Investigating Past, Present, and Future Trends on Interface Between Marine and Medical Research and Development: A...

Area of Science:

• Interdisciplinary research at the nexus of marine sciences and medical studies.
• Exploration of marine bioresources for novel therapeutic applications.

Background:

• Healthcare advances are increasingly benefiting from the integration of marine science discoveries.
• A growing body of research focuses on leveraging marine organisms and compounds for medical purposes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the evolution of research themes in marine and medical sciences from 2000 to 2023.
• To identify key research areas, trends, and collaborative networks within this interdisciplinary field.
• To provide insights for research policy and R&D management.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis and topic modeling (Hierarchical Dirichlet Process) to identify research themes.
• Social network analysis to map collaborative structures and key contributors.
• Quantitative foresight methods to interpret scientific convergences.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in publication output at the marine-medical science interface.
• Identification of "natural product biochemistry" and "trace substance and genetics" as dominant research areas with therapeutic potential.
• Mapping of prominent scholars and institutions driving research and development.

Conclusions:

• The convergence of marine and medical sciences offers substantial healthcare advancement opportunities.
• Quantitative foresight and interdisciplinary collaboration are crucial for identifying future breakthroughs in this field.
• Research policy should support interdisciplinary teams and quantitative foresight methods.