–7SG2.9%
Imperial College London0.5% of the top 10%
Inertial navigation
5–6tied, of 40
1stCN64.0%3rdCA3.7%4thHK2.9%5–6GB2.3%5–6DE2.2%7–10AU1.9%
Imperial College London0.8% of the top 10%
Synthetic biology
5thof 55
1stCN45.7%3rdKR5.0%4thDE4.7%5thGB3.9%6thIN3.5%7thDK2.5%
Imperial College London1.2% of the top 10%
Cybersecurity
5thof 104
1stCN14.8%3rdSA8.4%4thUS7.6%5thGB3.8%6thAU3.7%7–9CA2.8%
Edinburgh Napier University0.2% of the top 10%
Post-quantum cryptography
6thof 59
1stCN20.4%4thSA5.3%5thKR4.3%6thGB3.4%7–8JP2.8%7–8DE2.6%
Queen's University Belfast0.4% of the top 10%
Critical minerals processing
6thof 58
1stCN43.0%4–5CA2.9%4–5IN2.8%6thGB2.4%7–9DE1.9%7–9KR1.9%
University of Warwick0.5% of the top 10%
Gene editing
6thof 77
1stUS32.2%4thIN4.0%5thDE2.5%6thGB2.4%7thCH1.9%8–11IR1.6%
Wellcome Sanger Institute0.4% of the top 10%
Perovskite solar cells
7thof 76
1stCN53.9%5–6DE3.9%5–6IN3.9%7thGB2.3%8–9SA2.1%8–9BD2.0%
University of Cambridge0.5% of the top 10%
Hydrogen by electrolysis
7thof 83
1stCN53.0%5thDE3.7%6thIN2.5%7thGB2.3%8thSA1.7%9thCA1.5%
Durham University0.2% of the top 10%
Wide-bandgap semiconductors
7thof 56
1stCN40.8%5thKR2.9%6thIT2.5%7thGB2.3%8thDE2.1%9thTW1.7%
University of Bristol0.4% of the top 10%
mRNA vaccines and therapeutics
7thof 70
1stUS38.7%4–5JP3.3%6thAU2.7%7thGB2.5%8thIL2.3%9thKR2.2%
University of Oxford0.4% of the top 10%
High-performance computing
7–8tied, of 45
1stUS36.3%4–5ES4.3%6thFR3.3%7–8GB2.8%7–8CH2.8%9thIN2.4%
University College London0.5% of the top 10%
New antibiotics and antivirals
7thof 82
1stCN30.3%5–6BR2.8%5–6AU2.7%7thGB2.5%8–9DE2.3%8–9IR2.2%
University of Manchester0.5% of the top 10%
Hydrogen storage and ammonia fuel
7thof 68
1stCN44.5%5thIN4.1%6thPK3.9%7thGB3.0%8thMA2.5%9–10KR2.2%
University of Edinburgh0.6% of the top 10%
Metamaterials
8thof 73
1stCN55.5%6thIN2.5%7thHK2.0%8thGB1.9%9thDE1.7%10thIR1.6%
Nottingham Trent University0.3% of the top 10%
AI chips
8–9tied, of 46
1stCN46.2%7thHK2.2%8–9CH1.9%8–9GB1.9%10thIT1.8%11–13SA1.3%
University of Oxford0.2% of the top 10%
Hyperspectral imaging
8–9tied, of 54
1stCN71.4%6–7IT1.4%8–9DE1.1%8–9GB1.0%10–12CA0.9%10–12JP0.8%
Robert Gordon University0.3% of the top 10%
Hypersonic flight
9–11tied, of 283.1 papers of credit
1stCN65.9%9–11FR0.9%9–11SA0.9%9–11GB0.8%12–17IQ0.7%12–17JP0.7%
University of Oxford0.3% of the top 10%
Supercapacitors
9–11tied, of 86
1stCN46.3%9–11TW1.3%9–11AU1.3%9–11GB1.3%12thTR1.2%13thAE0.9%
University of Cambridge0.1% of the top 10%
Satellite navigation
11thof 45
1stCN56.1%8–9PL1.7%10thFR1.5%11thGB1.3%12–13KR1.2%12–13ES1.1%
Imperial College London0.4% of the top 10%
Small satellites
8–14tied, of 473.1 papers of credit
1stUS13.7%8–14AU2.5%8–14NL2.5%8–14GB2.5%8–14RU2.0%8–14CO2.0%
University of Surrey0.7% of the top 10%
Sonar and underwater acoustics
9–14tied, of 373.5 papers of credit
1stCN71.6%9–14SG1.0%9–14PK1.0%9–14GB1.0%9–14IR0.9%9–14KR0.9%
University of Southampton0.3% of the top 10%
Advanced chip manufacturing
13–20tied, of 391.8 papers of credit
1stCN31.8%13–20AU0.6%13–20SG0.6%13–20GB0.5%13–20MY0.5%13–20FR0.4%
