The framework
The capabilities are those of the Critical Technology domain (factbase.org/dom/C1RYM55Q2M) in the Hard Power dimension of the GINC national capability framework, version 0.1: 10 capability groups, 47 capabilities and 135 indicators. Each page uses the framework’s own identifiers, definitions and bounds. The framework is read from the GINC design system’s copy (framework-nodes.json).
Research
Research figures are paper counts from GINC Research. Papers there are classified to the 63 critical technology topics of framework v0.0. Each v0.1 capability takes the v0.0 topics its lineage names:
- the topic it was carried from (formerly …)
- the retired topics merged into it
The crosswalk is kept in the repository as ref/research-topics.json so that a change to it can be reviewed. 44 of the 47 capabilities have research data. Semiconductor Equipment & Materials, Advanced Packaging & Heterogeneous Integration and Human-Machine Interfaces are new in v0.1 and have no v0.0 topic yet.
Semiconductor Design & EDA and Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication were split from one v0.0 topic, Advanced integrated circuit design and fabrication. Both show that topic’s papers until the research classification is redone.
Where a capability takes more than one topic, their counts are summed. A paper classified under two of those topics is then counted twice.
Nation shares are each nation’s papers divided by the capability’s papers with a known author nation, 2020–2024, by the nation of the authors’ institutions. About a quarter to two fifths of papers have no author nation in the data; each capability page gives its share. Institutions are ranked by fractional count: each paper is divided among its authors’ institutions.
Patents
Patent figures are counts of patent families from GINC Patents. A family is counted under a capability if it falls in the CPC or IPC classes that GINC Patents maps to that capability (crosswalk version 0.3.0-draft, not yet reviewed). All 47 capabilities are covered.
- Fit. Two of the 47 are read as tools: their classes count inventions used in the field, not the field itself.
- Year and nation. A family is dated by its earliest priority year and placed by the nation of origin of its applicants.
- Filed abroad. The share of families filed in more than one office.
- Concentration. Measured on 2015–2024 by the Herfindahl–Hirschman index and by the share of the five largest applicants.
- Incomplete years. Families are published 18 months after priority, so 2025 onwards is incomplete and is left off the charts.
Applicants are named as the patent offices hold them and are not yet consolidated into companies.
Growth
Growth compares 2020–2024 with 2015–2019, for papers and for families alike.
Companies
The companies list is the next body of evidence. Until it lands, capability pages name the largest international patent filers, as the offices name them.