New findings from researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of Pittsburgh suggest that remote work may influence scientific breakthroughs and major inventions. The study, which appears in Nature, analyzed a vast corpus of research to understand how collaboration distance affects innovation.
The team examined more than 20 million scientific articles published between 1960 and 2020, involving about 22.5 million scientists across 3,562 provinces. They also reviewed four million patents filed by roughly 2.7 million inventors in 87,937 cities during 1976–2020. The researchers aimed to measure how physical separation among team members relates to the outcomes of science and technology work. [Cite: Oxford researchers; Pittsburgh collaborators]
Results showed a notable increase in the average distance between collaborators when preparing papers. Distances rose from about 100 kilometers to roughly 1,000 kilometers. For patent work, the distance grew from approximately 250 kilometers to around 750 kilometers. The pattern points to a tendency: remote teams were less likely to produce high-impact discoveries compared with colleagues who shared the same workspace. The study notes that shifting to a predominantly remote format after the pandemic could impede breakthroughs in science and technology.
To counter these effects, the authors advocate strengthening physical infrastructure. Building out facilities and reducing travel costs can help researchers reside in different locations while staying closely connected. In-person interactions within a shared space are highlighted as a factor that enhances communication quality and, as a result, the probability of achieving significant discoveries.
Earlier discussions in the scientific community have argued for the value of face-to-face consultations in medical contexts, suggesting some interactions benefit from being in person rather than remote. This wider view supports the idea that collaboration modes play a critical role in complex problem solving across disciplines. [Cite: broader literature on collaboration modes]