<p>The transition of oil-producing developing countries to low-carbon energy industry is an important issue in the era of climate change. However, their transition is challenging due to economic and technological barriers. This study employs data envelopment analysis and topic modeling to help establish effective low-carbon energy transition strategies to promote sustainable technological development. First, we compare the technological innovation efficiency for transition in 22 oil-producing developing countries using data envelopment analysis drawing on patent data from 2015 to 2019. The countries are clustered based on the DEA peer weights. Then, technical areas to be benchmarked by the followers per group are identified using topic modeling, and technological strategies are suggested to improve the efficiency of transition. Our research suggests that patent trends in frontier countries exhibit a strong relationship with relevant policies and standards, leading to the introduction of technologies that support these standards. The findings of this study can contribute to establishing national low-carbon energy policies in oil-producing developing countries.</p> Graphic abstract <p></p>