2021 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in physical sciences

The 2021 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Table criteria

Region/country

Sector

Subject/journals

Position	Institution	Share 2019	Share 2020	Count 2020	Change in Adjusted Share* 2019–2020
1	Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), Poland	25.84	33.38	247	20.1%
2	University of Warsaw (UW), Poland	28.70	28.76	154	-6.8%
3	Jagiellonian University (UJ), Poland	16.67	17.99	105	0.3%
4	National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ), Poland	10.19	6.13	146	-44.1%
5	Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (AMU), Poland	3.89	5.21	28	24.7%
6	University of Wrocław (UWr), Poland	4.42	4.51	32	-5.3%
7	Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS), Poland	2.83	3.47	7	13.7%
8	AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH UST), Poland	5.84	3.41	149	-45.7%
9	University of Silesia (US), Poland	3.57	3.27	15	-15.0%
10	Wrocław University of Science and Technology (WRUT), Poland	3.28	2.91	18	-17.5%
11	Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), Poland	2.30	2.25	76	-9.3%
12	Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT), Poland	1.24	1.92	8	43.6%
13	University of Lodz (UL), Poland	0.94	1.40	13	38.4%
14	University of Szczecin (USZ), Poland	2.14	1.18	6	-48.7%
15	University of Gdańsk (UG), Poland	0.52	1.17	10	109.3%
16	Pedagogical University of Krakow (UP), Poland	0.00	1.09	2	0.0%
17	Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (NCU), Poland	1.53	1.08	6	-34.5%
18	Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Poland	1.11	0.92	3	-23.3%
19	University of Zielona Góra (UZ), Poland	0.17	0.84	3	357.1%
20	University of Rzeszów, Poland	0.25	0.71	4	163.4%
21	Lodz University of Technology (TUL), Poland	0.12	0.69	5	430.0%
22	University of Białystok (UWB), Poland	0.35	0.63	9	66.9%
23	Maritime University of Szczecin (MUS), Poland	1.00	0.56	2	-48.0%
24	The Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce (UJK), Poland	1.11	0.35	6	-70.8%
25	University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (UWM), Poland	0.02	0.22	1	1,242.8%
26	Silesian University of Technology (SUT), Poland	0.00	0.21	1	0.0%
27	Saule Technologies Ltd., Poland	0.00	0.20	1	0.0%
28	Optidea, Poland	0.00	0.20	1	0.0%
29	Saule Research Institute (SRI), Poland	0.00	0.18	1	0.0%
30	Medical University of Silesia (SUM), Poland	0.00	0.11	1	0.0%
30	Rzeszów University of Technology, Poland	0.07	0.11	1	44.6%
31	Poznan University of Technology (PUT), Poland	0.32	0.10	2	-69.7%
32	Polish Center for Technology Development (PORT), Poland	0.36	0.07	3	-82.7%
33	National Research Institute (PIB), Poland	0.07	0.05	2	-37.0%
34	Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw (UKSW), Poland	0.09	0.03	1	-70.2%
34	Gabriel Murawski Private Observatory (SOTES), Poland	0.00	0.03	1	0.0%
35	Pomeranian Medical University (PMU), Poland	0.00	0.01	1	0.0%
36	Wroclaw Technology Park (WPT), Poland	0.00	0.01	1	0.0%
37	KrioSystem Sp. z o.o, Poland	0.00	0.00	1	0.0%
38	Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (IOS), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Biopolymers and Chemical Fibres (IIMPiB), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Leather Industry (IPS), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Logistics and Warehousing (ILiM), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Industrial Chemistry Research Institute (ICRI), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Organisation and Management in Industry (ORGMASZ), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals in Gliwice (IMN), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Biopolymers and Chemical Fibres, Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Wood Technology Institute (ITD), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Mechanised Construction and Rock Mining (IMBiGS), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEL), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	New Chemical Syntheses Institute (INS), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Maksymilian Pluta Institute of Applied Optics (INOS), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute for Sustainable Technologies (ITEE), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Automotive Industry Institute (PIMOT), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Industrial Organic Chemistry (IPO), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Electron Technology (ITE), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Stanislaw Staszic Institute for Ferrous Metallurgy (IMZ), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Textile Research Institute, Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Aviation, Poland	0.36	0.00	1	-99.3%
38	Institute of Electrical Drives and Machines (KOMEL), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials (ICIMB), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Electronic Materials Technology (ITME), Poland	0.14	0.00	1	-98.2%
38	Institute of Heavy Organic Synthesis "Blachownia" (ISCO), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Metal Forming Institute (INOP), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements (PIAP), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Packaging Research Institute (COBRO), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Welding, Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Medical Technology and Equipment (ITAM), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Tele and Radio Research Institute (ITR), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Pharmaceutical Research Institute (PRI), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Rail Vehicles Institute (TABOR), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Foundry Research Institute (IOd), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Industrial Institute of Agricultural Engineering (PIMR), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Innovative Technologies (EMAG), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Poland Ministry of Economy, Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
38	Institute of Precision Mechanics (IMP), Poland	0.00	0.00	3	0.0%
39	Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Research, Poland	0.00	0.00	1	0.0%
40	International Institute for Molecular Oncology (IIMO), Poland	0.00	0.00	1	0.0%
40	Poznan University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Poland	0.00	0.00	1	0.0%

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences and health sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
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The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen research leaders.

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2021 Research Leaders: Leading institutions in physical sciences

Table criteria

Footnote