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Research and development activities
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In 2004, total industrial spending on research and development (R&D) reached $14.4 billion, of which $13.5 billion or 94% went for current expenditures such as wages and salaries.
Product development and improvement accounted for $8.5 billion or close to two-thirds (63%) of the total for 2004. Basic and applied research and process development and improvement were in second and third position with $2.2 billion (17%) and $2.1 billion (16%) respectively.
Slightly more than $7.8 billion of current expenditures by Canadian firms on research and development was allocated to developing new applications (basic research, new products, new processes and new technical services). This percentage was unchanged in 2004 compared to 2000, at 58% of total spending.
Between 2000 and 2004, the portion of expenditures allocated to basic and applied research was higher in the services sector (24%) than in the manufacturing sector (13%).
In the manufacturing sector, the pharmaceutical and medicine industry spent $360 million on basic and applied research, representing 38% of total spending by the sector allocated to basic and applied research and 16% of total expenditures by companies on basic and applied research.
Ontario is the province where the most was spent on product development and improvement, at 69% of total R&D spending by R&D performers in that province. Among the other provinces and territories, this portion exceeded 60% only in British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Basic and applied research was a higher priority in Saskatchewan, representing over 31% of total R&D spending by R&D performers in the province.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 4201.
The article "Research and development activities, 2000 to 2004" is now available in the service bulletin Science Statistics, Vol. 30, no. 8 (88-001-XIE, free), from the Publications module of our website.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Louise Earl (613-951-2880; louise.earl@statcan.gc.ca), Science, Innovation and Electronic Information Division.
