Nature Index in 2017

A graphic overview of corporate–academic relationships, and how the balance of output has changed.

Companies have stepped back from in-house science and are relying heavily on external institutions for knowledge.

Life science companies are missing out on the benefits of open innovation.

New findings suggest corporate collaboration encourages academic productivity.

The Japanese government wants to lure more industry funding into universities, but companies need to be convinced they’ll get value.

Academic life isn’t for everyone. Here we profile scientists who have made the switch from academia to industry, all motivated by a desire to see their discoveries translated into real-world solutions.

A description of the terminology and methodology used in this supplement, and a guide to the functionality available free online at natureindex.com.

Companies publishing high-quality research are looking to academia for assistance.

The withdrawal of large US corporations from research is narrowing the scope of innovation.

Exploring complementary strengths is the key to success in industry–academia science partnerships.

Key investments in people and infrastructure have helped Illinois become a major player in chemistry.

With government funding plummeting, researchers in the United States need to find alternative sources.

Undergraduate research programmes are expensive, and the benefits can be hard to measure.

National initiatives that track people, rather than papers, will lead to better science in the United States.

Initiatives are in place to keep early-career investigators in the biomedical system, but more support is needed.

A description of the terminology and methodology used in this supplement, and a guide to the functionality available free online at natureindex.com

With the most to lose from looming federal funding cuts, California's researchers take a stand.

The committed team behind LIGO's detection of gravitational waves is contending with ongoing technical challenges of a mighty big laboratory.