This document presents a typology of scientific agglomeration forms based on an analysis of publication data from 2000-2010. It identifies 5 types: 1) monocephalic agglomerations with a single center; 2) agglomerations with a single decentralized center, including those with a more dynamic suburb; 3) agglomerations with multiple decentralizations; 4) two close agglomerations within or across borders; 5) emergence of new centers. Examples of each type are shown on maps with publication data from two time periods to illustrate spatial configurations and evolutions.

1. An illustrated typology of
scientific agglomerations
forms in the world, 2000–
2010
Laurent Jégou
Marion Maisonobe
Najla Touati

2. Introduction : the geographic
visualisation of scientific production
Research group “geography of science” at the LISST, since 2010.
• Objective : to observe and analyse the geography of science at the
city scale, worldwide, since a decade.
• Sources : The ©Web of Science, 1999-2012, author’s addresses.
• Tools : a geolocalised database with interactive visualisation tools to
verify the results, to assess their quality and to represent the data
conveniently, on a dynamic map.

4. Data processing
• Biases acknowledged :
• WoS journals (english language mainly, slow perimeter évolution)
• Authors’ postal addresses / postal districts variation
• Automatic geocoding sometimes wrong (Leuven / Louvain …)
• Results :
• 20M publications, 40M authors
• geocoded worldwide and fractionated on 35.000 cities
• moving averages for 1999-2001 and 2009-2011, evolutions
• Several publications (Urban studies, journals, doctoral thesis …)
A new tool to represent the centers of scientific publication at the
city scale and its evolution since 1999.

5. A new dynamic map online tool
(Hopefully soon to be available freely online)

6. Focus of today’s presentation :
agglomerations
• Illustrating the diversity of the spatial configuration of the scientific
production.
• A typology of spatial forms taking into account the temporal
evolution.

7. Type 1 : the monocephalic or
centralised agglos.
A single centre of publications only, stable in time (no new centres of
production in the agglomeration during the period).

8. Type 1
Map 1 :
Beijing, China

9. Type 1
Map 2 :
Kiev, Ukraine

10. Type 1
Map 3 :
South Spain

11. Type 2 : agglomerations with a
single decentralised scientific
centre
Subtype 2a : With one suburb more
dynamic than the centre
Very often, the second centre of scientific production is a university
campus, decentralised or delocalised from an old city-centre campus.

12. Type 2a
Map 4 :
Helsinki – Espoo,
Finland

13. Type 2a
Map 5 :
Patras – Río
Greece

14. Type 2 : agglomerations with a
single decentralised scientific
centre
Subtype 2b : With one suburb as dynamic as the
centre or less dynamic

15. Type 2b
Map 6 :
Cairo – Giza,
Egypt

16. Type 2b
Map 7 :
Dublin, Maynooth
Ireland

17. Type 3 : agglomerations with
multiples decentralisations

18. Type 3
Map 8 :
Lyon, France

19. Type 3
Map 9 :
Cape Town,
South Africa

20. Type 3
Map 10 :
Munchen,
Germany

21. Type 4 : Two close
agglomerations
Subtype 4a : Inside a country

22. Type 4a
Map 11 :
Bristol, Bath
United Kingdom

23. Type 4a
Map 12 :
Pretoria,
Johannesburg
South Africa

24. Type 4 : Two close
agglomerations
Subtype 4b : Separated by a political
border

25. Type 4b
Map 13 :
Hong Kong,
Shenzhen
China

26. Type 4b
Map 14 :
Dubai, Sharjah,
United Arab
Emirates

27. Type 4b
Map 15 :
Copenhagen,
Lund, Malmö
Denmark, Sweden

28. Type 5 : Emergence of new
scientific production centres

29. Type5
Map 16 :
Thuwal,
Saudi Arabia

30. Type5
Map 17 :
Semenyih,
Malaysia