"The U.S. is not only attracting larger numbers of European researchers; it is also proving capable of retaining them, offering competitive career and employment opportunities," said Philippe Busquin, EU commissioner for research. "This growing trend must be taken seriously, since it is generally recognized that the period following PhD graduation is likely to represent the most productive years of a researcher's career."

According to the research, one in 10 non-U.S. citizens working in the U.S. high-tech sector was born in the European Union. In 1999, the most recent year for which data is available, 85,700 researchers working in the States came from the EU, with Britain accounting for the largest group from a single nation (28,400). The next-largest groups were German citizens (25,200) and Italian citizens (7,700). In total, Europe contributed 14 percent of the American science and technology work force in 1999.

China and India were found to have contributed the largest populations of science and technology PhDs who had opted to reside in the United States-37,900 and 30,100, respectively-followed by the United Kingdom (13,100) and Taiwan (10,900).

The number of European S&T workers in the United States, 400,000, is relatively small compared with the 11 million working in S&T positions in Europe. But the report warns that with increased demand in the future for high-tech employees in Europe, the U.S.-based pool will be an important component of the required supply.

'The best brains'

Research from the U.S. National Science Foundation, which tracks how many European PhDs graduating in the United States plan to stay, found that 15,158 U.S. doctoral degrees were awarded to EU-born students between 1991 and 2000. Among them were 4,000 German, 3,000 British, 1,400 French and 800 Italian students.

In 1999, nearly 75 percent of European PhD recipients reported that they preferred to stay in the United States to establish their careers after earning their doctorates. Two-thirds had a firm offer of employment after receiving a PhD. "These figures demonstrate that the U.S. is increasingly able to keep the best brains by giving [PhD grads] better employment and career opportunities afterward, either in the academic world or in business," the report states.

Meanwhile, other research shows that the EU is producing more high-tech students than the United States or Japan.