In recent years, the academic ecosystem of the country has witnessed extensive changes. The significant and sudden increase in the number of students and focus on degree attainment has led to a tremendous growth of higher education institutions in the country. By accurately understanding the factors emphasized in these studies and applying them to the country's academic environment, we can achieve a better understanding of intellectualism in the university system. Therefore, considering the wealth of studies and research background on competitive intelligence, this research employs scientometric methods and co-word analysis to provide a complete and comprehensive picture in this field. The present study is an applied research, and the data collection method involves content analysis research. The research data was gathered from the Science Direct database covering the years 2015 through the end of 2021. Data analysis was conducted using co-word analysis and the Vosviewer software. The findings of the research revealed a total of 18 keywords, 4 clusters, and 54 links with a strength of 87. The results indicate that the concepts of competitive intelligence, knowledge management, big data, business intelligence, strategic management, organizational learning, social networks, competitive advantage, and optimization are the most frequently used words in this field. Based on the results of the present study, it is suggested that the country's universities establish a foundation for competitive intelligence by adopting a strategic view that incorporates big data analysis and development-focused activities. It should be noted that knowledge management plays an essential role and can guarantee the university's competitive advantage through effective competitive intelligence practices. تفاصيل المقالة