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Spending on industrial research and development

  1. Businesses performing industrial research and development (R&D) in Canada anticipated spending $14.8 billion (in current dollars) in 2010. This is down 6.2% from actual spending reported in 2008 and 2.6% from 2009 planned spending estimates.
  2. In 2008, companies spent $15.8 billion on industrial R&D, down $852 million for a 5.1% decline from 2007.
  3. In 2010, 43% of industrial R&D spending was performed in the following five industries: scientific research and development services ($1.6 billion), communications equipment industry ($1.3 billion), wholesale trade ($1.2 billion), computer system design and related services industry ($1.1 billion), and information and cultural industries ($1.1 billion).
  4. Spending in 2008 in Ontario amounted to $7.6 billion, or 48% of the industrial R&D total. Businesses in Quebec spent $4.6 billion, or 29% of the total.
  5. R&D activities provided employment to an estimated 158,926 full-time equivalent positions in 2008, an increase of 15% in research effort from five years previously.

Note:

Data for 2008 on employment in R&D activities, sources of funds for R&D, and industrial R&D spending distributed by provinces are also available.

Revised R&D spending intentions for 2009 are also available. Spending intentions for 2009 and 2010 are preliminary indications of the direction of R&D investments. They do not represent absolute values of R&D spending, and should be used with caution.