Wuhan has secured the 8th position among the top 10 global science cities and metropolitan areas for 2024 in the "Nature Index - Science Cities" rankings released by the British journal Nature on Nov 16.

The Nature Index, compiled and regularly published by the renowned scientific publisher Springer Nature, tracks research output across 145 natural science journals worldwide. The latest rankings of global science cities and metropolitan areas are based on their research contributions to these journals.

The top 10 global science cities. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

In addition to Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou have also entered the global top 10, with Beijing and Shanghai sitting at first and second place, respectively. The journal further analyzed subject performance, highlighting Chinese cities' strengths in chemistry, physical sciences, and earth and environmental sciences. Remarkably, Chinese cities have dominated the global top 10 in the chemistry field for the first time.

Wuhan stands out with impressive rankings in multiple disciplines: 4th in physical sciences, 5th in chemistry, and 6th in earth and environmental sciences, underscoring its robust comprehensive research capabilities.

Wuhan is currently home to over 16,600 high-tech enterprises, with technology contract transactions exceeding 260 billion yuan ($36.57 billion) in 2024. The loan balance for tech-based companies has grown at an average annual rate of 20 percent. Technological innovation is becoming the main driver of Wuhan's high-quality development.