Large universities receive most research funds

Investments in research and development in universities and institutes of higher education increased by three percent between 2005 and 2007 (in constant prices). This corresponds to an increase of SEK 700 million. Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet increased the most.

Investments in R&D increased in scope during the end of the 1990s and beginning of the 2000s; since then investments were by and large unchanged between 2003 and 2005. In 2007 investments amounted to roughly SEK 22.6 billion, compared to SEK 21.9 billion in 2005 in constant prices (price level of 2007).

The large universities dominate

A large amount of the money goes to a few large universities. Lund University, Karolinska Institutet, Uppsala University and University of Gothenburg together obtain nearly fifty percent of the money. Compared to 2005, Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet have increased their income the most, by seven and five percent, respectively.

Income for R&D at the ten largest institutes of higher education in 2005 and 2007. SEK millions. Prices at 2007 level

	2005	2007
All institutes of higher education	21 860	22 570
Lund University	2 930	3 000
Karolinska Institutet	2 840	2 990
Uppsala University	2 480	2 570
Göteborg University	2 220	2 270
Stockholm University	1 510	1 620
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences	1 540	1 580
Royal Institute of Technology	1 510	1 550
Umeå University	1 460	1 480
Chalmers University of Technology	1 210	1 240
Linköping University	1 100	1 100
Other	3 050	3 180

Nearly half of the income for research and development comes from government appropriations. Other major financiers are the Swedish Research Council, various government agencies and the EU.

The most for medicine

Medicine dominates when R&D income for universities and the higher education sector is distributed by area of research. Technology and natural science are other research areas with high proportions of R&D income.

Definitions and explanations

Scope of the survey

The survey includes R&D activities at universities and institutes of higher education. It is conducted every other year and includes about 40 universities and institutes of higher education.

Research: systematic work to find new knowledge or ideas with or without the aim of a particular purpose.

Development: systematic work that uses research results, scientific knowledge or new ideas to bring about new material, goods, services, processes, systems, methods or significant improvements of those that already exist.