From 88% to 9% – stark data shows US decline, China's rise in remote sensing research

A study led by Professor Debra Laefer reveals China now accounts for nearly half of all remote sensing research publications globally, while U.S. output has declined to under 10%. Published in Geomatics, the research analyzed over 126,000 papers from 1961 to 2023, documenting a dramatic shift from U.S. dominance. "This represents one of the most significant shifts in global technological leadership in recent history," Laefer said. The research attributes the change to decreased equipment costs and AI adoption, with China's National Natural Science Foundation appearing in 53% of recent funding acknowledgments compared to just 5% for U.S. agencies.