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

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

Footnote

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

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
  5. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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.