A bibliometric study of research activity in ASEAN related to the EU in FP7 priority areas Saeed-Ul Hassan • Peter Haddawy • Pratikshya Kuinkel • Alexander Degelsegger • Cosima Blasy Received: 30 September 2011 / Published online: 19 February 2012 Ó Akade ´miai Kiado ´, Budapest, Hungary 2012 Abstract Two relevant recent developments in the area of science and technology (S&T) and related policy-making motivate this article: first, bibliometric data on a specific research area’s performance becomes an increasingly relevant source for S&T policy- making and evaluation. This trend is embedded in wider discussions on evidence-based policy-making. Secondly, the scientific output of Southeast Asian countries is rising, as is the number of international research collaborations with the second area of our interest: Europe. Against this background, we employ basic bibliometric methodology in order to draw a picture of Southeast Asian research strengths as well the amount and focus of S&T cooperation between the countries in Southeast Asia and the European Union. The results can prove useful for an interested public as well as for the scientific community and science, technology and innovation policy-making. Keywords Bibliometrics  FP7 thematic priority areas  Southeast Asia’s research activity  International research collaboration Introduction In the last two decades Southeast Asia has experienced strong economic growth, partly going hand-in-hand with a strengthened academic community as well as public and private research and development. The level of research activity and maturity of the research environment in Southeast Asian countries is varied and has been changing rapidly in recent years. For this reason, people’s perceptions of the amount and relevance of the research S.-U. Hassan (&) AIT Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand e-mail: saeed.ul.hassan@ait.ac.th P. Haddawy  P. Kuinkel United Nations University International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST), P.O Box 3058, Casa Silva Mendes, Est. Do Engenheiro Trigo No. 4, Macao, China A. Degelsegger  C. Blasy Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI), Linke Wienzeile 246, 1150 Vienna, Austria 123 Scientometrics (2012) 91:1035–1051 DOI 10.1007/s11192-012-0665-1