University of Manchester0.2% of the top 10%
Space launch
13–17tied, of 180.2 papers of credit
1stCN34.8%13–17PT1.0%13–17HK0.4%13–17TR0.3%13–17GB0.2%13–17BE0.2%
Cranfield University0.2% of the top 10%
Electronic warfare
4–19tied, of 230.5 papers of credit
1stCN81.0%4–19AU0.5%4–19HK0.4%4–19GB0.4%4–19NL0.3%4–19QA0.3%
University of Essex0.1% of the top 10%
Neighbours are the countries ranked just above and below. Ranks are shown as a range where shares are equal to one decimal place. Source: OpenAlex, pulled 23 October 2026. Download these numbers Method
Where United Kingdom is in the top three
PilotEach paper sorted into one sub-area by an AI model reading its title and abstract, then credited as usual. On 200 hand-labelled papers it chose the same sub-area, or a defensible second, 92% of the time. Shown where the sub-area has at least 30 papers in the top 10% and the country at least five papers of credit.
- 2ndOptically pumped magnetometers and magnetoencephalographyQuantum sensors, 55 papers; behind China 31.8%30.7%
- 2ndMultiple access and waveforms (NOMA, OTFS, rate-splitting)6G and advanced wireless, 53 papers; behind China 29.2%19.3%
- 2ndPlasma control, data-driven and AI methodsNuclear fusion, 64 papers; behind United States 25.9%17.2%
- 2ndHigh-temperature superconductor tapes and bulksMagnets and superconductors, 59 papers; behind China 33.4%16.2%
- 2ndSuperconducting cables, motors, MRI and power usesMagnets and superconductors, 42 papers; behind China 29.6%12.3%
- 2ndReconfigurable intelligent surfaces6G and advanced wireless, 401 papers; behind China 42.0%12.1%
- 2ndHeating, current drive and diagnosticsNuclear fusion, 76 papers; behind United States 23.0%11.5%
- 2ndFibre transmission systems, signal processing and networksOptical communication, 75 papers; behind China 43.4%11.1%
- 2ndCRISPR screens and functional genomicsGene editing, 67 papers; behind United States 66.0%10.9%
- 2ndIntegrated sensing and communication (dual-function radar)Radar, 55 papers; behind China 58.8%9.8%
- 2ndQuantum error correctionQuantum computing, 156 papers; behind United States 46.8%9.0%
- 2ndMechanical properties, damage and failure modellingAdvanced composites, 200 papers; behind China 51.4%9.0%
- 2ndMassive, cell-free and near-field MIMO6G and advanced wireless, 102 papers; behind China 43.1%8.8%
- 2ndStructural health monitoring and non-destructive testingAdvanced composites, 78 papers; behind China 48.8%8.5%
- 2ndIntegrated sensing and communication6G and advanced wireless, 257 papers; behind China 56.9%6.9%
- 2ndDrone-assisted wireless communications and sensingDrones and swarming, 274 papers; behind China 51.3%6.4%
- 2ndRenewable-powered hydrogen systems and energy-system optimisationHydrogen by electrolysis, 136 papers; behind China 19.7%6.3%
- 2ndSwarms and multi-drone cooperation, formation and task allocationDrones and swarming, 279 papers; behind China 63.6%4.2%
- 3rdReactor and device design, breeding blankets and economicsNuclear fusion, 96 papers; behind Italy 18.7% and United States 18.1%18.0%
