A forecast of R&D in Sweden 2008:

R&D expenditure increases

Expenditure for R&D has been forecasted to increase in 2008 in the business enterprise sector as well as in the higher education sector.

Expenditure for enterprises´ intramural R&D in Sweden increased from SEK 81.4 billion in 2007 to SEK 87.7 billion in 2008. Measured in constant prices (adjusted for inflation using GDP deflators), this is an increase of roughly SEK 3.5 billion.

Expenditure  in research and development at universities and institutes of higher education increased by SEK 1.6 billion from 2007 to 2008. Measured in constant prices (adjusted for inflation using GDP deflators), this is an increase of SEK 800 million.

In the government sector, expenditure in research and development amounted to SEK 5.3 billion in 2008. Measured at the price level of 2008 expenditure in R&D decreased by 4 percent from 2007 to 2008.

Note: The expenditure of the public sector does not include the so called ALF-funds, which are included in the R&D expenditure of the Higher education sector.

Note: The private non-profit sector is not included in the forecast.

The business enterprise sector and the higher education sector accounted for nearly 95 percent of the total expenditure on intramural R&D in Sweden in 2008.

Increase of R&D highest in the goods producing sector

In the business enterprise sector, the increase is highest in the goods producing sector, where R&D expenditure increased by SEK 4.6 billion, compared to SEK 1.6 billion in the service producing sector. In both sectors the increase was nearly 7 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, in current prices.  The goods producing sector accounts for three fourths of  R&D investments in the business enterprise sector.

Medicine is the largest field

Medicine is the field that has the highest share of R&D income in 2008. Technology and natural sciences are other fields of science with high R&D incomes.