Mapping National SDG 12 Research Profiles: Evidence from Nordic and European Countries

Nordic countries consistently rank among the global leaders in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) performance and are widely recognised for ambitious sustainability policies. However, it remains unclear whether this leadership is reflected in distinctive patterns of SDG-oriented research compared with other European research systems. Focusing on SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), this study examines how national research priorities differ across Nordic and non-Nordic European countries. Using publication data from OpenAlex, national SDG 12 research profiles are constructed based on topic-level publication assignments. Bibliometric mapping is used to identify thematic differences, while supervised machine learning models assess whether countries can be distinguished according to their research profiles. This approach moves beyond aggregate publication counts to examine the substantive orientation of national research systems. The analysis will examine whether Nordic countries exhibit distinctive thematic emphases within SDG 12 research compared with other European research systems. Particular attention will be given to research on circular economy, resource efficiency, sustainable production systems, and policy-oriented approaches to consumption and behavioural change, alongside technological and industrial approaches that may be more prominent elsewhere in Europe. The findings suggest that conventional SDG bibliometric indicators may overlook important differences in research orientation that are relevant for research policy and sustainability governance. By integrating bibliometric mapping with machine learning, the study demonstrates how computational methods can identify latent national priorities and support more context-sensitive approaches to evaluating research contributions to sustainable development.