- 3rdAutomation, biofoundries, standards and metabolic modelsSynthetic biology, 48 papers; behind United States 25.2% and China 24.7%14.7%
- 3rdCell atlases of tissues, development and non-cancer diseaseGenome sequencing, 78 papers; behind United States 39.4% and China 18.6%12.3%
- 3rdTokamak confinement, transport and turbulenceNuclear fusion, 116 papers; behind United States 23.5% and Germany 18.4%11.8%
- 3rdCompressed, liquid and underground storage, tanks and pipelinesHydrogen storage and ammonia fuel, 130 papers; behind China 14.1% and Australia 13.6%11.7%
- 3rdSuperconducting fusion magnetsNuclear fusion, 44 papers; behind China 26.5% and United States 25.9%11.3%
- 3rdActinide separation and radionuclide captureNuclear fission power, 94 papers; behind China 50.0% and United States 11.0%9.6%
- 3rdSupply chain and traceabilityDistributed ledgers, 269 papers; behind India 11.9% and China 11.4%8.9%
- 3rdPlasma-facing and structural materials (tungsten, irradiation)Nuclear fusion, 130 papers; behind China 46.6% and United States 14.7%8.7%
- 3rdAdoption, management, governance and public sectorDistributed ledgers, 158 papers; behind China 12.3% and United States 10.8%8.0%
- 3rdTrapped-ion qubitsQuantum computing, 66 papers; behind United States 47.6% and Austria 13.9%7.7%
- 3rd6G visions, architectures, Open RAN and IoT surveys6G and advanced wireless, 128 papers; behind China 19.4% and United States 12.8%7.3%
- 3rdQuantum algorithms and applications (incl. quantum machine learning, optimisation, chemistry)Quantum computing, 748 papers; behind United States 32.7% and China 10.5%7.1%
- 3rdNFTs, DeFi, tokens and the metaverseDistributed ledgers, 118 papers; behind China 12.4% and United States 10.0%7.1%
- 3rdManufacturing and processing (curing, moulding, 3D printing)Advanced composites, 266 papers; behind China 39.0% and United States 9.1%6.9%
- 3rdNon-terrestrial networks (satellite, aerial, space-air-ground)6G and advanced wireless, 136 papers; behind China 45.6% and United States 6.0%5.6%
- 3rdLLM agents and tool useLarge language models, 179 papers; behind China 30.5% and United States 21.0%5.3%
- 3rdImmune responses to mRNA vaccines and variant escapemRNA vaccines and therapeutics, 144 papers; behind United States 57.6% and Germany 6.7%4.8%
- 3rdBattery management, modelling, thermal and safetyElectric batteries, 1,288 papers; behind China 59.5% and United States 5.8%4.5%
- 3rdMultimodal and vision-language modelsLarge language models, 283 papers; behind China 49.0% and United States 10.0%4.2%
- 3rdDomain applications (medicine, science, finance, industry)Large language models, 687 papers; behind United States 24.0% and China 22.5%4.1%
- 3rdEvaluation, benchmarks and hallucinationLarge language models, 473 papers; behind United States 22.5% and China 16.8%3.8%
- 3rdRetrieval-augmented generation and knowledge graphsLarge language models, 339 papers; behind China 35.7% and United States 14.0%3.7%
- 3rdBattery recycling and materials recoveryElectric batteries, 391 papers; behind China 54.2% and United States 9.7%3.3%