Mapped: The Top 50 Global Science and Technology Clusters
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Key Takeaways
- Asia accounts for 24 of the top 50 science and technology clusters globally
- The Tokyo-Yokohama cluster leads, with the highest combined share of patent applications and scientific publications
- The San Jose–San Francisco cluster is the top-ranked U.S. region on the list
The global innovation engine is constantly churning, with new technologies and scientific developments emerging every year.
In the past year alone, major developments have included the explosive rise of generative AI, along with scientific breakthroughs like an injectable drug that can protect people from HIV.
But where in the world are these innovations taking place?
This map highlights the world’s 50 leading science and technology (S&T) clusters for innovation using data from the Global Innovation Index 2024. Clusters are ranked by their combined share of international patent applications and scientific publications.
Asia Dominates Global S&T Clusters
Nearly half (24) of the 50 leading science and technology clusters are in Asia, and 15 of these hubs are in China alone.
| Cluster Name | Economy | Patent Applications | Scientific Publications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo–Yokohama | Japan  |
134,769 | 117,294 |
| Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou | China/Hong Kong   |
116,411 | 175,364 |
| Beijing | China |
42,490 | 308,561 |
| Seoul | South Korea  |
67,082 | 140,385 |
| Shanghai–Suzhou | China |
38,699 | 191,074 |
| San Jose–San Francisco, CA | United States  |
49,299 | 57,589 |
| Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto | Japan |
38,478 | 52,800 |
| Boston–Cambridge, MA | United States |
18,973 | 76,250 |
| Nanjing | China |
7,857 | 125,607 |
| San Diego, CA | United States |
24,555 | 20,292 |
| New York City, NY | United States |
13,945 | 75,727 |
| Paris | France  |
15,648 | 61,985 |
| Wuhan | China |
7,403 | 101,372 |
| Hangzhou | China |
11,225 | 72,226 |
| Nagoya | Japan |
17,184 | 21,160 |
| Los Angeles, CA | United States |
11,847 | 43,464 |
| Daejeon | South Korea |
14,021 | 26426 |
| Xi’an | China |
2018 | 98853 |
| Washington, DC–Baltimore, MD | United States |
5897 | 72703 |
| Qingdao | China |
8442 | 47000 |
| London | Great Britain | 6558 | 58419 |
| Munich | Germany  |
10697 | 27205 |
| Chengdu | China |
2331 | 77466 |
| Seattle, WA | United States |
11165 | 19697 |
| Taipei-Hsinchu | Taiwan | 3887 | 55401 |
| Amsterdam–Rotterdam | Netherlands  |
4322 | 52439 |
| Cologne | Germany |
7024 | 33269 |
| Houston, TX | United States |
8066 | 23789 |
| Stuttgart | Germany |
9346 | 14517 |
| Tel Aviv–Jerusalem | Israel  |
7286 | 24955 |
| Moscow | Russia  |
1946 | 57524 |
| Changsha | China |
1256 | 60712 |
| Singapore | Singapore/Malaysia    |
5234 | 35784 |
| Tianjin | China |
1378 | 59459 |
| Philadelphia, PA | United States |
5669 | 32941 |
| Hefei | China |
3848 | 44040 |
| Chicago, IL | United States |
5571 | 30658 |
| Tehran | Iran | 388 | 61774 |
| Chongqing | China |
1502 | 48120 |
| Stockholm | Sweden  |
6044 | 19682 |
| Minneapolis, MN | United States |
6633 | 14869 |
| Eindhoven | Netherlands |
7893 | 5249 |
| Frankfurt am Main | Germany |
5499 | 18242 |
| Sydney | Australia  |
2747 | 35053 |
| Berlin | Germany |
3483 | 29903 |
| Melbourne | Australia |
2017 | 38564 |
| Harbin | China |
276 | 47569 |
| Madrid | Spain  |
1636 | 39016 |
| Jinan | China |
1601 | 38277 |
| Zurich | Switzerland  |
3862 | 24162 |
Of the 1.3 million patent applications published globally between 2019 and 2023, more than 134,000 applications came from the leading Tokyo-Yokohama cluster, making up 10.5% of the global total.
In China, the Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou cluster leads in patent filings, while Beijing is the global leader in scientific research with more 300,000 scientific publications. Beijing also moved up one rank to fourth in 2024, displacing Seoul which now ranks fifth.
The United States—one of the world’s most innovative countries—is second behind China in terms of the total number of S&T clusters, with 11 of the top 50 global clusters.
The Bay Area region of San Jose–San Francisco is the topmost U.S. cluster on the list and is the second most-intensive S&T cluster globally (by per capita applications and publications). Google is the top patent applicant from this region, while Stanford is top scientific publisher.
Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is both the top patent applicant and scientific publisher in Boston–Cambridge, also among the top 10 S&T clusters globally.
In Europe, Paris is the leading innovation hub, followed by London and Munich. Germany has the most clusters in the continent, with five of them making the top 50.
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