SDG4 academic research productivity in the EU27: economic factors and COVID-19 impacts

Purpose This paper aims to examine the factors influencing 2018–2022 research productivity related to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) in the EU-27 considering the COVID-19 epidemic. Design/methodology/approach This paper applies the two-panel estimators to bibliometric data from Scopus and relevant indicators, focusing on the previously achieved scientific productivity levels, national GDP, government education expenditures and the COVID-19 contingency variables. This study addresses the information gap regarding pertinent elements influencing SDG4 research productivity. Findings Research productivity in SDG4 is negatively impacted by government spending on education and the SDG4 goal score and positively impacted by the lagged number of prior SDG4 publications and GDP per capita. Research limitations/implications The robustness of the results across several panel estimators, the necessity of evaluating interactions with other SDGs and the possibly restricted generalizability of the findings outside the EU-27 sample are limitations acknowledged in this work. Originality/value Nations with high levels of SDG4 implementation are becoming less interested in conducting related studies or hinting at a possible systemic mismatch between research and policy at the EU level. The COVID-19 epidemic has had a positive effect on SDG4 research output, indicating that external obstacles to the research process should be contextualized by examining a range of contingency elements in addition to being perceived as general obstacles.