Science indicators and science patterns in Europe

In this communication we perform an analysis of European science, investigating the way countries are joined in clusters according to their similarity. An extremely clear pattern arises, suggesting that geographical and cultural factors strongly influence the scientific fabric of these countries. Although it is seen that one of the major factors behind Science in Europe is, apparently, geographical proximity, bilateral cooperation between countries cannot fully account for the respective similarity. Long-term policies, planning and investment are also visible in the results.