In order to summarize the research status of key core technology identification at home and abroad, and provide a reference for further in-depth research on the definition of key core technology concepts and the optimization of identification methods in China, this paper defines the connotation of key core technologies, selects 830 papers from 2016 to 2022 for publication statistics, and introduces industrial elements for literature screening. Based on the domestic pattern and international competition, the research field of key core technologies was limited to data-driven key industries, taking into account the relevance and novelty of research topics, 26 foreign literature and 43 Chinese literature were extracted for qualitative description, the connotation, characteristics and identification methods of key core technologies were summarized and reviewed, the research framework was sorted out and the future development trend was predicted. According to the connotation of key core technologies and the focus of existing research, based on the perspective of technology, strategy and the combination of technology and industrial chain, this paper sorts out the identification methods, common computable features and index measurement methods of key core technologies from three dimensions, and summarizes the current research results. It is believed that in the future, the research on the identification of key core technologies in China should be promoted from three aspects: clearly defining the connotation and extension of key core technologies, establishing a comprehensive index technology identification system based on the full characteristics of key core technologies, and realizing the empirical test of the identification and prediction mechanism of a broader range of key core technologies.