Research and development
| Updated: 31.10.2012 - Next update: 31.10.2013 |
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R&D expenditure grew moderately
R&D expenditure exceeded EUR 7 billion in 2011. The R&D expenditure of business enterprises amounted to EUR 5.0 billion, that of the higher education sector to EUR 1.4 billion and the rest of the public sector to EUR 700 million. Growth from the previous year amounted to EUR 192 million. According to data calculated by Statistics Finland, almost all of the growth came from business enterprises where expenditure on R&D increased by EUR 193 million from 2010. Although R&D expenditure grew, its share of GDP turned to decline and was 3.78 per cent in 2011.
The share of business enterprise of the R&D expenditure exceeded again 70 per cent at the same time as the share of the higher education sector fell to just under 20 per cent. Business enterprises were the biggest provider of funds for R&D with their 66 per cent share. Business enterprise financed the vast majority, or 90 per cent, of their research and development activity themselves.
In 2011, the GDP share of R&D expenditure was 3.78 per cent, which is 0.1 percentage point lower than in the previous year. In 2012, expenditure is estimated to fall by EUR 70 million, putting its GPD share at no more than 3.6 per cent.
Statistical releaseSource:
Statistics Finland / Research and development
Description of indicator
Research and development activity (R&D) is understood as systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge and use it to devise new applications. The defining criterion is that the purpose of the activity should be the presence of an appreciable element of novelty. Research and development activity includes basic research, applied research and experimental development.
