BEIJING, Aug. 29 -- BRICS countries are a major force in science and technology development in developing countries, according to a 2017 BRICS innovative competitiveness report released Tuesday.

The report said that annual investment in research and development from BRICS countries accounted for 17 percent of the world's total.

Their high-tech exports have reached nearly 6 trillion U.S. dollars, or about 28 percent of the world's total, with publications of science papers from BRICS countries totaling 590,000, according to the report.

It predicted that the innovative competitiveness of BRICS countries would rise in the next five years, with China and Russiataking the lead.

"We not only evaluated BRICS countries' innovative competitiveness, but also analyzed problems that hinder scientific cooperation and made suggestions," said Zhao Xinli, one of the chief editors.

Led by the China Science and Technology Exchange Center and written by over 40 researchers worldwide, the report also contains study on digital and agricultural technology in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.