Japan's Top 10% Papers Fall from 4th to 13th in the World: Science, Technology, and Innovation White Paper

Explanation

On July 27, 2026, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) published the Science, Technology, and Innovation White Paper (approved by the Cabinet on July 7). This year's theme is "the convergence of science and business." It presents the view that, rather than research results being produced first and then slowly turning into products, science and business have come to advance simultaneously, intertwined with each other.

Among the figures cited in the white paper, the following three were given particular emphasis:
・Japan's ranking in the number of "top 10% papers"—papers that rank in the top 10% for citation counts—fell from 4th to 13th in the world
・The number of doctoral degree holders per capita remains at about one-third of major countries
・The government aims for 60 trillion yen in R&D investment from FY2026 to FY2030, and 180 trillion yen combined from public and private sources

Based on this, the white paper set a goal of returning Japan's top 10% papers ranking to 3rd in the world within 10 years.

As examples of science leading to business, the white paper introduces Nobel laureates Shimon Sakaguchi (Osaka University—discovery of regulatory T cells, applied to autoimmune diseases and cancer immunotherapy) and Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University—development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), used for gas storage and separation).

As pillars of the 7th Basic Plan, six items were listed: regenerating science as a foundation of knowledge, focusing on strategic technologies, connecting economic security with innovation, advancing the innovation ecosystem, promoting science diplomacy, and governance reform.